Lateral Jump Step-Up
What Is the Lateral Jump Step-Up?
Lateral Jump Step-Up is a compound exercise that primarily targets the quads and glutes and also engages the calves, hip abductors and adductors. It is an intermediate-level plyometric movement done with body weight on a flat bench: you stand beside the bench with one foot on it, drive off that foot to jump up and across, and land on the far side with the other foot on the bench, so the feet switch on every rep.
It is a lateral power and footwork drill. Strength coaches list the same pattern on a plyometric box as the side-to-side push-off, and it is used in warm-ups and plyometric blocks for court and field sports that need quick changes of direction, as well as in circuits for general fitness. Because each rep is a single-leg push-off followed by a landing, it trains you to produce force sideways and to absorb it again a moment later, which a slow step-up does not.
The quadriceps and glutes do most of the work, with the calves adding the final push and taking the first part of each landing. In a study of gym-trained adults doing barbell-loaded lateral step-ups onto a 40 cm box at a slow tempo, the vastus lateralis and vastus medialis showed the most activity, followed by the gluteus medius and gluteus maximus. The jumping version shares that sideways step-up pattern but adds speed, and the gluteus medius has to keep the pelvis and knee steady each time you land on one foot.
It differs from its neighbors in how you cross the bench. The Crossover Step-Up travels over the bench without leaving it, and the Lateral Box Shuffle steps across a low box with one foot always in contact. The Lateral Box Jump is a different drill again, a two-footed jump from the floor onto a box and off its far side.
It suits people who can already do a controlled Lateral Step-Up and land a basic jump quietly, with knees tracking over the toes. If you are new to jumping, build up with the Crossover Step-Up or a Lateral Box Shuffle first, then do the jumping version on a lower step before moving to a full bench.
Muscles Worked
- Gluteus Maximus
- Primary
- Vastus Lateralis
- Primary
- Vastus Medialis
- Primary
- Gluteus Medius
- High
- Rectus Femoris
- High
- Adductor Magnus
- Medium
- Soleus
- Medium
Instructions
- Stand beside the long side of a sturdy flat bench with the bench on your right.
- Place your whole right foot flat in the middle of the pad and keep your left foot on the floor, with both knees bent, your chest slightly forward and your arms bent out at your sides.
- Drive hard through your right foot and swing your arms up to about head height to jump straight up over the bench.
- In the air, move sideways across the bench and switch your feet.
- Land with your left foot flat in the middle of the pad and your right foot on the floor on the far side, letting the bench foot touch down just before the floor foot.
- Absorb the landing by bending your hips and knees, keeping the knee on the bench lined up over your toes.
- Without pausing, drive through your left foot and jump back across to the starting side, landing with your right foot on the bench.
- Keep jumping back and forth across the bench for the target number of reps, stopping the set as soon as your landings get loud or unsteady.
Common Mistakes
Jumping off the floor foot
Pushing mainly off the foot on the floor turns the drill into a hop over the bench and takes the work away from the leg on the bench, which should drive each jump.
Letting the knee cave inward
Allowing the landing knee to drift in toward the other leg strains the knee and is the landing fault to fix before going higher or faster.
Landing on the edge of the pad
Catching the bench with only the toes or the side of the foot lets the ankle roll or the foot slip off a narrow bench.
Landing stiff and loud
Landing with straight legs or with a thud sends the force into the knees and ankles instead of letting the hips and knees absorb it.
Pausing between jumps
Stopping to reset on every landing turns a quick, springy drill into a series of separate jumps and loses the side-to-side rhythm it is meant to train.
Working at the end of the bench
Pushing off or landing near either end of a flat bench can make it tip, so keep your feet near the middle of the pad.
Injuries
Lateral Jump Step-Up is a medium risk exercise when performed with proper technique. It uses only body weight, but every rep is a jump with a one-foot landing on a narrow bench pad, so the main risks are a knee that caves inward on landing, an ankle that rolls off the edge of the pad and a foot that catches the bench on the way across.
The knees and ankles take the most stress, especially as fatigue sets in. Land softly with the knee bent and tracking over the toes, put the whole foot down in the middle of the pad and keep each set short enough that every landing stays quiet. Use a flat bench that is stable and does not slide or tip, work near its middle rather than its ends, clear the floor on both sides and do the drill early in the session while you are fresh.
If you cannot land without the knee drifting in or without a loud thud, regress to the Crossover Step-Up or the Lateral Box Shuffle, which cross a bench or box without jumping, or do the jumping version on a low step. Once your landings are consistent, progress gradually by working toward full bench height or by moving faster between jumps, but never at the cost of landing control.
Stop if you feel sharp pain in the knee, below the kneecap, in the ankle or in the Achilles tendon, or if you lose your footing on the bench, and go back to a lower step or a non-jumping version before trying again.
- Equipment
- Body weight and bench
- Modality
- Plyometrics
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
Alternative Exercises
Other Names for the Lateral Jump Step-Up
The Lateral Jump Step-Up is also known as:
- Side-to-Side Push-Off
Frequently Asked Questions
- Q: What is the difference between a lateral jump step-up and a crossover step-up?
Both carry you over the bench from one side to the other. The Crossover Step-Up does it by stepping, with one foot always on the bench or the floor, while the lateral jump step-up jumps across and switches feet in the air, which makes it the plyometric progression of the same pattern.
- Q: How is it different from the Lateral Box Jump?
In the Lateral Box Jump you take off with both feet from the floor beside a box, land on top with both feet and jump down the far side. In the lateral jump step-up one foot is always on the bench at the start and finish of each jump, and the push comes from that single leg.
- Q: How high should the bench be?
Push-off drills like this are usually done on a box between about 6 and 18 inches high, and a standard flat bench sits near the top of that range. If you are new to the drill, start on a low step and move to a full bench once your landings stay quiet and controlled.
- Q: Which foot should land first?
Let the foot that lands on the bench touch down just before the foot that lands on the floor. Setting the bench foot first lets you catch your weight on it and drive straight into the next jump.
- Q: How should I count reps and sets?
Count each crossing as one rep, so both legs push off equally across a set. Sets of 10 to 20 crossings with full rest between them are a common starting point, and the set should end as soon as your landings get loud or sloppy.