Video summary

HOW TO BUILD STRONG & RESILIENT KNEES FOR SKATEBOARDING

Main summary

Key takeaways

Wellness and Self-Improvement

Key Wellness & Performance Strategies for Strong, Resilient Skateboarding Knees

  • Realize skating places repeated high forces on your knees

    • Impact from landings, falls, stops, grinds/slides, and many “small” movements adds up across long sessions.
    • Research cited: jumping impact forces can reach ~17x body weight in stair-jump scenarios (from force-plate studies).

  • Build mobility, stability, strength, and control (whole-chain approach)

    • If ankle/foot/hip are limited or unstable, the knee often compensates—raising stress and wear/tear risk.
    • Train the entire system that supports the knee: muscles, tendons, ligaments, cartilage, and the meniscus.

  • Use the right “dose” of impact—neither too little nor too much

    • Avoid extremes:
      • Too much too soon → pain/injury (e.g., ACL tear from a big landing; wear-and-tear issues from insufficient recovery)
      • Not enough activity → less adaptation (“you lose what you don’t use”)
    • Aim for a personal “impact sweet spot,” building resilience over time.

  • Do resistance training to prevent common injury mechanisms (especially ACL-risk situations)

    • ACL tears are linked to landing/stop/change-of-direction scenarios—events that also happen frequently in skating.
    • Focus on training that improves your ability to handle those moments safely.

  • Practice “soft/ninja” landings to decelerate more safely

    • Rigid landings send more sudden energy through the knee; flexed landings distribute force better.
    • Coaching cue: land quietly and softly (find the feeling of controlled deceleration).
    • Suggested skill practice methods:
      • Box jumps, bounds, snap downs
      • On-board practice: land the style while skating flat or rolling off small ledges/gaps.

  • Improve stability & reactivity (faster correction = less injury risk)

    • Train your ability to respond instantly to changing forces/terrain while balancing.
    • Knee “valgus” (knee going inward) is discussed as a risk pattern when excessive—often connected to issues at the foot/hip and seen with some knee problems and certain ACL-related landing patterns.

  • Film and analyze your landings

    • Compare:
      • Do knees go in excessively?
      • Do you land stiff?
    • Technique awareness and education can reduce risk by improving landing mechanics.

  • Train both sides of your body (avoid one-stance overreliance)

    • Skating uses each side differently depending on stance and actions (support vs. pop vs. landing).
    • If you mainly skate one stance, imbalances can build.
    • Strategies:
      • Add single-leg training
      • Skate more switch

  • Prioritize the posterior chain as the knee’s “braking system”

    • When quads over-dominate (overactivation), landing may become stiffer and less protective.
    • The posterior chain (calves/hamstrings/glutes/back) helps control knee position and supports safer deceleration.
    • Training focus includes:
      • Strength + controlled lengthening (eccentric-style control)
      • Examples mentioned: calf raise control, hamstring lengthening during rolling/certain movements, rows for posterior control

  • Train across speeds: slow control + fast/reactive work

    • Most injuries occur at fast speeds (milliseconds).
    • Combine:
      • Traditional slow training
      • Faster deceleration/change-of-direction work
    • Includes sprint-like intensity themes (getting onto the board quickly before jumping/lines).

  • Build injury-prevention habits

    • Warm up with exercises that prepare you physically and mentally (not just static stretching).
    • Progress gradually and consistently
      • Avoid random sessions that spike intensity far above what you’re used to—especially if you’re new.
    • Support recovery with:
      • Nutrition
      • Sleep
      • Stress management

Presenters / Sources

  • Presenter: The video narrator/coach (name not stated in the subtitles)

  • Other mentioned individuals:

    • Chris Jlin (example of stiff-legged landing)
    • Reynolds (example of soft/flex landings)
    • Carlos Roberto (example of elite stability/reactivity)
    • “Hans” (45-year-old office worker example)

  • Referenced research sources:

    • Force-plate / stair-jump studies attributed in subtitles to Salt (and related manufacturers/teams in the subtitle text)
    • Research on ACL tear incidence (72–95%) in landing/stop/change-direction scenarios (other sports context)

Original video