The best exercise for "X" is consistency and intention

A current trend online is videos of “the number one exercise for x” or “the number one exercise you are missing for x” and demonstrates some obscure exercise that is novel. “X” being knee pain, training a muscle, etc..

Examples of this include tibialis raises (“tib raises”), “around the worlds” for the core, or seated hip flexor lift offs. The problem with these exercises are that:

1. They are without context. Everyone’s pain, ability to grow muscle, training history, and so many other traits are variable. Therefore, the demands needed to produce an adaptation are variable.

2. And they usually are not in line with the tenets of sports science. The greatest stimulus for growth is exposing the muscle through its fullest range of motion starting at long muscle lengths and repeated exposure to mechanical tension (as long as it is recoverable from).

3. (Bonus: Usually these posts are in the context from treating pain from people who are talking out of their scope of practice, let alone lacking certifications to be trainers)

Generally speaking, by exposing the body to a tolerable and recoverable stimuli (usually resistance) across various different joint angles and loading profiles, we can create the positive adaptations that we are looking for. 

We can see in runners that running REDUCES the frequency of osteoarthritis in the hips and knees because if done properly, the exposure to the load of running overtime produces the adaptations needed, in tandem with exposure to different joint actions (knee flexion/extension, tibial and knee rotation, hip rotation, etc.) that help strengthen and improve the capacity and ability of these joints. You would not train your biceps by ONLY holding isometrically at a 90 degree angle or farmers carries, why train other joints like that? It is nonsensical. We train biceps with our arms in front, at our sides, behind us, with rowing motions, etc. and we should apply this to every joint we train.

The physical traits we have are very much “use it or lose it.” If we do not use certain capabilities we have, the need for the maintenance of said traits is reduced (this is called detraining and that and how we produce adaptations is a whole other post within itself).

In short, to see progress in a certain capacity, expose the joint to:

1. Recoverable and sufficient load.

2. Expressing the joint to all of its various joint actions.

3. Progress said stimuli in reps, load, or more challenging exercises.

The simplest answers usually require the simplest solutions, not some magic pill sold online that looks new and different. Be patient, be consistent, and be kind to yourselves.