Peterson Step
What Is the Peterson Step?
Peterson Step is a compound exercise that primarily targets the quads and also engages the glutes, calves and the stabilizers around the hip and ankle. It is an intermediate-level movement done on an aerobic step platform: you stand on one leg with the heel lifted onto the ball of the foot, bend the knee forward over the toes until the other heel lightly touches the floor in front of the step, then straighten back up.
The drill is named after Canadian physiotherapist Carl Petersen, who used it with alpine skiers, and is often spelled "Petersen" for that reason. It builds strength and control in the knee-forward position and through the last degrees of knee extension, which is why coaches use it in warm-ups, knee-focused accessory work and the later stages of returning to running and jumping. Because the load is only body weight, it is usually done for higher reps and can be trained often.
It is one of three closely related drills that are easy to mix up. The Patrick Step keeps the working heel flat on a flat step, and the Poliquin Step keeps the heel down on a slanted surface that raises it for you. The Peterson Step uses a flat step but has you lift the heel yourself and hold it up for the whole rep. In all three the free leg reaches forward and down for a heel tap and the working knee travels forward over the toes. Holding the heel up pushes the knee furthest forward and adds a balance challenge on the ball of the foot, so the Peterson Step is usually treated as the hardest of the three.
The quadriceps carry the movement, while the gluteus medius keeps the pelvis level and the calf holds the heel off the step. It suits lifters, runners and field or court athletes who want knees that tolerate deep, forward-traveling positions. If balancing on the ball of the foot or controlling the descent is too hard, start with the Patrick Step, move to the Poliquin Step, and use the lowest step height until the movement feels smooth.
Muscles Worked
- Vastus Lateralis
- Primary
- Vastus Medialis
- Primary
- Rectus Femoris
- High
- Gluteus Maximus
- Medium
- Gluteus Medius
- Medium
- Soleus
- Medium
- Adductor Magnus
- Minimal
Instructions
- Set an aerobic step platform at its lowest height and stand on it near one end, facing off that end, with your hands on your hips.
- Place the working foot a little back from the edge and the free foot beside it, close to the edge.
- Rise onto the ball of the working foot so the heel lifts off the step. Keep it raised for the whole set.
- Shift your weight onto the working leg and lift the free foot off the step, holding that leg straight and slightly forward.
- Bend the working knee and let it travel forward over the toes, in line with the second toe, keeping your torso upright and hips level.
- Lower over 2 to 3 seconds until the heel of the free foot lightly touches the floor in front of the step. Do not put weight on it.
- Press through the ball of the working foot to straighten the knee fully and return to the top, without pushing off the floor.
- Complete all reps on one leg, then switch sides.
Common Mistakes
Letting the heel drop
Lowering the working heel onto the step during the descent turns the drill into a Patrick Step and removes the extra forward knee travel the raised heel is there for.
Knee caving inward
The working knee drifts toward the midline instead of tracking over the second toe, which shifts stress onto the inside of the knee.
Pushing off the floor foot
Using the free heel to bounce back up hands the work to the wrong leg, when it should only touch the floor lightly.
Dropping or hiking the hip
Letting the pelvis tilt toward the free leg, or hitching it up to reach the floor, means the hip stabilizers have stopped holding the pelvis level.
Sitting back instead of bending forward
Pushing the hips back and keeping the shin upright turns the drill into a hip-dominant step-down and misses the forward knee position it trains.
Dropping into the heel tap
Falling the last few inches onto the free heel skips the controlled lowering where most of the quadriceps work happens.
Injuries
Peterson Step is a low risk exercise when performed with proper technique. The load is only body weight and the step is low, but the movement deliberately drives the knee forward over the toes while you balance on the ball of one foot. The parts that take the most strain are the front of the knee, around the kneecap and patellar tendon, and the calf and Achilles tendon that hold the heel up.
Lowering forward off a step is a demanding position for the kneecap joint. In healthy adults, a forward step-down produced higher kneecap joint stress than a forward or lateral step-up at the same step height. Manage that load with step height and tempo: start on the lowest setting, lower slowly, keep the knee tracking over the second toe, and only raise the step once every rep is smooth and pain-free.
To make it easier, keep the heel flat with the Patrick Step, let a slanted surface raise the heel with the Poliquin Step, or rest a fingertip on a wall for balance. To progress, slow the lowering, pause with the heel just above the floor, or use a taller step.
Stop the set if you feel sharp pain at the front of the knee, pain that lingers after the session, the knee giving way, or a calf cramp that stops you holding the heel up. Ongoing knee pain is a reason to see a physical therapist rather than push through it.
- Primary Focus
- Quads
- Equipment
- Body weight and step platform
- Modality
- Strength
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
Alternative Exercises
Other Names for the Peterson Step
The Peterson Step is also known as:
- Petersen Step-Up
Frequently Asked Questions
- Q: What is the difference between the Patrick, Poliquin and Peterson Steps?
All three lower the free heel forward to the floor while the working knee travels over the toes; what changes is the working heel. The Patrick Step keeps it flat on a flat step, the Poliquin Step keeps it down on a slanted surface, and the Peterson Step holds it raised on the ball of the foot on a flat step.
- Q: Does the Peterson Step isolate the VMO?
No. It is often sold as a vastus medialis oblique (VMO) drill, but a systematic review of EMG studies found that changing hip, knee, ankle or foot position does not activate the VMO more than the vastus lateralis. Treat it as strengthening for the whole quadriceps in a knee-forward position.
- Q: How high should the step be?
Start low, around 4 to 6 inches (10 to 15 cm), which is the base height of most aerobic step platforms. Add a riser only once you can lower slowly to a light heel tap with the knee tracking straight and no knee pain.
- Q: Is it okay for the knee to go past the toes?
Yes, here it is the point of the exercise. Forward knee travel does raise the load on the front of the knee, so control it with step height and tempo rather than by stopping the knee short.
- Q: Can the heel come down at the top?
You can briefly lower the working heel at the top to rest the calf, but raise it again before the next descent. The heel stays up for the whole time the knee is bending and straightening.