Leg Exercise - Step-Up Variations

It's no secret that leg day is my favorite. It's also no secret that step-ups are my favorite exercise. Yes, those are both true statements!

There are many different ways that you can preform a step-up. I wanted to share a few here with you today. Step-ups are incorporated into all of our workout plans and I even created a 30-day step-up challenge! Try incorporating these into your next leg day routine!

Leg Exercise - Step-Up Variations

How to perform step-ups:

1. Stand in front of a bench holding weights by your side (or use an EZ bar across your shoulders)
2. Simply step up onto the bench with one leg and step back down again
   • You can either alternate legs or finish all listed repetitions on one leg before moving on

Variations:

• Step-Up with Knee Lift (center picture) - Perform a regular step-up and then lift your opposite leg as seen in the middle picture
• Step-Up with Rear Leg Extension (right picture) - Perform a regular step-up and then lift the opposite leg behind you, really squeezing your glute muscles

Tips: If you are a beginner you can make this exercise easier by not using any weight and stepping onto a low platform. If you would like to make this exercise harder, you can do these weighted on a high platform.