ExRx.net

Kenny--How do you do step-ups. I have done them 2 ways.

One is standing facing the box, stepping forward and up. My issue with this is that I tend to use the momentum of the forward movement to give myself a boost off the floor with the back foot. The movement is meant to work the forward leg, after all.

The second way that I have done them, and that I like better, is to stand beside the box, place the foot up on the box and pause a moment before pushing up with the leg that is on the box. I actually feel this as more of a "step down", bending the upper leg until the lower leg touches the floor, then pushing back up. It feels more like a squat to me. My only issue with this is that if I use a high box, it seems to stress my knees a bit.

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Our greatest fear should not be of failure, but of succeeding at things in life that don't really matter.--Francis Chan

Jungledoc,

I perform them in a multitude of ways.



[u]Momentum Step Up[/u]

I perform that way at times. I get a little drive off my back foot.

I see this as being similar to getting a little recoil/bounce out of the hole in a regular squat.

Plyo Step Ups

Sometimes I accentuate the momentum by lifting my leg up above the box and then slamming it into the box.

This elicits the stretch refex.

Running Step Ups

Some times I take a step back and then drive forward like I am running up steps. This generate more of the stretch reflex.

Running bleachers would be and easier method of doing this.



Dead Stop-Paused "No Momentum" Step Ups

I do these. I've found that coming up on the toes of your back foot, holding and beginning from a dead stop eliminates most of the momentum in the Step Up.

Most people usually lifter their back foot rolling forward onto thier toes to generate momentum. Thus, starting out with a dead stop on the toes of your back foot eliminates most of that moementum.

Lateral Step Ups

I like this one as well, it works the muscles in the leg differently.

Tabata Protocol Step Ups

For those who want to pump their legs and lungs at the same time and blow your heart rate through the roof, this works.

Perform 4 sets of 6-8 Repetitions with Step Ups with each leg.

That means 4 sets with your right and 4 sets with your left leg.

1) Perform 6-8 reps with the right leg.

Without rest...

2) Perform 6-8 reps with the left leg.

Each set will take you close to 30 seconds.

So, you'll end up performing Step Ups NON-Stop for 4 mintues Total. (4 Sets Right Leg + 4 Sets Left Leg = 8 Sets X 30 seconds = 480 seconds/4 minutes)

That means that after working your left leg, your right leg gets 30 seconds of rest.

After working the right leg your left legs get 30 seconds of rest.

Your heart and lungs get NONE!

Band Step Ups

Step Ups have an Ascending Strength Curve. The higher you go the stronger your are due to better leverage.

In Ascending Strength Curve movement like Step Ups, the muscles are overloaded in the bottom of the movement.

However, no overload occurs in the top part of the movement.

By using a band during Step Ups, you obtain more overloading with the muscle in the top part of the exercise.

Attaching The Band

1) Loop on end around your left shoulder on your trap.

2) Loop the bottom of the band to your right foot.

As you Step Up, you get more resistance.

Different band strengths provide you less/more resistance.

You can also hold a dumbbell in your hand while wearing the band.

There are other ways to use a band for Step Ups. However, this is quick and easy.

Kenny Croxdale

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Thanks TimD.

What is your opinion on height, Kenny? Rob King just mentioned in an article that higher step-ups make step-ups less effective. In what manner, I'm waiting for an answer. But I'd like to hear your opinion too. What I know, heard and experimented, higher step-ups activate and work my posterior chain more. Is this correct?
Step-ups and reverse lunges are two of my favourite exercises to hate. They beat the hell out of me, and I'll be sure to test the tabata as well.

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Prove the impossible!

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Thanks TimD.

Kenny, Rob King is a Canadian personal trainer and health & fitness writer. You can find his blog here:
http://www.robkingfitness.com/

The statement was said in Dean Somersets blog, here:
http://deansomerset.com/2012/12/10/back ... -training/

When I asked for a reason why they are less effective, Rob has answered that the eccentric impact on the ground is bigger and it takes the quads out of the game more. So I quess what he means it can produce more stress to joints and activate other muscles more. Which is true.

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Prove the impossible!

I would suggest that means he's talking about high step-ups done with poor form.

http://www.overspeedtraining.com/legsart.htm

"Bondarchuk concluded that high step-ups, firstly, produce greater gains in thigh and hip power and secondly, cause fewer injuries."

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Let thy food be thy medicine, and thy medicine be thy food.~Hippocrates
Strength is the adaptation that leads to all other adaptations that you really care about - Charles Staley
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Thanks TimD

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Thanks TimD.

Dub, just go to the gym and do a few step-ups each way, then conclude what's more effective.

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Our greatest fear should not be of failure, but of succeeding at things in life that don't really matter.--Francis Chan

I have actually been doing High step-ups for a while now. I love to hate those. Cause huge stress to whole body.

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Prove the impossible!

I always thought you had to do step ups with your knee starting higher than your hip.

You can do step up on a phone book. It depends on your focus. Like Kenny C said, the higher the box the more focus on the hamstring. If you're trying to rehab you knee you may use a very low box.

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Let thy food be thy medicine, and thy medicine be thy food.~Hippocrates
Strength is the adaptation that leads to all other adaptations that you really care about - Charles Staley
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Thanks TimD

there's step, but there's not much up.

step downs are pretty good for knee rehab. I do them in my warm up. They're kinda like a terminal knee extension