Strengthen Your Knees at Home: 9 Best Exercises for Strong, Pain-Free Knees
Knee pain and weakness can hold you back from doing the activities you love—whether it’s skiing, hiking, running, or just moving pain-free. But here’s the good news: you don’t need a gym or expensive equipment to build strong, resilient knees.
This at-home knee-strengthening routine is built around Knees Over Toes principles, focusing on full-range strength, mobility, and injury prevention. Whether you're recovering from knee pain or looking to bulletproof your knees against future issues, these exercises will help.
🎥 Watch the full workout video below:
In this post, I’ll break down 9 of the best exercises to strengthen your knees from home, plus my go-to budget-friendly equipment list to get started.
9 Best At-Home Knee Strengthening Exercises
1. Banded Terminal Knee Extensions (TKEs)
The banded TKE is one of the simplest yet most effective exercises for strengthening the muscles around your knee—especially the VMO, which plays a key role in knee stability.
✅ How to do it:
Anchor a resistance band at knee height.
Loop it around the back of your knee and step back to create tension.
Straighten your knee against the band, squeezing your quad at the top.
🔥 Why it helps: Improves knee extension, strengthens the VMO, and enhances stability.
2. Tibialis Raises
Your tibialis anterior (the muscle on the front of your shin) is crucial for absorbing force and protecting your knees. Weak tibs can lead to knee pain and shin splints.
✅ How to do it:
Stand against a wall, feet a few inches to a few feet in front.
Lock your knees and lift your toes towards you.
Lower with control. Or use a Tib Bar for added resistance & load.
🔥 Why it helps: Strengthens the tibialis, reducing knee pain and improving lower leg stability.
3. Single-Leg Calf Raise
Strong calves absorb impact and stabilize the knees, reducing stress on the joints.
✅ How to do it:
Stand on one leg in front of a wall for balance.
Press through the ball of your foot and raise your heel as high as possible.
Lower slowly and repeat. Add weight as needed.
🔥 Why it helps: Enhances ankle stability and reduces knee impact forces.
4. ATG Split Squat
This is one of the best knee-strengthening and mobility exercises. It trains full knee bend while improving flexibility.
✅ How to do it:
Start with your front foot elevated.
Push your knee over your toes, aiming for your hamstring to cover your calf.
Keep your back leg as straight as possible.
Start with your front foot elevated, as I did in the video, and slower progress to lower levels while adding weight as it feels comfortable
🔥 Why it helps: Builds bulletproof quads, hip flexor mobility, and knee strength.
5. Step Back Lunge to Step Through
This dynamic movement combines strength, stability, and coordination.
✅ How to do it:
Step back into a deep lunge.
Drive through your front foot and step forward into a knee drive.
🔥 Why it helps: Improves balance, strengthens the quads, glutes, and hip flexors, and builds knee control.
6. Deep Squats on a Slant Board (VMO Squats)
Elevating your heels shifts more focus onto the VMO and allows for a deeper squat with better knee tracking.
✅ How to do it:
Place your heels on a slant board or weight plates.
Keep your torso upright and squat as deep as possible.
Add weight (goblet squat) as needed.
🔥 Why it helps: Builds VMO strength, which is a crucial quad muscle when it comes to knee health. Working into a full knee bend also bring blood flow to the knees which can help with healing knee pain.
7. Glute Bridge
Strong glutes are key for knee health, helping stabilize and protect the joints.
✅ How to do it:
Lie on your back, feet planted.
Drive through your heels to lift your hips.
Squeeze your glutes at the top without over-arching your back.
🔥 Why it helps: Strengthens posterior chain stability and reduces knee strain.
8. Spanish Squat Holds
An isometric exercise that targets the quads while minimizing knee stress.
✅ How to do it:
Loop a resistance band around your knees and anchor it.
Sit back into a squat at a 90-degree knee bend and hold.
🔥 Why it helps: Builds quad endurance and reinforces good knee mechanics.
9. Banded Hip Flexor Isometric Holds
Hip flexor strength is often overlooked but essential for knee stability and athletic movement.
✅ How to do it:
Loop a resistance band around your feet.
Lift one knee to 90 degrees and hold for 30 seconds.
🔥 Why it helps: Strengthens hip flexors for better knee tracking and overall leg function.
Budget-Friendly Equipment for Bulletproof Knees
Want to build strong knees at home? Here’s what I use:
Final Thoughs
Building strong, pain-free knees doesn’t require a gym—it just takes smart training and consistency. These 9 exercises will help you reduce knee pain, improve mobility, and bulletproof your knees for life.
Watch the full video above for form tips. Hit me with a comment or email if you have any questions!
Want More Help? Here’s How I Can Support You:
✅ Download my free guide & free course – Learn the fundamentals of knee training.
✅ Grab my Kneehab 101 program – A structured approach to bulletproofing your knees.
✅ Apply for coaching with me – Get personalized guidance to speed up your progress.