Question on doing Step Ups

Last night at the gym I was doing weighted step ups on a bench, using dumbells for the weigths. A trainer stopped me and told me that I am not supposed to bring the back leg down to the ground in between steps, that I am supposed to let it hang. In order to do that though I need to lean forward at an odd angle and it doesn't feel right. I checked online and all the videos and examples I found show the person taking the step up, but not the step back down, if that makes sense. So for those of you who do step ups, if you are stepping with say the left leg, you step up, pull the right leg up then do you let the right go back to the ground completely before starting the second step, or do you just leave the right leg hanging the entire time and never touch it to the ground for the entire set?

I not only bring the right leg back down, but I also bring the left leg down (at least to brush the floor), so that I'm going back to the original starting position (both feet on the floor).

Exrx shows what I do, as far as I can tell.

What your trainer is telling you to do is a variation of the one-legged squat, not a step up.

I guess the reason your trainer told you that is because what often happens is when you put your foot down on the ground you will use that leg to help you take your next step-up.

If you consciously use that foot for balance only and use the leg on the step to lift your body, you are totally fine with putting your back leg down on the floor.

I have been bringing my non-working leg to the floor. I am completely unable to let it hang, or even brush it. Step-ups really work my legs hard with the fact that I'm using my bench and 25lb weights on each hand. Toward the end of my reps, I literally slam it to the floor as I start to lose control of my working leg. My bench is slightly higher than my knees, so it takes a bit of effort to even pull myself up on it.

Thanks for the link amethyst, that is in line with what I was doing except I keep my back leg further back. I hate when trainers just randomly come up to you to correct you, I always doubt myself and am usually fine with what I am doing. And they always seem to approach me with advice, and ignore the man behind me doing 1/4 squats with 180lbs on the bar in jeans and flip flops.

Well, you've got two X chromosomes - clearly you don't know what you are doing, and need more help.

Last night a guy actually came up to me in the middle of a set of shoulder presses to ask if he could have the barbell I was using, he needed that one. Because I obviously didn't.

Quit fooling around with those - they aren't toys, and the men need them!

Original Post by mwheeler75:

Last night a guy actually came up to me in the middle of a set of shoulder presses to ask if he could have the barbell I was using, he needed that one. Because I obviously didn't.

 Yet another reason why I workout at home. I have all the equipment to myself, when I need it.

Original Post by lindinig:

Original Post by mwheeler75:

Last night a guy actually came up to me in the middle of a set of shoulder presses to ask if he could have the barbell I was using, he needed that one. Because I obviously didn't.

 Yet another reason why I workout at home. I have all the equipment to myself, when I need it.

 It was all worth it when I saw that he picked up the same weight I was using and did the same exercise I was doing with it. I wanted to tell him he lifts like a girl but didn't have the guts.

HAHAHAHA So true! I do miss that when I workout at home. Last night, I challenged my boyfriend to do a prone jacknife on the ball. He was able to do 2 (I could do 10!).

He still has me beat in the pushup department though. But I'm gaining on him fast.

I've been doing kind of a reverse step-up, starting off with both feet on the bench and lowering the nonworking foot to the ground, then bringing it up.  Otherwise, I tend to cheat with the nonworking foot.  Does this make sense, or is it more of a cheat to do it this way?

apophenia - I think that's even closer to the one-legged squat that sully mentioned.  I think in NROLFW he describes an exercise where you do a one-legged squat from a box.

But I'm not sure what the functional difference would be compared to stepups. Except that I can use a lot more weight when I'm doing stepups, compared to one-legged squats, probably because I know if my leg gives out, I'll just catch myself at the floor with the other leg.

I bring my non-working foot all the way to the ground... and have a REALLY hard time not pushing off with it!

Yeah, I've been trying to figure out just what is different (functionally) between stepups and one-legged squats.  They look like they'd be working all the same muscles in pretty much the same way.  Can anyone point out how they work differently?

My theory with starting at the top is that I'm just doing the same workout in reverse order, with the downward motion first.  Maybe not?  I can not for the life of me NOT cheat if I start with both feet on the floor--coordination issues or something.

Original Post by lindinig:

I have been bringing my non-working leg to the floor. I am completely unable to let it hang, or even brush it. Step-ups really work my legs hard with the fact that I'm using my bench and 25lb weights on each hand. Toward the end of my reps, I literally slam it to the floor as I start to lose control of my working leg. My bench is slightly higher than my knees, so it takes a bit of effort to even pull myself up on it.

 Holy Crap. 25 lbs in each hand. You are my new hero.

Step-up vs Single-leg squat (although the squat is with a barbell and has you rest the non-working leg on your working leg, which isn't how I do 1-leg squats)

According to exrx, step ups seem to work the non-working leg somewhat, also use more stabilizers (including traps) and antagonist stabilizers.

I know that I cheat somewhat with step-ups, but I do my best not to.

I'm using 24lb dumbbells for step-ups (or I was, last stage), using the first two steps in my basement. Problem is that the stair well is kinda narrow, and now that I'm using the 10lb plates, they are much more likely to bang into the sides. Sucks.

Original Post by apophenia:

  I can not for the life of me NOT cheat if I start with both feet on the floor--coordination issues or something.

Lift up the toes on the non-lead foot while performing the step-up, makes it really hard to push off with that foot. 

Original Post by future214:

Original Post by lindinig:

I have been bringing my non-working leg to the floor. I am completely unable to let it hang, or even brush it. Step-ups really work my legs hard with the fact that I'm using my bench and 25lb weights on each hand. Toward the end of my reps, I literally slam it to the floor as I start to lose control of my working leg. My bench is slightly higher than my knees, so it takes a bit of effort to even pull myself up on it.

 Holy Crap. 25 lbs in each hand. You are my new hero.

  I want to see results like, yesterday, so I keep increasing weight and look for ways to continue challenging myself. I always question whether I've worked hard enough, even though I'm literally crawling by the end of my workout, yet, within an hour, my energy is replenished and I feel like I didn't do a thing!

I find it incredibly difficult to not cheat on step-ups, especially since my bench is high. I would say that I probably only use my non-working leg a miniscule amount, since I'm very conscious about it. My working leg is definitely getting a great workout dispite the small amount of cheating.