Dumbbell Steps Up Alternative – Introduction
What are great dumbbell step-up alternative exercises for building lower body strength?
Leg exercises are good for everybody’s body.
In fact, bodybuilders and serious lifters the world over often say, “Friends don’t let friends skip leg day.”
Invariably, this expression is used in connection with squats, leg presses, or a similarly potent lower-body exercise.
And while squats are the king of leg exercises, there are plenty of other ways to train your legs, some of which may even be MORE beneficial.
For starters, squats are a bilateral or two-legged exercise.
While bilateral exercises invariably allow you to lift the heaviest weights, they aren’t always the best choice for developing functional strength.
That’s because many of life’s activities happen one leg at a time, e.g., walking, running, and most sporting activities.
Squats also put a lot of compressive stress through your spine.
Squatting with a heavy barbell on your back can take a toll on your lower back.
Unilateral or one-legged exercises avoid both these problems.
They more closely replicate the activities of daily living and sports, and working one leg at a time means you don’t need to use so much weight to challenge your muscles.
One of the best single-leg exercises is dumbbell step-ups.
They’re accessible and easy to progress by adding weight or using a higher step. However, they aren’t the only unilateral leg exercise.
This article reveals the seven best alternative exercises for dumbbell step-ups.
Dumbbell Step-Up Anatomy 101
To be considered a suitable alternative for step-ups, the exercises in question must work the same muscles.
So, what muscles are involved in step-ups?
Keep reading to find out!
The main muscles trained during dumbbell step-ups are:
Quadriceps –
Located on the fronts of your thighs, this group of four muscles is responsible for extending your knees.
The four quadriceps, which are known as the quads for short, are the:
- rectus femoris,
- vastus lateralis,
- vastus medialis, and
- vastus intermedius.
Hamstrings –
The three hamstring muscles are located on the back of your thighs.
Their two functions are flexion of your knees and extension of your hips.
The higher the step, the more active these muscles are during step-ups.
The individual hamstrings are the:
- biceps femoris,
- semimembranosus, and
- semitendinosus.
Gluteus maximus –
Known as the glutes for short, this is the largest and most powerful muscle in the human body.
Its main function is hip extension, but it also plays a part in hip rotation and abduction.
Hip abductors –
The hip abductors lift your legs out and away from the midline of your body.
Working mostly as stabilizers during step-ups and other unilateral exercises, the three hip abductors are the:
- gluteus minimus,
- gluteus medius, and
- tensor fascia latae.
Hip adductors –
The hip adductors oppose the hip abductors and draw your legs in toward the midline of your body.
The three hip adductors are:
- longus,
- brevis, and
- magnus, meaning longest, shortest, and largest.
Like the abductors, the adductors work primarily as stabilizers during step-ups.
Forearms –
Holding dumbbells in your hands means that step-ups give your forearms a workout while you’re training your legs.
The heavier the dumbbells and the more reps you do, the more work your forearms must do.
Core –
Core is the collective term for the muscles surrounding your midsection.
These include the:
- rectus abdominis,
- obliques,
- transverse abdominis, and
- erector spinae muscles.
Together, these muscles contract inward to stabilize your spine and prevent unwanted movement in your lower back.
So, for any exercise to be considered a dumbbell step-up alternative, it must work most, if not all, of the muscles listed above.
The 7 Best Dumbbell Step-Up Alternative Exercises
Are you looking for a way to strengthen your lower body that isn’t dumbbell step-ups?
Here are seven of the best dumbbell step-up alternatives!
#1. Split squats
Like step-ups, split squats work one leg at a time.
They’re very functional and helpful for developing better hip mobility and balance.
You can do this great exercise with or without dumbbells.
Because it requires no additional equipment, it’s an excellent option for home workouts.
How to do it:
- Step out and into a split stance.
- Keeping your torso upright, bend your kegs and lower your rearmost knee down to within an inch of the floor.
- Try to keep your front shin vertical.
- Extend your legs and repeat.
- Bring your feet back together, switch legs, and then do the same number of reps on the opposite side.
#2. Alternating lunges
Alternating lunges are like doing step-ups but without the step.
This means they’re an excellent option for home exercisers.
Like split squats, you can do this exercise both with or without weights.
How to do it:
- Stand with your feet together, arms by your sides.
- Take a large step forward, bend your legs, and lower your back knee down to within an inch of the floor.
- Push off your front leg and return to the starting position.
- Step out with your opposite leg and repeat.
- Alternate legs for the duration of your set.
#3. Reverse lunges
Reverse lunges are just like regular lunges, except you initiate each rep by stepping backward.
This increases glute and hamstring engagement and also makes them a little more knee-friendly than the forward version.
How to do it:
- Stand with your feet together, arms by your sides.
- Take a large step backward, bend your legs, and lower your rear knee down to within an inch of the floor.
- Push off your back leg and return to the starting position.
- Do your next rep with your other leg.
- Alternate legs for the required number of reps.
#4. Walking lunges
Yep – more lunges!
This time, you’re going to travel forward with your lunges, increasing the balance and coordination demand of this excellent exercise.
Walking lunges are a lot like doing step-ups on a long staircase instead of a bench or box.
How to do it:
- Stand with your feet together, arms by your sides.
- Take a large step forward, bend your legs, and lower your back knee down to within an inch of the floor.
- Push off your back leg and step through into another lunge.
- Continue alternating legs and moving forward until you have completed the required reps or distance.
#5. Bulgarian split squats
Bulgarian split squats involve a larger range of motion and more balance than basic split squats – exercise #1.
This is a good option for experienced exercisers seeking a more challenging lower-body workout.
How to do it:
- Stand with your back to a knee-high bench.
- Bend one leg and place the top of your foot on the bench, shoelaces facing downward.
- Hop forward and into a split stance.
- Keeping your torso upright, bend your legs and lower your back knee down to within an inch of the floor.
- Stand back up and repeat.
- Switch legs and don the same number of reps on the opposite side.
#6. Single-leg leg press
Most single-leg exercises challenge and improve your balance.
However, not having great balance could mean you aren’t ready for these movements just yet.
Single-leg leg presses require no balance, leaving you free to focus on lifting and lowering the weights using one leg at a time.
How to do it:
- Sit on the leg press machine so your butt is at the bottom of the seat and your lower back is slightly arched.
- Place one foot flat on the footplate and move your non-working leg out of the way.
- Unrack the weight, bend your knee, and lower the weight down until your leg is bent to around 90 degrees.
- Take care not to round your lower back.
- Push the weight back up and repeat.
- Swap legs and do the same number of reps on the opposite side.
Note: Leg presses vary from gym to gym.
If you are unsure how to use the machine in your facility, you should ask the resident instructor for advice.
#7. Box jumps
So, you’ve got a step but don’t want to do step-ups?
We hear you!
The good news is there are a couple of other exercises you can do with your step-up platform, such as the fun and explosive box jump exercise.
How to do it:
- Stand a couple of feet behind your box.
- Your feet should be between shoulder and hip-width apart.
- Bend your knees and drop into a quarter-depth squat.
- Swing your arms behind you.
- Using your arms for extra momentum, jump forward and up to land on your box.
- Don’t pull your knees up to your chest.
- Instead, land on the top of the box in a quarter-depth squat to absorb the shock of landing.
- Jump or step back down to the floor, reset your feet, and repeat.
Benefits of Dumbbell Step-Up Alternatives
As you now know, dumbbell step-ups alternative exercises are a great way to switch up your lower body workout routine.
Not only do they work your glutes, hamstrings, quadriceps, adductors, and abductors, but they also engage your core and improve your balance.
Here are some benefits of incorporating these substitute movements into your workouts:
Increased Strength –
Dumbbell step-up alternatives are compound exercises that target multiple muscle groups.
This means that you can build strength in your lower body, core, and if holding weight, your upper body simultaneously.
Improved Balance –
Most of these replacement unilateral exercises require you to balance on one foot.
This helps to improve your balance and stability, which can translate into better performance in other exercises and daily activities.
Reduced Risk of Injury –
Outside of the box jumps, these alternatives for dumbbell step-ups are low-impact exercises that can help to reduce your risk of injury.
They are also a great way to strengthen the muscles around your knees, which can help to prevent knee injuries.
Increased Calorie Burn –
Any of the above exercises is a great way to increase your calorie burn during your workout.
When done correctly, they are high-intensity movements that can help to boost your metabolism and burn more calories.
Dumbbell Step-Up Alternative – Wrapping Up
Dumbbell step-ups are an excellent lower-body exercise.
Done for high reps, they’ll build endurance and fitness while burning plenty of calories.
You can also do this exercise with heavy weights to develop strength and build leg muscle size.
You can also adjust the height of your step to vary your range of movement.
Step-ups are a versatile exercise.
All that said, you can have too much of a good thing, and even the mighty step-up will lose some of its potency if you do it too often.
Plus, you need a suitable step to do step-ups, which may not always be available.
The good news is that there are several equally effective exercises you can do in place of step-ups.
Use any of the exercises in this article to strengthen your legs without resorting to step-ups.
