Smith Machine Step-Up

GymDaze demonstration

Watch Smith Machine Step-Up

Technique

How to perform Smith Machine Step-Up

1. Place a bench in front of the Smith track so your whole working foot can rest on it and the bar can travel through the step-up.
2. Set the bar at your upper-back height and position the machine stops below the bar's intended lowest position, not simply below the bench surface.
3. Disengage the hooks and plant the working foot fully on the bench.
4. Extend the working hip and knee to raise your body, minimizing push-off from the foot on the floor.
5. Let the other foot come up lightly without shifting the working load onto it.
6. Bend the working knee and hip to lower the other foot to the floor while keeping the working foot planted.
7. Repeat on that side, then change legs and re-engage the hooks when finished.

Programming relevance

Muscles involved

Primary targets: Gluteus Maximus, Vastus Lateralis, Vastus Medialis.