15 Effective Alternative Exercise For Step Ups For a Full Body Workout

Knee pain can be frustrating and can cause pain in every day activities such as walking and negotiating stairs. If you want to strengthen your knee joint but you do not have access to a step up or gym equipment you came to the right place! This post will outline 15 exercises that are better alternative exercises for step ups.

If you do have knee pain, you are not alone. Approximately one in four adults is living with chronic knee pain. Often times knee pain can stem from other anatomical issues such as flat feet. If this sounds like you here are 11 Best Exercises For Flat Feet To Fix Knee And Back Pain.

This post will teach you how to perform all 15 exercises with proper form and includes pictures of each exercise. These exercises include a variety of types of exercises. These include body weight exercises, exercises with free weights, exercises with heavy weight, exercises with resistance bands, and machine exercises.

Which Muscle Groups Are Used In a Step Up?

• Quadricep Muscle Group (rectus femoris, vastus lateralis, vastus intermedius, vastus medialis)
  • The quadriceps are the muscles in the front of your thigh.
    • When these muscles are weak you may have difficulty extending or straightening your knee.
    • You may also have pain or difficulty performing a step up.
• Glute Muscle Group (Gluteus maximus, gluteus minimus and gluteus medius)
  • These are your stabilizing muscles in the hip.
  • They assist you in maintaining your balance as you are standing on one leg to take a step up.
• Hamstring Muscle Group (Semimebrnaosus, semintensodus, biceps femoris long head and short head)
  • These muscles are responsible for bending the knee.
  • In order to take a step up and clear the step above us, we must be able to bend the knee.
  • If the knee does not bend properly we would catch our foot on the step.

Compound Exercise vs. Isolation Exercise

All of these exercises are considered compound exercises. A compound exercise is an exercise that uses multiple muscle groups at the same time to perform an exercise. For example, as I mentioned earlier the step up uses the quadriceps, glutes, and hamstring muscle groups at the same time.

An isolation exercise on the other hand is when an exercise only uses one muscle group. An example of this would be a leg extension machine because this machine targets only the quadriceps primarily. You may use other stabilizing muscles slightly during this exercise but 95% of the power and work is coming from the quadriceps making it an isolation exercise.

There is debate on which form of exercise is better. Most people can agree that compound exercises alone or a combination of compound and isolation exercises are superior to just isolation exercises alone. This is because all functional activities in our daily life require compound exercises.

If you strengthen your quads through the leg extension machine every day but are unable to activate your quads during a squat or step up, you won’t get very far.

Importance of Alternative Exercise To Step Ups

3 main misconceptions stem from the step up exercise. The first is that if you have pain with a step up you should avoid stairs whenever you can. The second is that there is no alternative exercise to step ups that you will be able to perform without pain.

The third misconception is that if you do not have a step to perform this exercise you cannot strengthen these muscle groups. All of these statements could not be further from the truth. There are so many alternatives to step ups that strengthen the quads, hamstrings, and glutes all at once!

Many of these alternative exercise for step ups are even better than the actual step up exercise. Take your time with these exercises and focus on proper form rather than adding heavy weight.

If your pain or difficulty with the step up exercise is due to an ACL injury or tear you can find 15 Fantastic ACL Physical Therapy Exercises To Rehab ACL Injury.

Alternative To Step Ups For Bad Knees

Many people have pain when walking up stairs or performing a step up. Just because you have knee pain does not mean that you necessarily have “bad knees.” It is possible to strengthen the muscles around the knees with alternative exercises to step ups.

These exercises work for patients even with knee osteoarthritis.

Step Up Alternative No Bench

Trying to perform a step up but don’t have a bench? No problem! You can use anything for a step up as long as it is a sturdy surface. You can use a top step of a staircase, a cement block or you can buy a step up.

Step Up Variations

Although this article is about alternative exercise for step ups, the step up exercise also has some advantages. Although you can purchase a step on amazon for less than $20, you do not necessarily need the actual step to perform this exercise. You can get creative and use other objects as your step.

The most obvious alternative is if you have steps in your apartment building or house. You can easily perform all kinds of step up variations on the bottom step. If you don’t have access to stairs, you can use a curb or bench outside. In the case that you do decide to use a bench just make sure that it is sturdy enough to bear your weight.

If the reason you are looking for alternatives to the step up exercise is that it is too painful then try performing a step up on a lower step closer to 2-4 inches. The typical step is 8 inches so starting with a lower surface helps to slowly progress to the higher step.

Step Up Alternative At Home

These are the 15 most effective step up alternatives that you can perform at home with little to no equipment. These include 1. Bulgarian Split Squat 2. Split Squat 3. Walking Lunges 4. Reverse Lunge 5. Reverse Lunge With Contralateral Hip Drive 6. Forward Lunge 7. Back Squat 8. Front Squat 9. Pistol Squat 10. Leg Presses 11. Hip Thrusts 12. Weighted Step-Up 13. Box Jump 14. Squat Jump 15. Hip Flexion With Resistance Bands.

1. Bulgarian Split Squat

• A great alternative to the step up is the bulgarian split squat.
• This exercise strengthens all the same muscles of the step up exercise with less stress on the knee making it great for anyone regardless of their fitness level.
• You will need an elevated platform or surface for this exercise.
• If you have access to a gym a bench is the perfect raised platform to use.
• If you are at home you can perform this exercise using a chair or couch.
• Start by standing a foot or so away from the elevated platform.
• Now place your back leg on the raised platform.
• Your shoelaces should be flat on the surface.
• Now with your front leg, you will bend your knee and begins descending towards the floor.
• You should feel your quads and butt muscles working during this exercise.
• Is this exercise too hard?
  • Perform while holding onto a supportive surface to give yourself some added balance.
  • I sometimes like to perform this exercise with a standing foam roller so that it provides some stability but still challenges my balance.
• You can find more balance exercises at 15 Creative Dynamic Balance Exercises For Stability.
• If this exercise is too easy perform it with either free weights or barbells.
• Before adding more weight make sure that you are performing the exercise with proper form.
  • If you add weight to an exercise that you are not performing with proper form you will increase your risk of injury.

2. Split Squat

• Split Squats are a great exercise to perform if you have bad knees or weak lower body muscles.
• This is because there are so many variations to a split squat.
• This is the basic version of the split squat and is slightly easier than the bulgarian split squat.
  • A split squat works similar muscles as the bulgarian split squat, but you will perform this exercise without an elevated surface.
• Your starting position will be with your legs staggered and one leg in front of the other.
• Now you will slowly drop your back knee directly toward the ground.
• Try not to lean forward with this exercise or you will put unneeded stress on the knee of your leading leg.

3. Walking Lunges

• This exercise begins by performing a forward lunge.
  • The difference here is that after the forward lunge, you will not push back to your starting position.
  • Instead, you will take another big step with your back leg past your front leg and perform another forward lunge.
• You will continue these walking lunges for 10 feet and then turn around.
• This exercise does require some dynamic balance so if it is too difficult you can perform the variation of it by bringing your feet next to each other after each lunge instead of consistently taking lunging steps.

4. Reverse Lunge

• This variation of a lunge is great because it challenges your body in a different direction.
• Most of us are not performing many exercises backwards.
• While the forward lunge targets the quads more, the reverse lunge targets the hamstrings and glutes.
• This is a great exercise if you are having difficulty activating these muscles.
• Start with your feet hip-width apart and take a big step backward and perform a lunge by bending both knees with the back knee bending towards the ground.

5. Reverse Lunge With Contralateral Hip Drive

• This is a good alternative to the step up exercise because it works the same muscles and more!
• Start by performing a reverse lunge and stepping back with your left foot.
  • After performing a reverse lunge, instead of bringing your back leg back to the starting position, push off your left leg and drive your hip forward while keeping your knee bent at 90 degrees.
• Now return to the starting position, and repeat the movement on the other side.

6. Forward Lunge

• Start with your feet hip-width apart.
• Now take a big step forward and slowly bend your knee down straight to the floor.
• Be sure to not lean too far forward or this will cause extra stress and pain in your leading leg.
• Now push with your front leg back until you are in the starting position again.
• If this feels too easy you can add weight but make sure that you do not add too much weight too quickly and risk injury.

7. Back Squat

• This is a type of barbell squat.
• Begin by standing with your feet shoulder-width apart.
• Hold a barbell on your back resting on the back of your shoulders.
• Brace or activate your core and keep your chest up and your back straight throughout the entire exercise.
• Lower your body by bending at your knees and hips.
  • The ideal position is to keep bending down until your thighs are parallel to the floor.
  • If you are unable to safely descend this low then just perform the exercise within your range of motion.
• Try to avoid the knees caving inwards during this exercise.

8. Front Squat

• This is also another example of a barbell squat.
• Position a barbell across the front of your shoulders, resting it on your collarbone and front of your shoulders, and hold it with both hands, palms facing upward.
• If this feels awkward to you, you can use a cross-arm grip, with your arms crossed over the bar.
• Lower your body by bending your knees and hips, keeping your weight on your heels and your chest up.
• Descend until your thighs are parallel to the floor or slightly lower.
  • Again if you are not able to descend this low then just perform the exercise to your range.
• Now push through your heels while extending your hips and knees to raise your body back up to the starting position

9. Pistol Squat

• A pistol squat is a great exercise because it involves balance, strength, and flexibility.
• Begin by standing with your feet shoulder-width apart.
• Raise one leg off the ground and hold it straight in front of you.
  • Slowly lower your body toward the ground by bending your knee and lowering your hips.
• The goal is to go far enough down so that your leg is straight and parallel to the ground.
• Focus on controlling the movement, especially on the way down.
  • This is the eccentric part of the movement and is the most important part!
• Use support or hold onto something for balance if needed.

10. Leg Presses

• This is one of the few exercises on this list that require a machine or extensive gym equipment.
• A leg press machine is a great machine because it can target the quadriceps.
• This exercise is still a compound exercise that strengthens the quads, hamstrings, glutes, and calves, however, the quadriceps are doing the most work.
• Unlike other exercises, it is difficult to fully compensate during this exercise so it forces the quadriceps muscles to work and get stronger.
• Start by placing feet on the leg press machine foot pad with feet hip-width apart.
  • Now slowly start straightening both knees to push the platform away from you.
  • Push until both of your knees are almost completely straight.
    • Be sure to not fully lock your knees out as it is bad for your knee joint.
• Now slowly bend your knees until you are back in the starting position.
• The key is to perform this as a controlled movement.
  • Do not quickly bend the knees and do not allow the plates to slam together.
• If this feels too easy you can add weight or perform it as a single-leg exercise.

11. Hip Thrusts

• Hip thrusts are an effective exercise for building stronger hips and butt.
• Sit on the ground with your back against a bench or box.
• Your knees should be bent, and your feet should be flat on the ground.
• You can also use a hip thrust machine if you have access to a gym that has one.
• Roll a barbell or a weighted object towards your hips so that it is resting on your lap.
  • If you are performing this exercise at home you can use a resistance band in place of the barbell.
• Focus on activating your glute muscles and press your heels into the ground.
  • Lift your hips up towards the ceiling.
  • Pause at the top for a moment, then slowly lower your hips back down to the starting position.
• Be sure to keep your back flat on the bench throughout this exercise and not strain your neck.
• This is a great exercise to perform if you have bad knees and the other exercises aggravate your knees.
• You can find 9 Forgotten Knee Exercises For Pain Relief.

12. Weighted Step-Up

• A weighted step-up or dumbbell step-up is a great way to progress the original step up exercise.
• Start with both of your feet on the floor hip-width apart.
• Now take a step up onto the step and drive your opposite leg up in the air at a 90-degree angle.
  • Pause at the top for a moment and then slowly step back down.
• Only add weight once you have mastered this exercise with just body weight.

13. Box Jumps

• Box jumps are one of many effective plyometric exercises that can help improve explosive power and lower body strength.
• Start by standing in front of a sturdy box or bench.
  • The height will depend on your fitness level.
  • A good starting height is typically around knee height.
• Start with your feet hip-width apart and lower yourself into a squat position, swinging your arms back behind you.
• Explosively jump upwards, swinging your arms forward and pushing through your feet.
• Land on top of the box with both feet, bending your knees slightly to absorb the impact.
  • The key is to land softly on your feet.
  • You do not want to be able to hear your feet slam down on the box each time you land.
• Stand up straight on top of the box and jump back down to the starting position.

14. Squat Jumps

• Squat jumps are another great plyometric exercise.
• Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and lower yourself into a deep squat.
• Be sure to keep your weight on your heels and do not let the heels come off the ground.
• Explosively jump up towards the ceiling. As you jump, swing your arms up toward the ceiling.
• Land softly back into the squat position, absorbing the impact with your knees.
  • Do not allow your knees to cave inwards.

15. Standing Hip Flexion With Resistance Bands

• You will need a resistance band for this exercise.
• Stand with your feet hip width apart and stand on a resistance loop band.
• Now lift one foot up so that there is tension on the band.
  • Now slowly bring your foot back down. Now perform this on the opposite foot.
• This exercise works on your balance, core, and lower body strength while avoiding too much stress on the knee joint.

Summary of Alternative Exercise For Step Ups

Now that you have the best exercises to provide knee pain relief while strengthening the knees, get out there and try these! These alternative exercise for step ups are a great way to increase your strength with little to no gym equipment. As always if you have any injuries or medical conditions it is important to speak to your doctor prior to starting a new workout routine.

You can also find 13 Top Anterior Knee Pain Exercises For Patellofemoral Pain here.