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Legs · Squat and lunge

Cable Step-Up

The Cable Step-Up mainly trains your quads and glutes. Also working: hamstrings and calves.

Both cables

Stool or box

Standing, light pull

Animation: Cable Step-UpAnimation: Cable Step-Up

How to do it

  1. Place your whole foot on a bench or box
  2. Drive up through the top leg: don’t push off the floor
  3. Extend your hips fully at the top
  4. Step down slowly and under control: then switch sides

Coach’s tip

The way down is what counts: lower for three seconds and just tap the floor with your bottom foot. Set the bench or box crosswise in front of the machine so the cables run freely: and make sure it can’t tip.

Noticeably loads the knee. If you tell DCFT that this joint bothers you, the app leaves exercises like this one out and picks a better supported alternative.

Setup

Pulley

Both pulleys at the bottom

Grip

Single handles at your sides

Load

Both cables

Needs two cable towers

You need

Stool or box

Stability

Standing with a moderate load. Brace your core.

FrontBackMuscle map: quads, glutesMuscle map: quads, glutes
Target quads, glutesAlso working hamstrings, calves

Alternatives

Other exercises for the same movement (squat and lunge). In DCFT you can swap with one tap, and the app only offers what your equipment allows.

Questions about this exercise

What muscles does the Cable Step-Up work?

Mainly the quads and glutes. The hamstrings and calves help.

How do I set up the cable machine for the Cable Step-Up?

Pulley: Both pulleys at the bottom. Grip: Single handles at your sides. You also need: Stool or box.

Can I do the Cable Step-Up on a single cable tower?

Not like this. The Cable Step-Up needs both cables at once, so two towers. If you set up DCFT for one tower, the app leaves it out of your plan and uses exercises such as Goblet Squat and Cable Goblet Squat instead.

What can I do instead of the Cable Step-Up?

For the same movement: Cable Belt Squat, Cable Bar Front Squat and Cable Split Squat. In DCFT you swap with one tap.

DCFT

The Cable Step-Up in DCFT

In the app this exercise comes with your weight: the plate to pin, what you lifted last time and a rest timer that starts by itself.

Download on the App Store

Free on the App Store for iPhone. Pro is a one-time purchase with no subscription.

Back to all exercises