Top Exercises Using The Slant Stack

In the pursuit of athletic longevity, joint resilience, and functional strength, few tools are as versatile and effective as The Slant Stack. This interlocking system of stackable blocks offers a unique way to enhance lower body strength, improve mobility, and bulletproof the knees all while opening the door to a wide range of valuable exercise variations. Whether used in a rehab setting or as part of an aggressive performance protocol, The Slant Stack delivers both stability and progressive overload with precision.

Whether the goal is increasing quad emphasis, seamlessly enhancing range of motion, or applying targeted mechanical tension to undertrained muscle groups, the Slant Stack is a game changer. Here are the top 3 exercises that fully unlock its potential:

1. KOT Split Squat

The King of Knee Bulletproofing Exercises

The KOT Split Squat is one of the most powerful tools for developing bulletproof knees, improving ankle and hip mobility, and targeting the VMO. With the Slant Stack beneath the front foot, this movement becomes more accessible and more effective.

Why It Works with the Slant Stack

By elevating the front foot using the adjustable Slant Stack, you're able to drive the knee forward over the toes while maintaining heel contact with the Slantboard, ensuring a sturdy and balanced base to drive off of.. This slant shifts the center of gravity forward, encouraging deeper knee bend on the front leg and a deeper stretch in the hip flexors of the rear leg.

The adjustable height of the Slant Stack allows for seamless regression and progression. Higher stack heights decrease the strength requirements on the front leg and the mobility requirements on the rear leg. Lower stack heights yield a progressive increase in difficulty. This allows the user to begin at an appropriately challenging difficulty level, and gradually progress the challenge as their strength, stability, and mobility all slowly improve.

Benefits

1. Increases quad and VMO development

2. Encourages full knee bend to build strength at end range

3. Improves anterior hip flexibility and strength

Coaching Tips

1. Keep the heel of the front foot firmly planted on the Slantboard.

2. Allow the knee to drive forward over the toes into a dull bend.

3. Control the eccentric portion and pause in the bottom position for added benefit.

If you've struggled with nagging knees or tight hips, incorporating KOT Split Squats with The Slant Stack (beginning at an appropriate level of regression!) could be the missing link in your training.

2. Poliquin Step-up

Quad Domination with Precision Angle Loading

Named after the legendary strength coach Charles Poliquin, the Poliquin Step-up is a targeted movement designed to emphasize the function of terminal knee extension while encouraging improved dorsiflexion of the ankle. The Poliquin Step-up is intended to bolster stability around the knee through targeted strengthening of the VMO. This movement becomes significantly more effective when performed with The Slant Stack.

Why It Works with the Slant Stack

The elevated, slanted surface allows for a higher degree of dorsiflexion and a steeper shin angle two key factors for optimal quad loading and knee emphasis. When performing this exercise on flat ground, it can be difficult to achieve the right mechanics without compensating. The Slant Stack solves this problem by providing an angled surface that naturally sets you into the optimal position. The stackable design means you can start with a lower elevation and build height as you become stronger and more mobile. 

Benefits:

1. Maximizes VMO engagement with minimal load.

2. Enhances knee strength, patella strength, control, and stability.

3. Great for strength, rehab, prehab, or warm-up protocols.

4. Allows progressive overload through height and load

Coaching Tips

1. Keep your torso upright and focus on driving through the midfoot.

2. Let the knee travel forward as far as possible while keeping the heel planted on the Slantboard.

3. Use a slow tempo to increase time under tension and reinforce control and stability.

Whether used in high-rep bodyweight sets or weighted protocols, the Poliquin Step-up on The Slant Stack is a VMO strengthening, knee-bulletproofing powerhouse.

3. Jefferson Curls

Spinal Decompression and Posterior Chain Supremacy

The Jefferson Curl is a deep range, spine-segmented movement that stretches and strengthens the entire posterior chain—from the calves to the traps. While traditionally performed on a flat surface or elevated platform, The Slant Stack adds a new dimension by introducing an elevation of the forefoot that biases the movement even more toward the hamstrings and calves.  

Why It Works with the Slant Stack

Standing on the Slant Stack with toes angled upward encourages a greater stretch through the calves and hamstrings. With careful loading and control, Jefferson Curls on The Slant Stack help improve spinal articulation, increase hamstring strength and length, enhance calf flexibility and ankle dorsiflexion capacity, and promote injury resilience.

The stackable element of the Slant Stack allows you to continue to easily load the movement without hitting the floor, even as mobility improves and higher heights are required to achieve a full range of motion and a maximum posterior chain stretch.

Benefits

1. Enhances posterior chain mobility.

2. Encourages spinal segmentation and decompression.

3. Builds resilience in the spine and posterior chain.

Coaching Tips

1. Start light—use a very light kettlebell or dumbbell, or even just bodyweight.

2. Tuck your chin and roll down slowly, unlocking the spine segment by segment.

3. Keep the knees locked or mostly locked and lower under control into a deep stretch.

4. Gradually lower into a deeper stretch with each rep as the spine and posterior chain loosen up.

Jefferson Curls performed on The Slant Stack add therapeutic value to any strength or mobility routine, making them a staple for long term durability and resilience.

Final Thoughts

The Slant Stack isn’t just a niche accessory—it’s a foundational tool that supports long term joint health and high performance training. By allowing for customizable heights and stable positioning at a steep angle, it enhances 3 of the most powerful lower body bulletproofing movements: the KOT Split Squat, Poliquin Step-up, and Jefferson Curl. These exercises alone can form the cornerstone of a bulletproofing protocol, rehab routine, or mobility focused strength program.

More than just another piece of gym equipment, The Slant Stack is an investment in sustainable strength. Whether you're chasing performance goals or simply looking to move pain free, the smart integration of this tool into your routine can deliver measurable progress where it matters most.