Step Ups And Their Use Over Squats

Conditioning can be done in many ways but the difference between a "gold standard" and something that you prefer over can be in a heated debate but it all boils down to what gives YOU the best benefit. For years off and on, I would do the Hindu Squat, sometimes in high numbers depending on what I was doing like doing them in the hundreds in a row or doing them in a circuit inspired by Darebee type training. It got to a point where being interested in them and benefiting from them were dwindling to just another exercise.

Doing hundreds of Squats was beneficial but as time went on, it didn't have that great of a crossover with me anymore, I still do them but no where near the amount of reps I use to do and I don't have a dogmatic approach or this NEED to do them. That doesn't mean they can't be beneficial to others and if they love doing them and it keeps them in awesome shape, that's fantastic. I love it. They're an essential exercise, that's never going to change but they're not the end all-be all to leg training. 

When I started doing Step Ups a few years ago, I just wanted to see what I can do with them, yes they're "easier" than Squats, but they became something more for me. I was falling in love with them, they kept me motivated, strong, conditioned and didn't have a soreness or weird feeling in my knees or my ankles. Doing hundreds of them was actually fun to do and I love the feeling of going up as if ascending a ladder or to a higher form of physicality. They felt far more natural than the Squats did. 500 Squats felt like a chore after a while and even felt like if I didn't do them whether high reps or not that I was disowning some physical culture god or it was an insult to wrestlers of Japan & The Middle East. I had to get out of that mindset, with the Step Ups, 500 or more reps felt amazing, euphoric, natural and it kept me going throughout the day. They filled a greater sense of purpose than the Squats ever did.

When it comes to Squatting, I would rather hold a Horse Stance or a Deep Squat for mobility than knocking out reps because for the most part that's really all they are and if I don't have the motivation to do them and they're a chore, that could spell disaster. I would also prefer Duck Walks or the Bigfoot Walk over Squats because I get more benefit out of them and they're a hell of a lot more fun to do. Squats do still serve a purpose for me to an extent because I like to do them in addition to the Step Ups like my Deck Of Cards leg workouts you've read about. That gives my legs greater sense of fitness than doing just one or the other.

In a nutshell, I do believe Step Ups are better than Squats because of certain factors but that's really an opinion, some might take offense to that but that's their issue and they can come up with all the reasons why Squats are better and the "If you ain't squatting, you ain't training" bullshit but it's not going to change what Step Ups have done for me in terms of keeping me fit and has a greater crossover in my life. Squats have their place and there's various forms of them that are great but in my opinion, the Step Ups have better carryover to certain aspects of life than Squats do. Sorry not sorry but it's true. 

Here are my reasons why Step Ups are better than Squats.....

1. Greater factor for balancing out weaknesses in the legs

2. Doing high reps and not feeling sore for a week

3. They strengthen the legs that are great for hiking, going up flights of stairs and more

4. Still get a solid amount of muscle building while developing muscular and cardiovascular endurance

5. Bob Backlund 

6. They're a unilateral strength builder 

7. They can be used for any sports conditioning program including Wrestling and MMA

8. Takes the pressure off the low back

9. Better carryover to the real world like labor work

10. Far more underrated and less appreciated. Squats have a reputation both good and bad and has greater research than the Step Ups.

Step Ups from my point of view are a backbone exercise that in comparison to the Squat, seems invisible and not seen as great while the Squat sits on a throne acting like it's hot shit. Step Ups truly are a part of Fitness Royalty and has more of a Black Sheep vibe or something living in the shadows while the Squats has the glory. When it comes down to it, these two titans should be a TAG TEAM that work together in unison, not a stigma to what's better than the other. It's like Triple H & Shawn Michaels, they're bad ass as individuals and do very well on their own level but together, they made magic and were defining factors during one of the greatest eras in pro wrestling. That's what the Step Ups & Squats should really be about, creating magic that defies the norm and whether together or on their own, they have awesome benefits. 

Yes I do love Step Ups more than Squats, I've annoyingly showed that LOL but they're both essential and have great benefits for many people and it's time we ended the bullshit about one or the other on the big picture spectrum. Do both or one or the other, it doesn't matter, what matters is what benefits YOU the most, not the societal norms claim or the dogmatic approaches with a hint of debate wars. 

Be amazingly awesome and train for you. 

Dopa Band Conditioning Workout

 Yesterday, I did one of the most intense workouts I've ever experienced and if you know how intense I can be, that's saying something. It was one of those workouts that has that inspiration from Wrestling and testing my mental toughness to the point where I just needed to see what I can continue to do to keep going.

This particular workout was divided into two parts (all together did my best to rest as little as possible where I only really marked off the set) with doing work with the Dopa Band and Step Ups just using my bodyweight. The Step Ups provided a cardio element while the Band was done with explosive movements and fast paced work. It was so intense that by the end, I thought my heart was going to rip out of my chest. Did a total of three exercises with the band and 2 supersets of exercises were added in to really tackle my conditioning and mental toughness.

Here's how it went down....

-Dopa Training & BW Step Ups

Alt Waves x 15/15 For 10 Rounds

4x50 Step Ups (25 per leg) = 200

Superset 1

Alt Rows x 50 (25 Per Arm) 

Step Ups x 50 (25 Per Leg) 

4 sets totaling 200 of each exercise 

Superset 2

Run/Sprint & Slam 20 lb Slamball (video below) x 10 

Step Ups x 50 (25 Per Leg) 

4 sets totaling 40 + 200

Total of 600 Step Ups during the workout.

So as you see the first part was just doing a timed exercise for several minutes and than going into Step Ups, the next segment was the Supersets. The second superset just about killed me as I was literally doing a sprint to the slamball and then picking it up and slamming it repeatedly until I hit a number of times and then doing step ups immediately afterwards while my lungs were still on fire. Only by marking off the set and getting back into position was my only rest and pacing myself with both exercises tested me in a way that I haven't experienced before.

This was the type of training that isn't meant for beginners and it takes on another level that was just unbelievable. I have no clue how I'm not sore AF today. It was hard and even for me, I wouldn't do it again any time soon because this wasn't something I had planned, I did it because I wanted to see if I could do it. This was more of a challenge than anything. This was probably the closest to a workout outside of wrestling that was so damn crazy, you'd have to have a sadistic mind to even try it. It was explosive, exhausting and it nearly put me on my ass. No question wrestlers have done workouts far worse than this but I'm proud that I was able to do it. 

I don't recommend you do this if you're not in shape or new to training. I would also say, be sure you're flexible and loosened up your joints because your whole body will come into play and you don't want to tear something especially in your knees or ankles. It's hard, it's rough and it doesn't care who you are, if you're still standing there's something to write home about. 

To get an idea of the Run/Sprint & Slam, here's a 30 second video of doing only 5 reps of the exercise which is more than enough for most in and of itself, adding onto it is just part of the nastiness. You will sweat, you will think about quitting and you will discover something you didn't know was there. If you're a wrestler or a world class athlete, you may find this workout tickling your feathers a bit. 

6 Min Isometric Workout

 Experimenting is part of the fun when it comes to fitness and exercise. You learn what works and you find out where you are when it comes to being in shape. Isometrics are a hell of a way to get in shape and will test your strength and durability if you do them right. Isometrics can also be a test of your cardio cause if you hold for a certain amount of time like 30 seconds to a minute or longer, you may find yourself breathing hard quick.

Most workouts shouldn't take too long, you do what you need to do and move on. You can also do micro workouts or shorter workouts throughout the day like doing a few push-ups and squats in between commercials, do holds, punches, kicks, burpees or do a sequence for a few minutes like a Flow using Animal Exercises and so on. Sometimes I like to do a 5-10 min workout of supersetting a mid push-up hold on my fists and a horse stance back to back doing a 20 seconds on, 10 seconds off going back and forth until those 5-10 min are done, it's a hell of a workout.

This morning after some meditation, I wanted to try something different for an isometric workout. I wanted to see how I would do with supersetting 1 min. Iso Push-ups On Fists (5 sec plank, 5 sec mid hold repeated for 1 min) and a 1 min Horse Stance for a few rounds. Managed 3 and it was pretty tough, struggled a bit on the Iso Push-ups on the last round but made it through. Short Workouts can be intense as hell even though you're not doing a whole lot but a whole lot is going on. With this workout, you're hitting major muscle groups and as a superset, you're working on your conditioning as well. Try even 1 round and see how it feels, many aren't able to do it. 

6 minutes doesn't seem very long and it really isn't but when it comes to Isometrics, it'll feel like hell on earth and you're having issues holding positions that really tackle the tendons and ligaments while strengthening the muscles throughout the body. They toughen you up and give you some awesome speed and power that you don't get with other exercises. Overall, in the words of Elmo from Vision Quest "It's not just 6 minutes, it's what happens in those 6 minutes." 

Be amazingly awesome and test yourself out on different workouts to learn what YOU are capable of.