Please Stop Doing This Exercise

I get it.

You are an expert when it comes to working out.

You gained all your training knowledge from your friends older brother and he could bench three plates for reps, had ‘uge arms, terrible acne on his back, hair growing from his forehead and nuts the size of Peanut M&M’s.

So he knows what he’s talking about.

And now by osmosis so do you.

I get it.

BUT just for a moment take pity on a poor ectomorph such as myself whose bench press is weaker that one kid who looks as if God made him out of a Jello-mold but still decides to show up for football tryouts….yeah that kid….the one with the permanent milk moustache and a tucked in shirt…

With that in mind let me tell you the one exercises that you are doing wrong and probably will never learn to do correctly.

AND I’ll also be giving you two alternatives that you can use to A. Not look like a ding-dong in the gym and B. Actually get results from your training.

Here it is….

The Step Up

Great movie. Channing's break through role in my opinion. The exercise still stinks though. 

Most of the time when I see people doing step ups they seem to be only training the calf of the leg that is pushing off the ground. And then just letting themselves crash back down to the ground.

So what ends up happening is that you get a big push off the ground pitch your torso forward, kick your opposite leg back and then finally use your quad to get up on the box. And you do this all with 50lb Dumbells so that everyone else in the gym can see how strong you are. 

So at that point you are training your push off leg, and on that push off leg you are training mainly your calf.

I want to tell you a secret….shhh…don’t tell anyone…training your calfis not the point of step ups…I know crazy right?

Additionally when you are doing a Step Up it is very important to control the eccentric portion of the movement.

That is the part of the movement where you are stepping down from the box.

So when you just step down willy nilly off the box once again you are exercising nothing other then your ego.

So at this point you are completely wasting your time, building no muscle, and looking like a tool. 

So you may be wondering at this point. "Mark please tell me what to do instead!"

Here is what you should do instead my little milk moustachioed friend. 

Alternative #1: Front Foot Elevated Reverse Lunge

The FFERL is a great exercise because when you write it in your training journal it looks like some kind of top-secret code.

It’s also a great exercise because it actually works a significant amount of muscle.

It’s also great because if done through a full range of motion it will help you build greater mobility in your hips.

It’s also great because you can more easily learn to control the eccentric portion of the lift which if you are interested in building muscle is very important.

Try out 3-4 sets of 8-12 reps using a controlled tempo and your legs will thank you.

Alternative #2: Bulgarian Split Squat (BSS)

Once again here is an exercise with a way cooler name then ‘Step Up’ and an exercise that works better as well.  

It’s like there’s a theme goin on here or something.

The BSS is probably the worst exercises of all time. And by worst I mean best. If you have ever done these properly you know what I mean. I never hate my life so much as when I do these, and then after I am happy again.  

The BSS makes it very hard to cheat on the eccentric and as such, if you are going through a full range of motion, you will be targeting the muscles you want to grow and get stronger (unlike that dastardly Step Up).

If you have lower back problems and can’t do a conventional squat the BSS is a great alternative as it removes the load from your spine and still allows you to build muscle and strength in your legs.

If you want to do an exercise that involves an Eastern European country in the name then the BSS is a great alternative. It is especially effective if it is done while wearing an Adidas Track suit and smoking a cigarette.  

So there you have it the whole rundown on why Step Ups stink and why you should hate them and try to sabotage anyone in your gym who is trying to do them.  

And just in advance…

You: I do every exercise perfectly, always have perfect form and never do anything wrong so I like step-ups.

Me: You don’t, you don’t, and they still stink.

If you are interested in getting bigger and stronger check out the brand new Total Transformation Package.

It is designed to help you lose fat of build muscle by giving you a great program, a meal plan specific to your goals and constant help from a coach.

You can also buy my program Aesthetic Lifter here!