Knee pain · knee injuries
Strength training for knee pain: trusting your knee again
Your knee nags when you take the stairs, squat down or run. You’ve stopped your sport or you’ve been walking carefully for months. Rest helps for a while, but as soon as you start again, it’s back. A strong knee needs strength, not more rest.
Why knee pain comes back
Many knee problems start with overload: your knee had to do more than it could handle at that moment. The logical answer seems to be rest. But long-term rest weakens the muscles around your knee and makes your tendon more sensitive, so the pain returns at the first training session.
What does work: building up the load in a controlled way, so your knee, thigh and hips get stronger together. And learning to recognise when you can push and when you need to step back.
Complaints I can help with
- Pain around or under the kneecap, for example on stairs or after sitting for long.
- Knee pain when running, playing football or other sports.
- A knee that feels unreliable after a previous injury or surgery.
- Pain when squatting or getting up from a chair.
The DYBS method
How I tackle your knee pain
01
Map it out
When does your knee react, what have you tried, and how much load has it had lately? Together we decide where you want to go: running again, football, or just pain-free stairs.
02
Discover
We move: squats, step-ups, lunges. I find out at which angle and load your knee reacts, and what your knee can already handle. That’s where we start.
03
Build
12 weeks of getting stronger in your legs and hips, with a clear progression. You learn how to dose your load, so you can carry on independently.
Questions about strength training for knee pain
Are squats bad for your knees?
No. Squatting is one of the best exercises for stronger knees, as long as the load matches what your knee can handle right now. We find the depth and weight at which your knee stays calm, and build up from there.
Do I need to stop running?
Usually not completely. Often we temporarily reduce the volume or pace, and build strength alongside your running. That way you stay active while your knee gets stronger.
Can I come after knee surgery?
Yes, once your practitioner clears you to train. I’m happy to coordinate with your physio so we’re aligned.
Desley Baars is a personal trainer and strength coach for long-term pain in Amsterdam-West. He is not a doctor and does not diagnose. If you have severe or unexplained symptoms, such as a swollen, warm knee, a knee that locks, or night pain that doesn’t go away, see your GP first.
Want to move without worrying about your knee?
In a free movement assessment we find out why your knee keeps flaring up and how to make it strong and reliable.
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