How to Do Step-Ups

Step-ups are good exercises for building strength and endurance in your legs. Learn how to do barbell step-up exercises in this strength training video.

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Works out glutes and hamstrings
Start with knees even with hips
Don't drop down too quickly
Keep foot entirely on step

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Amy McCauley has been a certified personal fitness trainer since 1995. She specializes in pilates, combat cardio, core conditioning and overall strength training. She works with clients ranging in age from 16 - 69. She has worked at Gold's Gym in Wilmington, NC since 2006. She loves her job because it gives her the opportunity to change peoples' lives in a positive way.

AMY MCCAULEY: Hi. I'm going to show how to do a step-up. Place your foot on top of the step. It should be at hip level so that your hip, your knee, and your ankle are in a 90-degree angle, no higher. You're going to step up, touch the step, drop back down. Shoulders stay back down the spine. Chest is open. Touch and release. Take your time especially if you have issues with your knees. You don't want to drop down too quickly. Small tap and lift up. Keep your head long and tall. Shoulders back. Exhale as you lift and inhale as you lower. We're going to do about 8 to 12 reps on each side and then switch legs. When you switch legs, make sure that your foot goes completely on top of the step and that your foot is not hanging off the step, we want to avoid injury in the calf, the ankle, and the knee, nice and slow, step up and release down. You're working the muscles throughout your quadriceps, hamstrings, and glutes, so I want you to squeeze as you gets to the top, engaging all the way through the glute muscle and drop it down. You have also variations. You can come up to an extension and a drop, extension through the glute and then release. Or you can come up with a knee lift, getting a little bit of hip extension. Exhale and inhale. Take a break. Another breather. Option number two. Take it up, angle out to side raise, and back down. This is going to work the outer portion of the glute and hamstring, also going into your outer thigh. So you want to make sure that your knee does not go over your toe. Straight up and down. You're tracking over your second and third toe. Make sure you're always breathing out on your way up. Okay, the four things to remember are when you step up, you want to maintain a knee in line with your second and your third toe at a 90-degree angle, so as you step up, shoulders should be backed and chest open. You're going to step up, push into your heel as opposed to your ball of your foot, engage your glute, try not to lock out your knee. Exhale as you're coming up, inhale as you drop down. So you've got alignment. Knee over second and third toe at a 90-degree angle. Your breath is out as you come up. We're working quadriceps, hamstrings and glute muscles. That's your third key. Your fourth key, step up, try not to lock out the knee. Shoulders are pulled back, chest is open, and release. That's how you do your step-up.

How to Do Step-Ups Video

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