beginnerResistance bandStanding
Terminal Knee Extension (TKE)
Activates the VMO — the teardrop-shaped inner quad muscle that is the primary stabilizer of the knee and almost always weakened in people with knee pain. Unlike squats, TKEs isolate the last 30 degrees of knee extension where the VMO is most active.
Terminal Knee Extension (TKE)
Duration
2 min
Reps
15 reps each side
Sets
3
How to do it
- 1
Loop a resistance band around something stable at knee height behind you.
- 2
Place the band behind your right knee and step slightly forward to create band tension.
- 3
With a slight bend in both knees, straighten your right knee against the band resistance.
- 4
Squeeze the quad at full extension and hold 2 seconds.
- 5
Allow the knee to bend back slowly with control. Repeat.
Benefits
- Activates the VMO through the terminal range of knee extension
- Reduces anterior knee pain without joint compression
- Improves knee stability during walking and stair navigation
Common mistakes
- Locking the knee out too aggressively and hyperextending
- Not pausing and squeezing at full extension where VMO activation peaks
- Having too little or too much band tension so control is lost
Target areas
knees
Good for
post surgeryseniors
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