Step Ups – Full Video Tutorial & Exercise Guide

Step ups are a double benefit exercise as they work well as a muscle building exercise and a solid cardio exercise. Muscularly, they work Quads, Hamstrings, and Glutes in the same way as lunges and squats.

Secondly, Step Ups are a great cardio exercise, due to how much they raise your heart rate and get you breathing hard during the exercise.

For this reason, you can incorporate Step Ups at the end of your leg workout as a ‘burn out' set, or in an alternative cardio circuit like I suggest in our article '20 Best exercises for men over 40′
They're such a versatile and beneficial exercise, I would strongly recommend adding them to your workouts in some fashion.

In this tutorial and related video, I'll show you the proper technique of the exercise, so you can complete it with confidence and safety.

Completing the exercise properly will mean the best results for you while avoiding the potential of injury.

We have a full video tutorial below to show you the fine form points of Step Ups.

Also, if you need something to print off and take to the gym, you can find our step-by-step exercise walkthrough further down this page.

Step Ups – Step-by-step Technique

• • Step 1: Set yourself in front of a solid step, box or bench (preferably the surface should be as flat and solid as possible).

• • Step 2: Step up with one leg, placing your foot firmly on the step/box/bench.

• • Step 3: Lean your weight forward onto your lead leg and use it to step up onto the step/box/bench.*Your back leg should not enable the step up. The effort should all go through your lead leg.

• • Step 4: Raise your trailing leg up too, but do not touch it down on the step/box/bench.

• • Step 5: Step back down onto your trailing leg first, keeping yourself controlled and balanced throughout.

• • Step 6: Switch legs and repeat steps 2-5 on the opposite leg. Continue to alternate for the prescribed amount of time or reps.

** Pro Tip #1: For cardio workouts, complete the exercise for 30-45 seconds, in sets or circuits.

** Pro Tip #2: For muscle building, start with 2 x 10-15 reps on each leg.

To learn more exercises that you can use in your training, visit our complete exercise library on the Fit Father Project YouTube channel.

Enjoy!

The Men's Health Experts @ The Fit Father Project

* We hoped you enjoyed this article. Remember to always consult your doctor before starting any new exercise program and that this is not medical advice – just well-researched info. Please see our disclaimer at the bottom of this website. Exercise intelligently and safely at your own risk.