Bodyweight Step Up
A step-by-step form guide from the Ægir Iron exercise library: how to do the lift, what to watch for, and the muscles it trains.
- Equipment
- Dumbbell
- Bodyweight
- Barbell
HOW TO PERFORM
- Stand facing a box or bench set around knee height, holding the load at your sides or in the front rack.
- Put one whole foot on the box and drive through that heel to stand all the way up.
- Keep the weight in the working leg rather than pushing off the trailing foot.
- Step back down under control and finish the reps before switching legs.
FORM TIPS
- Pushing off the back foot to bounce up is what makes a step up feel easy. Lower slowly and let the top leg do all of it.
TARGET MUSCLES
Primary
- Quads
- Glutes
Secondary
- Hamstrings
- Adductors
- Lower Back
- Abs
- Obliques
In the app
This guide covers these exercises in the Ægir Iron library:
- Dumbbell (Double) Step Up
- Dumbbell (Single) Step Up
- Bodyweight Step Up
- Barbell Front Rack Step Up Knee Drive
- Barbell Step Up Knee Drive
Log it in Ægir Iron to track your PRs and estimated 1RM, and to see the sets each muscle gets every week. Free for individual lifters.