Barbell Step Up
Place a barbell on your upper back (high bar position) or front rack, unrack it, and stand facing a sturdy box or bench. Step up onto the box with one foot, driving through your heel and engaging your glute and quad to lift your body.
- Equipment
- Equipment
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
- Focus Area
- Legs
- Injury risk
- Low
Primary muscles
- quadriceps
- gluteus maximus
Secondary muscles
- hamstrings
- gastrocnemius
- soleus
- erector spinae
- rectus abdominis
- obliques
Target muscles
- legs
- glutes
- hips
How to perform
- 1
Place a barbell on your upper back (high bar position) or front rack, unrack it, and stand facing a sturdy box or bench.
- 2
Step up onto the box with one foot, driving through your heel and engaging your glute and quad to lift your body.
- 3
Bring your trailing foot up to meet the lead foot on the box, maintaining balance and full extension.
- 4
Carefully step back down with the trailing foot first, then the lead foot, returning to the starting position.
- 5
Complete all repetitions on one side before switching to the other leg, or alternate legs as desired.
Safety & form
Train smart. Read these notes before adding heavy load.
