Squats and lunges
Step-ups
- Kit
- Bench or chair
- Works
- quads · glutes
- Also
- hamstrings · calves · core
The step-up is a single-leg knee-dominant movement: you drive up onto a bench or sturdy chair with one leg, then lower under control. It builds the quads and glutes while asking the standing leg to balance and stabilise, which carries over to stairs, hills and walking with load. It suits anyone who wants leg work with less spinal loading than a heavy squat.
Form
How to do step-ups
- 1Stand facing a bench or sturdy chair that reaches around knee height. Check it will not slide or tip before you load it.
- 2Place one whole foot flat on the surface, with the knee tracking over the toes and the chest tall.
- 3Push through that front foot to stand up on top, keeping the trailing leg quiet rather than pushing off the floor. Breathe out as you rise.
- 4Lower under control on the same leg until the trailing foot touches the floor lightly, then step up again. Breathe in on the way down.
- 5Keep the working foot on the bench for the whole effort, and do both sides.
Watch for
Common mistakes
Pushing off hard with the back foot so the floor leg does most of the work.
Fix: Let the trailing leg hang loose and think about pressing the bench away with the top foot.
Dropping down fast and bouncing off the floor.
Fix: Lower slowly enough that the trailing foot lands silently, then reset before the next drive.
Using a step so high that the hips shoot back and the knee caves in.
Fix: Lower the surface until you can stand up with the chest tall and the knee tracking over the toes.
Variations
Easier and harder
Sessions
Put it in a workout
None of the fixed workouts uses it. Pick a workout for your kit, or start today's session on /gym.