Tips For Proper Execution Of The Step-Up (Part 2)

In Part 1 of this post I discussed the potential issues I saw with choosing a box height that was too low. The flip side to this is the less-common occurrence of choosing a box height that is too high.

First, how is the height of a box deemed "too high"?

When deciding how high to put a box for step-ups, I take into consideration how far the client can actively flex their hip and knee as well as dorsiflex their ankle. To find someone's active hip and knee flexion, I have them lie on a table or on the ground, preferably shoeless, and have them move the appropriate joint through the desired range of motion.

Active Hip Flexion

Active Knee Flexion

When they are no longer able to move it themselves, I record the degrees of range of motion achieved. This is their Active Range Of Motion (AROM) at that joint for that movement in that scenario. Then, I choose the height of the box such that the lesser of the three ranges is nearly maxed out when the client's foot is on top of the box.

What I mean is, my active hip flexion in the picture above is roughly 75 to 80 degrees, judging by the angle between the table and the anterior side of my thigh. My active knee flexion, however, is greater than that, judging by the angle between the line of my femur and my fibula.

(**Side note: This picture is demonstrating active knee flexion in a hip flexed position, which may be different for your client than active knee flexion with 0 degrees hip flexion as well as active knee flexion with hip extension. However, because the greatest amount of knee flexion in a step-up occurs in a hip flexed position, this is the position of choice for determining active knee flexion for this exercise.)

So, because I have less active hip flexion than active knee flexion, I will choose my box height based on the amount of hip flexion it puts me into relative to my maximum.

After that long-winded explanation, determining if a box is too high for a client is as simple as seeing if the box forces them into a range of motion at one or more joints that they would not actively be able to get to themselves.

The potential issue that arises with this is similar to my argument of stretching in that it is forcing the joint(s) into a range that the body is not actively allowing at that time. Doing so, as I have stated in the past, may decrease a muscle's ability to contract properly and generate force, which is not what you are wanting when you are trying to lift.

Problem 2: A box height that is too high forces joints into a range of motion in which the client cannot active get to themselves. This has the potential to decrease the contractile capability of the tissue around that joint.

Solution: Determine a client's active range of motion of the joints involved in the movement and choose the height of the box so as not to exceed this range.

In the final post of this series I will describe a technical issue that is often overlooked but makes a significant difference in the effectiveness of the step-up.

Get big or die tryin'.

Charlie Cates, CSCS

Self Made®, Owner and Founder

Charlie Cates is a strength and conditioning specialist and the owner and founder of Self Made® (http://selfmadefitness.com/) in Chicago, IL. He has worked with competitive and everyday athletes of all ages and ability levels, from 9-year-old kids to NFL MVP’s. He can be reached via e-mail at charlie@selfmadefitness.com.

This article may be reproduced with biographical information intact.

Simple Squat Progression

Photo courtesy of advancedtrainingsi.blogspot.com

Trying to teach someone how to squat? Check out this 7-step progression by Rick Walker of DieselSC.com.

Simple Squat Progression by Rick Walker

Get big or die tryin'.

Fine Tuning the Basics: Back Training

Looking to add more size to your back? Check out these variations on old classics to help mix up your routine!

Fine Tuning the Basics: Back Training by John Meadows

Get big or die tryin'.

UTB: Top Training Tips For Advanced Lifters (Part 2)

Part two of Monday's post by Dave Tate.

Under The Bar: Top Training Tips For Advanced Lifters (Part 2) by Dave Tate

Get big or die tryin'.

Tips For Proper Execution Of The Step-Up (Part 1)

Step-ups are, in my opinion, one of the most underutilized exercises by competitive and everyday athletes. But what is worse is that when they are performed, they are almost always done incorrectly. Here are some tips to help you improve your unilateral leg strength through step-ups.

Tip 1: Choose a proper box height

One of the most common errors I see is that people randomly choose the height of their box or bench they step up onto. The problem here is two-fold. First, if the box height is too low for them based on their active range of motion (ROM)--more on this later--then they are essentially performing partial range of motion reps (partials). This is ABSOLUTELY fine, given that you understand WHY you are moving in the range that you are. I equate this to doing half-squats, rack pulls, floor presses, and other highly valuable, highly effective exercises. BUT, these are almost always used to supplement the movement performed in a full ROM (full being defined here as how far each individual joint can ACTIVELY move during the movement) as well as performed with a higher weight (with floor presses being a possible exception) than the full ROM movement.

Problem 1: A low box height is predominantly used in addition to a low weight. Remember, in both of these instances, low is relative to what the person is actually capable of safely doing.

Solution: Strategically choose a box height based on your goals and your active ROM of the involved joints in addition to an appropriate weight for said box. The smaller the box you use relative to your active ROM, the greater the weight you can use.

Next time I will discuss the problem(s) with choosing a box height that is too high followed by technical issues of the movement.

Comment, Like, Tweet, Share the Knowledge below!!

Get big or die tryin'.

Charlie Cates, CSCS

Self Made®, Owner and Founder

Charlie Cates is a strength and conditioning specialist and the owner and founder of Self Made® (http://selfmadefitness.com/) in Chicago, IL. He has worked with competitive and everyday athletes of all ages and ability levels, from 9-year-old kids to NFL MVP’s. He can be reached via e-mail at charlie@selfmadefitness.com.

This article may be reproduced with biographical information intact.

UTB: Top Training Tips For Advanced Lifters (Part 1)

When Dave Tate writes about training, it is worth reading, and this article is no exception.

Under The Bar: Top Training Tips for Advanced Lifters (Part 1) by Dave Tate

Get big or die tryin'.

Log Push Challenge (2/11/12)

Just a little recovery work on a rest day.

Get big or die tryin'.

Shoulder Shrug Secrets

Looking for some new tips to help build your traps? Check out the latter half of this article by Charles Poliquin.

Shoulder Shrug Secrets by Charles Poliquin

Get big or die tryin'.

Guide to Implementing and Troubleshooting the Hang Clean

I have started implementing hang cleans as a core lift to improve my dynamic grip strength and upper back strength. I am still not a believer in Olympic lifts being a superior technique to improving explosiveness and athletic performance. However, because of the high technical degree of difficulty of this newly-added lift in my regular training, I have decided to post this article. If you are wanting a better understanding of the basic technical aspect of the hang clean, check out this article by Connor Flahive.

Guide to Implementing and Troubleshooting the Hang Clean by Connor Flahive

Get big or die tryin'.

Beginner Jump Rope Mistakes

If you follow my Workout of the Week each week you know how often I prescribe jump rope as an exercise. Along this same time period I have been figuring out how many people are actually unsure how to jump rope correctly. The issue isn't their utter lack of rhythm, but actually their lack of understanding of how to perform the exercise correctly.

There are two main mistakes I see people make when they try to jump rope for the first time. First, they try to jump too high while doing it:

Jumping Too High

All you have to do is jump high enough to clear the quarter-inch of rope. Jumping really high on each spin is not only exhausting, it is also MUCH harder on your joints because of the landing and more difficult to time because of the amount of time you spend in the air.

The second mistake I see a lot of beginners make is they have too much of movement during the exercise:

Too Much Arm Movement

The bigger the circle you make with your arms, the less precisely you will be able to move the jump rope as a beginner. There should be very little movement occurring at the shoulders, but rather most of the movement of the rope coming from moving the wrists.

The "Fast Jumps" in this video are a good example of the technique I'm looking for when someone jumps rope:

So, if you are new to jumping rope, take these things into consideration when you are training to so as to learn the skill of jump roping in less time.

Get big or die tryin'.

Charlie Cates, CSCS

Self Made®, Owner and Founder

Charlie Cates is a strength and conditioning specialist and the owner and founder of Self Made® (http://selfmadefitness.com/) in Chicago, IL. He has worked with competitive and everyday athletes of all ages and ability levels, from 9-year-old kids to NFL MVP’s. He can be reached via e-mail at charlie@selfmadefitness.com.

This article may be reproduced with biographical information intact.

The "Boring But Big" 3-Month Challenge

You already know my views on some of the recovery techniques listed here, so don't think that by me posting this article I'm endorsing such activity for the stated purpose. However, there is a very interesting idea presented here. If you are looking to put on size, check out this article by Jim Wendler.

The "Big But Boring" 3-Month Challenge by Jim Wendler

Get big or die tryin'.

How to Counter The Many Negatives of Aerobic Training

Interested in more info on aerobic training? Check out this follow-up of The (Many) Negatives of Aerobic Training by Charles Poliquin.

How to Counter The Many Negatives of Aerobic Training by Charles Poliquin

Get big or die tryin'

The Truth About Supplement "Doctors" And Their "Prescriptions"

By: Tony Cates, CPT

Let me start off by stating that supplements should only be used once a sound, whole-foods diet has been established according to the individual’s metabolic type, and then maintained for a long enough period that it has become habitual. They should not be used as a crutch to poor eating or a ‘shortcut’ to improved results.

About two years ago I applied for a job at GNC to sell vitamins and supplements. I went in with the idea that I would be able to help advise people if they had questions on the products, as well as include nutrition and exercise tips if necessary. I was also expecting to be trained on all the products if I were to be hired. Through the process, I ended up being interviewed by four different people, at three different locations in the Madison, WI area. What I found out is that the employees are not trained on the actual products, but rather, trained on how to sell them and meet the numbers GNC is expecting. Two of the interviewers even said they liked their job because it essentially made them feel like doctors, being able to ‘prescribe’ different things to people. They also explained how there are certain products that earn the sales people extra commission; which is essentially how a product with a completely mediocre ingredient profile, such as USPlabs’ Jack3d, becomes one of the top-selling pre-workout supplements. GNC employees recommend the product due to the fact that they will earn more money off the sale and the customer thinks it is a good product because they feel something when they take it, regardless of whether or not it actually has beneficial muscle-building properties. Needless to say, I turned down the job simply because I could not stand to associate myself with them.

For the rest of this post I will include vitamin and supplement store employees, as well as any other people who think they know, and can recommend, “good” supplements. If you are like most people, and do not completely understand the ingredients in supplements and how to read the label, or even if you do understand most of it, pay attention.

Nearly anyone that recommends a supplement for you because it is “better” than other supplements of the same type, (i.e. pre-workout X is better than pre-workout Y, or protein A is better than protein B) has conclusively demonstrated that they know far less than they think they do, and that they do not deserve to share an opinion on the matter. Although the intentions may have been good, they lack the basis of knowledge truly needed to be able to recommend an appropriate supplement.

First off, many supplements list a “Proprietary Blend” of ingredients, rather than the specific amounts. Therefore, given that the person can actually understand the role each ingredient plays in the body in relation it to an individual’s goals, they still have no idea how much of each ingredient is actually present. In addition, even if the ingredient amounts were known, every person is biochemically different; meaning that the exact same product is likely to react differently in everyone. Therefore, it is impossible for the local GNC employee or a workout buddy to be able to honestly and knowledgeably recommend the best product for you.

I would suggest for anyone wanting to start taking some type of supplement but unsure of which to choose, to ask someone knowledgeable, or better yet, learn yourself, what each ingredient is designed to do in the body and how they will work towards helping achieve your goals. Then realistically all you can do is make an educated choice and decide for yourself whether you want to stick with it, or try something new next time.

And please, it is fine to share what has worked for you, but don’t say one is better than another for someone else, unless you completely understand all of the ingredients and amounts, as well as the how they will react with the person’s biochemical make-up.

Tony Cats is a business management major at Edgewood College in Madison, WI. He is a certified personal trainer and the S&C Coach for Edgewood College Men's Basketball. He can be reached at catestony@gmail.com or (608) 852-7433.

Article may be reproduced with biographical information intact.

The (Many) Negatives of Aerobic Training

Take this article by Charles Poliquin with a grain of salt, but there are some great and thought-provoking points brought up. I'm not saying the information is incorrect, but it is presented in a very biased manner, so take that into consideration when reading.

The (Many) Negatives of Aerobic Training by Charles Poliquin

Get big or die tryin'.