If you’ve been dealing with knee pain, hip stiffness, or nagging ankle problems, you may have heard the term “ATG training” or “Knees Over Toes.” Being an ATG Certified Coach(Knees Over Toes) in Beaverton, OR, I get questions about this method almost every week.
So let’s break it down: what ATG training actually is, why it works, and who it’s really for.
What Is ATG Training?
ATG stands for Athletic Truth Group, a training system developed by Ben Patrick, also known as the “Kneesovertoesguy.” The system is built around one core idea:
You can rebuild your joints, not just manage them.
Most people are told that joint pain is just something to live with.
Bad knees? Avoid squatting.
Tight hips? Don’t go too deep.
Ankle pain? Work around it.
The ATG approach flips that idea completely. Instead of permanently avoiding the positions that cause discomfort, you train into them gradually, progressively, and with the right amount of load. Over time, this helps rebuild the connective tissue, tendons, and muscles that support your joints.
The Knees Over Toes method specifically focuses on improving knee strength and function. For decades, the phrase “knees shouldn’t go over toes” was repeated in gyms as if it were a hard rule. The ATG system challenges that belief.
Your knees are designed to travel forward over your toes. When that movement is restricted long-term, the tendons and muscles that stabilize the knee can become weaker. That weakness is often part of what contributes to knee pain in the first place.
Who Is ATG Training For?
The short answer: almost everyone.
But here are the people I most often see benefit from ATG training at my Beaverton studio:
- People with chronic knee pain who have been told to “just stretch more” or “avoid stairs”
- Athletes recovering from ACL tears, meniscus injuries, or patellar tendonitis
- Older adults who have lost confidence going up and down stairs or getting off the floor
- People who have had knee or hip surgery and want to rebuild strength the right way
- Anyone who has tried regular training but keeps tweaking the same joints
ATG training is not a magic fix. It is a structured, progressive approach to building strength through full range of motion.
It takes time, consistency, and the right progressions. But the results can be very real.
What Does an ATG Training Session Look Like?
At my private training studio in Beaverton, an ATG-focused session may include:
- Tibialis raises and backward sled work, which are foundational for knee health
- Nordic curls and hamstring loading
- Hip flexor and hip capsule work
- Progressive single-leg work, including split squats, step-ups, and lunges
- Gradual ankle and calf loading
Every session starts where you are.
Some clients come in barely able to walk down stairs without pain. Others are athletes who want to build stronger, more resilient knees for sport. The ATG principles apply to both, but the progressions look different depending on your body, your history, and your goals.
Why I Became an ATG Coach in Beaverton
I’m not just trained in ATG. I’m someone who needed it.
I came from construction, dealt with chronic pain for years, and had a spinal fusion and two lumbar surgeries between 2017 and 2020. By the time I became a personal trainer, I was not interested in programs that looked good on paper but ignored how real bodies actually break down and rebuild.
ATG was the methodology that made the most sense to me because it is based on how joints actually work, not how we wish they worked.
I became an ATG Certified Coach (Knees Over Toes) because I believe in the system, and because I have seen it work in my own body and with my clients in Beaverton.
I am also listed on the ATG coach map and partner with ATG on gear discounts for clients. If you want to go deeper with this system, I can help you do it the right way.
Ready to Try ATG Training in Beaverton?
If you are tired of managing joint pain and want to actually address it, ATG training might be exactly what you have been looking for.
The first step is simple.
Ready to get started? Book your Intro Training Session at Fitness Training LLC in Beaverton.
No commitment. No pressure. Just one session to see if ATG training is the right fit for you.