# Lateral Step-Up: how to do it

- Main muscles: quads, glutes
- Also works: abductors
- Equipment: dumbbell, box
- Level: intermediate
- 3D demo (side view): https://media.trainaq.com/exercises/lateral_step_up/2f9c07944f/side-m-720.mp4

## Steps

1. Stand side-on to a low box, dumbbells at your sides.
2. Put your whole right foot on the box.
3. Push through that foot to stand up tall on the box.
4. Slowly lower your left foot back to the floor.
5. Do all your reps, then switch sides.

## Cues

- Push the box away with your top foot.
- Knee points forward, not in.
- Keep your hips level.

## Common mistakes

- Bouncing off the floor foot.
- Letting the working knee cave inward.
- Dropping down fast instead of lowering slowly.

## Starting position

A sturdy box with a non-slip top, about 30 cm high for a 1.75 m avatar. Stand side-on to the box with the box on the right. The left foot is on the floor, its inside edge about 5 cm from the side of the box. The whole right foot is flat on the box, toes pointing forward, parallel to the left foot. A dumbbell in each hand, arms straight, palms facing in, hanging beside the thighs. Hips and shoulders face forward. Chest up, trunk braced, a slight forward lean from the hips.

## The movement

Shift the weight onto the right foot. Drive down through the right heel and mid-foot and straighten the right hip and knee to lift the body straight up beside the box. The left leg does not push off: the left foot leaves the floor as the right leg takes the weight, and rises beside the box until it touches down lightly next to the right foot. Stand tall on the box for a moment. Then, keeping the weight on the right leg, bend the right hip and knee slowly to lower the left foot back to its spot on the floor. The left heel touches lightly, takes little weight, and the next rep starts. The right foot stays on the box for the whole set. The right knee tracks forward over the second toe, never inward, and the pelvis stays level.

## End position

Bottom: left foot on the floor, right knee at about 95°. With the right foot on a 30 cm box and about 20 cm out to the side of the right hip, the hip-to-ankle distance is about 0.55 m, which needs about 95° of knee flexion. A 25 cm box gives about 90° and a 20 cm box about 80°. Because the foot sits under the hip rather than in front of it, a lower box than the forward step-up gives a similar knee angle.

## Tempo

1.2 s step up, 0.4 s stand tall, 1.8 s lower the left foot, 0.4 s light touch and reset.

## Form in numbers

| Measure | Target | Good range | Sources |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Box height (1.75 m avatar) | 30 cm | 20–40 cm | [2] [3] |
| Trunk lean from vertical at the bottom | 15° | 5–25° | [1] |
| Right knee over the foot, front view | over the 2nd toe | within 3 cm | [4] |
| Pelvis tilt, left side dropping | 0° | under 5° | [4] |
| Left-leg push-off from the floor | none | heel touch only | [1] |
| Right hip and knee at the top | 0° | 0–5° | [1] |
| Dumbbells | vertical, beside the thighs | sway under 5 cm |  |

## Sources

1. [NSCA, Exercise Technique Manual for Resistance Training (3rd ed.), Step-Up, as excerpted by the Coaches Association of Ontario](https://www.coachesontario.ca/articles/resistance-training-step-up/)
2. [Simenz et al. 2012, J Strength Cond Res, "Electromyographical analysis of lower extremity muscle activation during variations of the loaded step-up exercise"](https://epublications.marquette.edu/exsci_fac/52)
3. [Chinkulprasert, Vachalathiti and Powers 2011, J Orthop Sports Phys Ther, "Patellofemoral joint forces and stress during forward step-up, lateral step-up, and forward step-down exercises"](https://www.jospt.org/doi/10.2519/jospt.2011.3408)
4. [Physitrack, Lateral step-ups](https://www.physitrack.com/exercise-library/how-to-perform-the-lateral-step-ups)

Source: https://trainaq.com/exercises/lateral-step-up