If you need an exercise for your lower body that is quick, efficient and simple to perform, look no further than the barbell stepup. The stepup combines free-weight resistance in the form of a barbell and a height variation in the form of an aerobic step to target your glutes and quads.
Compound
The barbell stepup bends and straightens two joints, your knees and your hips, making it a compound exercise. Perform the stepup by standing in front of a box. Hold a barbell across your upper back. Bend your right knee and place your right foot on the box. Shift your weight onto your right foot and lift your left foot to the top of the box. Bend your right knee and return your left foot to the floor. Return your right foot to the floor. The exercise is repeated on the left leg.
Glutes
During a stepup when your knee is bent with your foot resting on the step, your glutes contract and extend your hip to raise your body. The barbell resistance, plus the single-leg movement overloads the glute. Your backside responds with strength improvements as the glutes adapt to the additional weight. To increase the challenge of the exercise and the muscle adaptation, perform all of your stepup repetitions on one leg before switching to the opposite leg.
Quadriceps
The fronts of your upper legs, the quadriceps, contract to pull you onto the stepup. Your quadriceps straighten a bent leg. Perform stepup repetitions to fatigue the quadriceps. Use a weight that allows you to complete between eight and 15 repetitions. Your final two repetitions should be difficult. Your muscles need a day of rest between stepup workouts.
Progression
As you progress and improve your strength, the stepup progresses with you. Continue to use this exercise in your lower-body workouts by increasing the height of your step. The highest height of your step places your knees and hips at a 90-degree angle. This height positions your top thigh parallel to the floor to allow for a full range of motion without risking injury to your knees. Always vertically align your knees with your heels to protect your knees.
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