Glutes / Beginner / Compound (multi-joint)

Step-up with Knee Raise

A bench exercise for the glutes, with the hamstrings, quads and hip flexors assisting.

At a glance

Primary

Glutes

Secondary

Hamstrings, Quads, Hip flexors

Equipment

Bench

Movement pattern

Single-leg / lunge, Hip flexion

Level

Beginner

Type

Glutes, Compound (multi-joint), One side at a time

Loads the knee. Use a load you can control and skip it if it causes pain.

How to do it

1. Stand facing a box or bench of an appropriate height with your feet together. This will be your starting position.
2. Begin the movement by stepping up, putting your left foot on the top of the bench. Extend through the hip and knee of your front leg to stand up on the box. As you stand on the box with your left leg, flex your right knee and hip, bringing your knee as high as you can.
3. Reverse this motion to step down off the box, and then repeat the sequence on the opposite leg.

Common mistakes

• ✗ Pushing off the bottom foot to jump up.

  Why it hurts: The working leg skips the hardest part, and the uncontrolled finish lands the knee in a poor position.

  ✓ Instead: Lift the trailing toes so they cannot push and drive up through the heel of the foot on the box.

• ✗ Box too high, so the knee is far above the hip.

  Why it hurts: Starting in deep flexion under load strains the knee and forces the lower back to round.

  ✓ Instead: Pick a box that puts the thigh roughly parallel to the floor or lower.

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