Gym Shorts: Terminal Knee Extension

How To Terminal Knee Extension

Gym Shorts videos provide short video demonstrations of correct form for various exercises.

Follow these steps

• Set up
  • Leg into looped band
  • Wear long pants or use towel to prevent band pulling on skin
  • Band sits in knee crease
  • Move back so band is tight
• Top
  • Knee bent
  • Opposite leg straight
  • Only ball of foot touching floor
• Bottom
  • Knee fully extended (leg straight)
  • Foot flat on floor
  • Hold it
• Movement
  • Drive heel down into the floor knee extends against band’s resistance
  • Keep weight on your stationary leg and press through the ball of your foot on the active leg
  • Heel up
  • Slow controlled movement
  • Do these for high reps of 15-20

What Is the Terminal Knee Extension (TKE) & Why Do It?

The terminal knee extension is a banded exercise that allows you to take the knee through the final portion of its extension against a banded resistance.

It is a prehab or rehab movement, typically performed prior to the squat for lifter who suffer from knee pain. This movement – done for high reps and in a slow, controlled manner – brings blood flowing in and around the knee, preparing it for the squat.

This movement is great because it requires minimal equipment – a squat stand or power rack and a rubber band – so most people can perform this at home or any gym.

Programming the Terminal Knee Extension (TKE)?

Unlike most exercises, this is neither a novice nor advanced exercise but rather situationally useful.

Lifters who suffer from knee pain typically perform this prior to squatting. It can be done as part of a general warm up or immediately before or in between squat warm ups.

Perform this for high reps – 15 to 20 – for 2 to 5 sets. We want blood to flow into the knee & surrounding tissue, so take it slow. There is no reason to rush this.

This may become a regular part of some lifters’ warm ups. Because of the minimal equipment and the ability to do this between or before squat warm ups, it adds minimal time to a workout.

Click HERE for why, using rehab & prehab exercises when needed, training should be simple, hard, & effective and HERE to learn more about how to use bands.