A good portion of the time, a simple exercise like Step Upas can really take you down if you know the right pace and tempo. Maybe it might be too simple but is it really so? I guess it depends on your point of view. Does it replace Squats? Overall, not necessarily but some prefer the Step Ups and others prefer Squats and that's awesome. At least you're getting in some kick ass leg training either way.
Some scoff at the idea of Step Ups because to them, squats are king and other leg exercises are just second class which in and of itself is far from the truth. Some even say Step Ups are the lazy man's leg training; obviously that's pure bullshit otherwise by logic you're saying someone like Bob Backlund is lazy. How natural is Step Ups in comparison to Squats? Well, why compare their natural entities when both are natural type exercises and have pros and cons to both while their effectiveness may be different, they still generate incredible strength, power, conditioning and overall health for the whole body.
Having done thousands of reps from both of them, safe to say for me personally, I get more out of Step Ups than Squats and I'll tell you why....With Squats, they were the foundation and gave me a solid pair of legs over the years while also saving time by doing high reps either in a row or using a deck of cards. As time went on and doing other things, they became a bit more uninteresting to me and felt like they weren't a priority anymore. With the transition to Step Ups, I not only go longer & do more reps, they give me greater focus by working my legs individually. They help even out the areas where one leg seems to have more muscle than the other and it feels more meditative while being a conditioning exercise.
Step Ups are a different form of cardio and it has become grossly underrated over the years. Other than Bob Backlund advocating them, they don't get as much traction or attention in comparison to Squats and it's a damn shame. They go far beyond just going up and down and switching legs, they are a great addition to just about any routine as they can be an exercise to do instead of resting for your next set. They can be used to as a superset exercise to other movements to really tackle your conditioning and they put you in a better state of not being as sore yet get more out of it.
Despite its benefits of health and overall fitness, it has a safer aspect on the knees and lower back if you have those particular issues. We do Step Ups more often than we are led to believe because of climbing stairs on an almost daily basis so this exercise actually strengthens that form of movement along with strengthening the joints for things like biking, hiking and swimming. Training this way helps in a ton of sports and other activities.
As always, just be careful how you do them and don't go so fast that you'll slip/trip and fall on your ass; I've done it a time or two and even broke part of a step and after those, I learned to pace myself better and being aware of my footing while going at a decent clip. Got to a point where I can do 30 within a minute and do 500 in under 23 minutes. Ideally it's not a sprint exercise because like I said, if you go too fast, it's going to bite back so respect the movement and go at a clip where it's keeping your heart rate going but not in a rushed manner.
When I train this exercise, I don't care much how many sets/rounds I do, I pick a number to do each leg and go for time whether for 10, 15, 20 or 30+ minutes straight. If I'm in the middle of a set and the timer goes off, I just finish the set and add the + to the workout lol. Numbers wise, I stay within a 10-15 rep range each leg and just keep going. Sometimes I'll speed up during the workout and other times I just keep pace and focus on my breathing and footing. Said it before, it becomes meditative at times. Better cost effective than a treadmill that's for damn sure.
It just feels good overall and I love how my legs feel afterwards. I don't get sore almost at all and I can do other exercises later on like Isometrics, carries and even hammer stuff. It has kept me in pretty decent shape for some time now. Give it a go and maybe someday you'll put up Backlund numbers but do what's possible for you and keep improving while being amazingly awesome.
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