Can the DNS Star Exercise Fix Knee Pain During a Squat?

Knee pain during a single leg squat often comes from a control problem, not a mobility problem. Squat University describes a patient who couldn't perform even a small single leg squat without severe pain in his left knee, and the pain was always worse going down than coming up.

When examined, the patient's left hip and ankle mobility were excellent. But when Squat University tested his lateral hip stability, the patient struggled to resist even a small amount of force. This told Squat University that the knee pain wasn't due to a lack of mobility — it was a problem in controlling the mobility the patient already had.

Standard lateral glute exercises weren't the solution because the patient's issue was control, not strength alone. Squat University explains that simply making the glutes stronger with common lateral glute exercises wasn't the right approach given what the assessment showed.

Instead, the fix needed to target coordination between multiple structures at once — the core, hips, and pelvis working together to create stability while moving. That's a different demand than isolated glute strengthening, and it's why Squat University chose a different exercise altogether.

The DNS Star is performed by moving from a side plank into a controlled hip rotation and squat, challenging the core, hips, and pelvis to stabilize together. Follow these steps:

1. Start in a side plank position.
2. Rotate your pelvis towards the floor, moving into hip internal rotation.
3. Slowly squat your hips down.
4. Pause for a second at the bottom.
5. Return to the start position while keeping your body under control.

According to Squat University, this movement pattern targets the exact factors — core, hip, and pelvic coordination — that are essential for controlling the knee during a squat.

Yes — Squat University reports that after performing the DNS Star, the patient's single leg squat was immediately retested and showed noticeable improvement. In the video, Squat University and the patient both react to how much better the squat looked right after the exercise.

This immediate retest is a practical example of the "test, don't guess" approach Squat University describes in the caption: matching an exercise to a person's specific weak link, rather than defaulting to a generic fix, produced a fast, visible change.