Lateral Step-up with Knee Drive

How to do it

Stand beside a box or bench. Step the near foot onto the platform and drive through that heel to stand tall, simultaneously driving the opposite knee up toward your chest. Pause balanced on one leg, then lower under control and repeat before switching sides.

1. 1Drive through the planted heel and feel your glutes and quads power you
2. 2up onto the box
3. 3Punch the trailing knee high and feel your hip flexors and standing-leg balance kick in
4. 4Stay tall and braced through the core so you feel stable on one leg at the top

Common mistakes

• ×Don't push off the floor with the trailing foot; let the top leg do the
• ×work
• ×Avoid letting the standing knee cave inward as you balance
• ×Don't rush the knee drive and topple forward; pause and control it

Muscles worked

The lateral step-up with knee drive mainly works the quads and glutes, with the hamstrings, hip flexors, lower abs, obliques, calves, and adductors assisting.

• QuadsPrimary
• GlutesPrimary
• HamstringsSupport
• Hip FlexorsSupport
• Lower AbsSupport
• ObliquesSupport
• CalvesSupport
• AdductorsSupport
• Lower BackMinor
• Upper AbsMinor
• Tibialis AnteriorMinor