Legs · Dumbbell
Dumbbell Step-up with Knee Raise
How to do the dumbbell step-up with knee raise, the muscles it works, and the mistakes to avoid. Pulled straight from the Kovo app's exercise library.
- Equipment
- Dumbbell
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
- Logged as
- Reps
- Movement
- Lunge
- Mechanic
- Compound
How to do it
Hold a dumbbell in each hand and stand in front of a box or bench. Drive through your lead heel to step up, then finish by driving the trailing knee up toward your chest. Lower under control and repeat, alternating legs. The knee drive adds a balance and hip flexor challenge.
- 1Your lead glute and quad driving you up onto the box
- 2Your hip flexor snapping the trailing knee up at the top
- 3Your core bracing to keep you balanced on one leg
Common mistakes
- Pushing off the floor with your trailing leg to cheat up
- Letting your lead knee collapse inward
- Rushing the descent instead of stepping down with control
Muscles worked
The dumbbell step-up with knee raise mainly works the quads and glutes, with the hamstrings, forearms, lower abs, calves, and hip flexors assisting.
- QuadsPrimary
- GlutesPrimary
- HamstringsSupport
- ForearmsSupport
- Lower AbsSupport
- CalvesSupport
- Hip FlexorsSupport
- Lower BackMinor
- Upper AbsMinor
- ObliquesMinor
Kovo programs the dumbbell step-up with knee raise 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.