Legs · Barbell
Barbell Bench Lateral Step-up
How to do the barbell bench lateral step-up, the muscles it works, and the mistakes to avoid. Pulled straight from the Kovo app's exercise library.
- Equipment
- Barbell
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
- Logged as
- Weighted reps
- Movement
- Lunge
- Mechanic
- Isolation
How to do it
Rack a barbell across your upper back and stand beside a bench. Place the foot nearest the bench flat on top, then drive through that heel to step up sideways until your standing leg is straight. Lower under control back to the floor and finish your reps before switching sides.
- 1The quad and glute of the top leg driving you up
- 2Your torso staying upright and braced with the bar
- 3A slow, controlled lower back to the floor
Common mistakes
- Pushing off the bottom foot to bounce up
- Letting the top knee cave inward as you rise
- Leaning your torso to the side to cheat the step
Muscles worked
The barbell bench lateral step-up mainly works the quads and glutes, with the hamstrings, lower back, and calves assisting.
- QuadsPrimary
- GlutesPrimary
- HamstringsSupport
- Lower BackSupport
- CalvesSupport
- ForearmsMinor
- Upper TrapsMinor
- Mid TrapsMinor
- Upper AbsMinor
- Lower AbsMinor
- ObliquesMinor
- AdductorsMinor
- Hip FlexorsMinor
Kovo programs the barbell bench lateral step-up for you and tracks it every session.
We build your whole program, drop the right lifts into each workout, and adjust your weights as you get stronger. Free on iOS and Android.
More quads exercises
- How to do the resistance band squat
- How to do the resistance band squat to press
- How to do the resistance band thruster
- How to do the resistance band squat walk
- How to do the barbell squat
- How to do the barbell bulgarian split squat
Last reviewed June 2026.