STEP UPS are one of our favourite exercises for building strength and shape into the glutes. 🍑🍑 They might look simple but they are really easy to get wrong. Watch our You Tube video where Betsy demos good form on the step up vs poor form.
GOOD FORM:
✅engage core, keep eyes forward, chin up and shoulders back and down (which helps to your spine neutral).
✅drive up through the HEEL of the elevated leg until you achieve a full lock out at the hip - even spend an extra second or two standing in upright position at the top and give your core and glute on the active side an extra squeezey-squeeze.
✅ lower yourself slowly rather than simply dropping under the force of gravity (the active muscles work extra hard on the way down as they are being lengthened) and keep your eyes forward, chin up and shoulders back.
✅as with any exercise; put your mind on the target muscle; the glutes. If your focus is on that muscle the nerve stimulation to that muscle will be stronger.
POOR FORM:
😖pushing through the back leg means your elevated (target) leg isn’t going to work as hard hence the exercise is not going to be as effective in targeting the glutes.
😖 rounding your back and shoulders forward - this can happen if your core is not engaged or if you are looking down at your feet. This is why it’s helpful to use a mirror to check on your own form with this exercises rather than having to look down at where your feet are.
😖lowering too fast and/or using momentum means the muscles aren’t working as effectively.
😖 rushing through and not focusing on the target muscles means your won’t use those muscles as effectively as they could be used - meaning you’re missing out on valuable gains.
Give them a whirl today and your bot bot will Thank You!