Step-ups are a simple movement in which you begin in a standing position, lift one foot forward and place it on an elevated platform, stepping upward to bring your other foot next to the first. This simple movement is encountered in many scenarios in daily life as well as in athletic endeavors. It can be trained in many different ways from step aerobics to a step-up with a heavy barbell for strength.
Muscles Trained by Step-ups
Step-ups primarily target your quadriceps, the muscles on the front of your thigh, and the gluteal muscles of your posterior. The closer you are to the surface upon which you step, the more the quadriceps are targeted. Stepping up from further away shifts the stress to your gluteus maximus. The adductor magnus along your inner thigh, and the soleus and gastrocemius of your calves, assist in the exercise. The hamstrings on the back of your leg serve to stabilize the leg as you step up.
Loading Step-ups
Step-ups can be done with your body weight alone, or you can use dumbbells, barbells, sandbags and other weight implements to increase the intensity. The most common ways to load a step-up is to hold a barbell across your shoulders, as in a back squat, or with two dumbbells held down by your sides like a pair of suitcases. The difficulty of the step-up can also be raised by increasing the height of your step.
Front-Loaded Step-ups
You can increase the overall demands to your body's stability and flexibility by moving the source of resisted further away from your center of gravity. If you carry the barbell across your shoulders, the weight is directly above your hips and center of gravity. If you hold the barbell in front of your shoulders, as in a front squat, the majority of the stress will shift from the lower back and allow you to step-up with a more upright posture.
Overhead Step-ups
Holding the weight overhead as in an overhead squat as you step up increases the challenges to your balance and flexibility. This variation requires strength in your shoulders and abdominals as well as the flexibility of your hips, lower back, and shoulders. The exercise requires caution. The surface on which you are stepping must be sturdy and secure, and you must have enough space around you in order to safely perform the lift. You will also not be able to lift as much weight in this position. Your balance here is even more important with a step-up than with traditional overhead squats.
Member Comments