Ben Patrick: Known as KneesOverToesGuy, a former failed-then-college-recruited basketball player who rehabbed his knees with knee-over-toe exercises, founded the ATG gym/training brand, and now coaches students and faculty on accessible, injury-resistant training.
What this episode covers
In a hands-on gym session at Squatch Gym in Austin, Ben Patrick demonstrates his entire personal workout for Tim Ferriss, who participates while recovering from elbow and chronic low-back issues. The routine moves from sled-style resisted forward/backward walking, to training the body from the ground up (tibialis and calves), to combining strength and flexibility through deep ATG split squats and inner-thigh work. Patrick stresses regression and accessibility, showing affordable home equipment he designed and creative no-equipment options for schools where students sled each other. He traces his methods to influences like Louie Simmons of Westside Barbell and shares his personal origin story of being banned from his own knee-over-toe exercises in college. Throughout, both emphasize long-term patience, questioning fitness 'sacred cows,' and building ability rather than fearing positions.
Recommended on this episode
Cork Sled
“I do love these cork sleds. But even for me, this is too big. I don't even have space for the smaller unit here in Austin.”— Ben Patrick
Spud Inc Straps and Belts
Spud Inc
“shout out to Spud in South Carolina... He makes all kinds of durable American-made fabric. Used to use their deadlift belts way back. He makes all kinds of great straps.”— Ben Patrick
The guest's own work
ATG Resisted Walking/Sled Unit
ATG (Knees Over Toes Guy)
“There are 5 to $10,000 resisted units. I sell this for $600. This is a breakthrough in cheapness.”— Ben Patrick
ATG Shoes
ATG (Knees Over Toes Guy)
“Look at these beautiful ATG shoes. The man is on brand. I will show how I came prepared to cheat. I have an elevated heel.”— Tim Ferriss
The 4-Hour Body
Tim Ferriss
“I remember looking at this for the 4-hour body way back in 2010. I was I hired a researcher. I was like, is there anything to this?”— Tim Ferriss
Also referenced (named, not recommended)
Reverse Hyper
Westside Barbell
“the guy that I told you who invented the idea of dragging stuff as a workout, Louis Simmons... So, sled and then he also invented reverse hyper.”— Ben Patrick
Big reveals from this episode
- Patrick was on painkillers for his knees after three surgical changes, and backward sledding let him ditch the painkillers, sparking the realization that anyone, even his mom, could do it.
- After about a year and a half of no running, his back developed major problems, and only doing the loaded split-squat stretch fixed it; he's had no back problem for 12 years since.
- Patrick reframed his rehab as his actual exercise routine rather than just rehab, and it's stayed in his weekly regimen for over a decade while letting him play basketball pain-free.
- He coaches the inner-thigh/split-squat work as a dumbbell-only exercise and deliberately does not progress it to a barbell on the back, using the floor as a natural limiting point.
- Patrick reveals his origin story: a failed high school athlete with no college recruitment who rehabbed with knee-over-toe exercises, earned a junior college scholarship, became a two-year starting point guard, then turned down Division I full rides to open his gym.
- Every four-year school told him no knees over toes, meaning he would have been banned from the very exercises that earned him the scholarship.
- Patrick argues knee-over-toes is no longer fringe; tons of studies and tools like consensus.app now support decline step-downs and training the knee-over-toe position to prevent injury.
Worth remembering
- The idea of dragging a sled before workouts traces to Louie Simmons of Westside Barbell, who got it from Finnish powerlifters who dragged trees in the forestry industry.
- Charles Poliquin popularized backward sledding to rehab Olympians with knee injuries.
- Across thousands of group classes (over 100,000 sessions counted), Patrick had zero injuries from sledding.
- Louie Simmons came to this work after breaking his back, and also invented the reverse hyper.
- Premium resisted sled units can cost $5,000 to $10,000, while Patrick sells his version for $600.
- Statistics cited claim 95% of people will never sprint again after age 30.
- Bodybuilding legend Tom Platz, around 70 years old, can still drop into a deep squat and teach squats, with jaw muscles nearly as developed as his quads.
- Jersey Gregoric, a Polish immigrant to the US around 70 with multiple Olympic weightlifting world records in the masters division, inspired Patrick's micro-progressions for ankle mobility.
- Patrick partners with Spud Inc. in South Carolina for durable American-made fabric equipment so students can serve as the 'sleds' for each other.
- Tim Ferriss notes he hired a researcher for the 4-Hour Body back in 2010 to investigate fitness claims, before tools like consensus.app existed.