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Noted Strength coach Charles Poliquin has had much experience treating Jumper's Knee. He found that Jumper's Knee is caused in large part by an imbalance between the Vastus Medialis (the teardrop-shaped muscle on the inside of the thigh) and the Vastus Lateralis (outer-thigh sweep muscle). Ironically, this imbalance is often caused by sports specific conditioning exercises which overemphasize the VL. You want to do an exercise which strengthens the Vastus Medialis - a muscle that helps the kneecap track properly. One of the best exercises for this is the Peterson Stepup.

The Peterson Stepup begins with one foot on a low platform. Lift the heel of the foot on top of the platform and position the toes so they are just behind the heel of the opposite leg as shown in the first picture. Now lift the toes of the foot you're standing on, as this will increase the emphasis on the working leg. From this start position straighten the leg on top of the platform while lowering the heel as shown in the second picture. Do 3 sets of 10 each leg with no weight at first, and then 10 - 20 lbs as dumbbells or weighted belt. For the most challenging workout, do the exercise with Jumpsoles + Proprioceptors, especially in the middle hole.

 

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