Saving Your Summer Mileage: Knee-Dominant Training for Runners & Hikers

About this episode

This episode discusses knee-dominant training strategies for runners and hikers to address and prevent knee pain.

Ready to find out why your pain keeps coming back dispite trying everything? Book a free Discovery Call here. https://www.p2sportscare.com/webinars/ If you struggle with nagging knee issues when running or hiking, your first instinct might be to shut down activity, rest, and wait for the pain to dissipate. In this episode, we break down why that exact pattern of protective avoidance actually feeds into long-term quad atrophy and structural weakness. We move past general philosophy and look directly at knee-dominant exercises designed to build real tissue tolerance. Discover how to use targeted lower body strategies—from isometric wall sits and split-stance holds to machine variations like leg presses and hack squats—to safely navigate structural joint sensitivity. We also explain how to tweak variables like your foot position and shin angle to maintain maximum muscle contraction while bypassing painful ranges of motion. There is no such thing as a truly "bulletproof" joint, but you can systematically train your lower body to handle deep load, tolerate changing trail pitches, and keep your upcoming summer backpacking trips on schedule. Listen to learn: Why absolute rest is almost…

People in this episode

Host: Dr. Sebastian Gonzales

Topics covered

• knee pain
• running
• hiking
• exercise
• physiotherapy
• strength training

Keywords

• knee-dominant exercises
• isometric wall sits
• leg presses
• hack squats
• muscle contraction
• joint sensitivity
• summer backpacking

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: P2 Sports Care

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