Barbell Step-Up
oec:barbell-step-up
A unilateral lower-body exercise where you step onto an elevated platform with a barbell across your upper back to build quad and glute strength.
Generated by gemini-3.8-flash from the sources below. No person has checked this record. Don't rely on it for safety.
Also called: Weighted Step-Up, Barbell Box Step-Up, Weighted Step-ups
How to do it
Setup
- Set up a sturdy box or bench roughly at knee height in front of you.
- Unrack a barbell across your upper traps in a high-bar position and take a stable standing posture facing the box.
Movement
- Place your lead foot firmly and fully on top of the box.
- Drive through the midfoot and heel of the lead leg to extend your hip and knee, lifting your body upward.
- Step onto the box without pushing off excessively with the trailing foot.
- Briefly reach full extension at the top while maintaining your balance.
- Lower your trailing foot under control back to the floor, keeping the working leg loaded until you touch down.
Breathing
Inhale and brace your core before stepping up; exhale once standing tall on the box.
Cues
- Drive through the front heel
- Do not bounce off the back calf
- Stay tall through the torso
Common faults
- Pushing off heavily with the trailing foot on the floor.
- Dorsiflex the back ankle and drive almost all effort through the front leg.
- Excessive forward torso collapse during the ascent.
- Keep your chest proud and upper back tightly braced against the barbell.
- Using a platform that is excessively high, compromising pelvic alignment.
- Choose a box height where your hip crease does not sit excessively below your knee at the start.
Safety
- Ensure the box or step is completely stable and will not tip over.
- Clear the floor around you to prevent tripping during descent.
Muscles
Joints
- Hip: Extension, Flexion
- Knee: Extension, Flexion
- Ankle: Plantarflexion, Dorsiflexion
- Lumbar spine: Isometric stabilization
Details
- Movement
- Lunge, Squat
- Modality
- Strength, Hypertrophy
- Mechanics
- compound
- Force
- push
- Laterality
- unilateral
- Kinetic chain
- closed
- Level
- intermediate
- Equipment
- Barbell; Box or Step or Flat bench
- Record
- Repetitions and Load
- Load
- external, total
Related
- variation of Step-Up
- progression of Step-Up
- substitute for Barbell Forward Lunge
- substitute for Barbell Reverse Lunge
- substitute for Barbell Walking Lunge
Sources
- wger: Weighted Step-ups, by jigglychipmunk (CC0-1.0)
This record: CC-BY-SA-4.0.