Step-up with Knee RaiseMuscles Worked
The step-up with knee raise works your glutes as you drive up onto the box, with your quads straightening the knee and your hamstrings helping extend the hip. The knee raise at the top adds a balance challenge and works the hip flexors of your trailing leg.
PrimaryGlutes
- Equipment
- Bodyweight
- Level
- Beginner
- Type
- Compound
- Force
- Push
How to do it
- Stand facing a sturdy box or bench, about knee height to start, with your feet together.
- Place one whole foot on the box and lean your torso slightly forward over it.
- Push through the heel of the top foot to rise onto the box, trying not to push off the floor with your back leg.
- As you straighten, drive your other knee up to hip height and hold your balance for a moment.
- Step the raised foot back down to the floor under control, follow with the other foot, and repeat on the opposite side.
Form tips
- Let the top leg do the work; bouncing off the bottom foot shifts the effort away from your glutes.
- A higher box puts more emphasis on the glutes, but only go as high as you can step without rounding your back or letting your knee cave in.
- Keep your standing knee in line with your toes as you rise.
Why it made the list
No. 7 of 12
Best Glute Exercises
Functional single-leg glute work. Higher box = more glute emphasis. Simple, effective, scales with load.
More glute exercises
See it on your own body map
Log your Step-up with Knee Raise sets in KasMaker and watch your glutes, hamstrings, and quads fill in on the map, weighted by how much you did. Logging and the body map are free on iPhone.
