Lionstrong Athletics

Episode 12: Strengthen the Outside of Your Knee

Lateral knee pain isn’t always a knee problem. A weak or overloaded vastus lateralis can be a major contributor.

Today’s exercise is a slight twist on the traditional leg extension. Instead of using the full range of motion, we’re focusing on the bottom half of the movement to place more emphasis on the vastus lateralis and re**us femoris.

Control every rep, focus on quality, and gradually build strength where it matters.

Have you tried this variation before? Let me know how it feels in the comments.

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Episode 11: Strengthen the Outside of Your Knee

If you’re dealing with pain on the outside of your knee, don’t just focus on stretching—don’t forget to build strength too.

In today’s episode, I’m showing a simple tweak to the leg press that targets the vastus lateralis, one of the key muscles on the outside of your quad.

✅ Toes turned in slightly
✅ Drive through the balls of your feet and toes
✅ Keep the emphasis on your quads instead of your glutes

Small changes in technique can completely change which muscles are doing the work. Strengthening the right tissues can make a huge difference in reducing lateral knee pain and improving how your knee moves.

Give it a try and let me know how it feels!

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Episode 10: Stop Making This Stretching Mistake

One of the biggest mistakes I see when people are trying to get rid of knee pain is rushing their stretches.

Most people stretch their quads for 5–10 seconds, then move on. The problem? That’s usually not enough time to create meaningful changes in muscle length.

Research suggests that holding a stretch for 40+ seconds is much more effective if your goal is lasting improvements in flexibility. If your quads are tight and contributing to your knee pain, don’t rush it. Find the stretch, relax into it, and give your body enough time to respond.

Small changes in technique can make a big difference in your results.

Save this video for your next mobility session, and share it with someone who’s been stretching the wrong way.

If you’ve been rolling your quad like you’re using a rolling pin… you’re probably making it less effective.

Episode 9: Instead of constantly rolling back and forth, find a tender spot in the muscle, apply steady pressure, and let the muscle relax before moving to the next area. Slow, controlled pressure is often much more effective than endless rolling.

If you’re dealing with pain on the outside of your knee, tightness in the vastus lateralis or the muscles that tension the IT band may be part of the problem. Working the muscle correctly can make a big difference.

Give this technique a try and let me know how it feels.

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Episode 8: Stop Treating Your Knee Pain Like This

One of the biggest mistakes I see? People go straight to the painful spot and spend all their time rubbing the knee.

In many cases, the problem isn’t actually the knee—it’s the muscles above it. Tight quads and surrounding tissues can pull on the tendons around your knee, creating pain where you feel it.

Instead of only treating the symptom, address the source. Muscles respond much better to stretching, massage, and strengthening than irritated tendons and ligaments do.

If you’ve been chasing knee pain without lasting results, it might be time to look upstream.

Follow along for more evidence-based tips in the Knee Pain Series.

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Episode 7: Outer Knee Pain

Pain on the outside of your knee isn’t always coming from the knee itself. Tightness and stiffness in the outer quad can increase tension on the tissues that cross the outside of the knee.

In this episode, I’m showing a simple variation of the classic quad stretch. By bringing your foot slightly across the midline of your body, you can shift the stretch toward the outside of the quad and target an area that often gets overlooked.

Take it slow, stay within a comfortable range, and don’t force the stretch. Consistency beats intensity when you’re trying to improve mobility and reduce irritation.

Give it a try and let me know where you feel the stretch. If you’ve been following the series, stay tuned—there’s plenty more to come.

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Knee Pain Series – Episode 6 🦵

If you’re dealing with pain on the inside (medial side) of your knee, improving the strength and capacity of your VMO and surrounding tendons can make a huge difference.

Today’s exercise is a modified sissy squat. The key is to start small. Only move through a pain-free range that you can control, then gradually increase your depth over time as your knees become stronger and more resilient.

Don’t rush the process. Consistent, progressive loading is what builds stronger muscles, healthier tendons, and more confident movement.

Save this one for your next leg day, and follow along for the rest of the Knee Pain Series!

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Knee Pain Series – Episode 5: Medial Knee Pain (VMO)

If you’re dealing with pain on the inside of your knee, a weak or irritated VMO may be part of the problem.

One of my favorite exercises is a top-half leg extension. By working only the last portion of the movement, you place more emphasis on the VMO and the tissues around the knee that help support and stabilize the joint.

I demonstrate it single-leg in this video, but it works just as well with both legs if that’s a better fit for you.

Remember: pain doesn’t always mean you need to stop moving. Often, the right movement—done the right way—is exactly what helps you get stronger.

Save this for later, give it a try, and follow along for the rest of the Knee Pain Series.

Knee Pain Series – Episode 4: The Toe Squat

If you’re dealing with pain on the inside of your knee, weak or irritated VMO muscles can be part of the problem.

Today’s exercise is the Toe Squat. By shifting your weight onto your toes and using a sturdy bar for assistance, you can load the quads and patellar tendon in a controlled way while building strength where it matters. The bar isn’t just for balance—it lets you safely increase the load and work through a greater range of motion.

Start slow, stay controlled, and only work within a pain level that’s tolerable. Consistency beats intensity.

Save this for your next leg day, and follow along for the rest of the Knee Pain Series!

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