It’s all about the little things when you train, so the key to acing a basic exercise like the box step up lies in focusing in on one specific aspect of the movement and nailing your form. As Men’s Health fitness director Ebenezer Samuel, C.S.C.S. puts it, “we always want to attack the small things, so we get the most out of the move.” Box step ups may not be your favorite exercise, but this simple motion can make a big difference in your glutes, hips, and more.
In the video above, GHOST gym founder Aqib Mamoon demos the box step up as Samuel talks through the proper form. “His off leg is not helping him drive onto the box, that allows him to hit this point of true hip extension where we get our hip aligned with our torso, our knee is in line as well,” he says, noting that Mamoon’s knees are in line as well, aiding him in getting an optimal glute and quad squeeze. (If you’re looking for more great glutes and quads exercises, check out The 25 Best Glute Exercises of All Time and 10 Moves That Build Monster Quads.)
Regularly incorporating this powerful hip extension exercise into your routine can help you run faster and jump higher. This can very well translate into crushing your PRs in marathons, triathlons, on the basketball court, in the CrossFit gym, and countless other arenas where you break a sweat.
Unfortunately, many people doing box step ups use their other foot help and step onto the box with both feet. Watch the side-by-side comparison of proper vs. improper form, so you can see exactly what that looks like in action, as well as a detailed guide to doing the box step up the right way.
The good news is once you’ve mastered this technique, you’re going to enjoy the added benefit of instability work. “Enjoy that balance challenge, because it’s gonna work your glutes, and it’s gonna work your abs too,” says Samuel.
Want to get the same gear as MH editors? Eb is wearing a Fabletics shirt, Rhone pants, and Under Armour shoes. Aqib is wearing a Fabletics shirt and Nike shoes.
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