One
of my favorite things
to do is push the
limits in the gym...in
what I can physically
do, in what's physically
possible and in what's
actually sane...
And
THIS exercise is a
result of that pushing
of the limits.
It's
a normal, everyday
step-up exercise with
a twist...I loaded
myself with as many
different forms of
resistance as I could
physically put onto
myself to do those
step-ups with.
1.
An 85 lb weight vest
2. A pair of 20 lb
ankle weights (40
lbs total)
3. A pair of 20 lb
chains (40 lbs total)
4. A pair of 125 lb
dumbells
That
gave me a grand total
of 415 lbs of additional
resistance over bodyweight.
Now,
the first question
you might ask is why
not just use a barbell
on your back, loaded
with that much weight
(ok, maybe it's the
second question...the
first question might
be "are you nuts?"
- and that answer
is "yes...yes,
I am")?
You
COULD do that, and
I've done heavy barbell
step-ups before...however,
what I've found is
that basically WEARING
a good portion of
the resistance loads
your ENTIRE body in
a way that a simple
barbell step-up can't
duplicate.
The
barbell step-up hits
the legs, glutes and
upper back quite well...the
multiple resistance
step-up hits all those
plus the arms, shoulders,
core, calves...even
the chest to some
degree.
So before I get into
how I did this, I
do want to let you
know that if you don't
have as many forms
of resistance as I
do, you can STILL
do something like
this with what you've
got.
If
you've just got a
pair of dumbells,
use those and push
the limits with how
heavy you go. And
next time, bring a
sturdy backpack and
throw some weight
into that as well.
Use your imagination
with how many ways
you can load yourself...it
makes for a great
challenge and you'll
have a lot of fun
with people staring
at you at the gym
:).
Now,
in addition to the
resistance, you'll
need a Step platform,
low box or stairs...something
about 6 to 10 inches
off the ground. We're
going for weight here,
not range of motion.
This
pic shows the weight
vest and the ankle
weights. Next time
I do this one, I'm
going to wear the
ankle weights on my
forearms so that I
get constant loading
from them, too. I
found that while wearing
them on my ankles,
it takes the resistance
off when my feet are
on the ground. Not
the case when on the
forearms.
Next,
I hung the chains
around my neck. These
are just simple auto
tow chains that I
got at the hardware
store.
Now
it's time to pick
up the dumbells...and
I found this was actually
one of the toughest
parts of the whole
exercise! You're essentially
doing a deficit deadlift
with weight hanging
off you in a very
awkward fashion...it's
a great exercise in
and of itself.
I'm
also using 1
Ton Hooks
to take grip strength
out of the equation.
If you've never tried
lifting hooks, I have
to say I absolutely
LOVE these things.
They really do allow
you to lift weight
for more reps because
grip strength is not
a factor.
Once
you've stood up with
the weight, walk over
to the Step platform
and set your left
foot on top.
Now
step up and stand
on top.
How
I did it was to keep
that left foot on
top and just step
up and down with the
right leg. You can
step down with both
feet and repeat, if
you like.
I
did my reps on one
leg then switched
to the other.
One
of the key things
to remember here is
that it should be
a LOW platform. Even
though you're technically
stepping up with one
leg, you're actually
using BOTH to get
yourself and the weight
up there. If the box
is too high, you'll
limit the weight you
can use.
When
I finished my reps
with both legs, I
then set the dumbells
down and continued
with just the weight
that was loaded on
myself...a literal
drop set.
Once
finished, the chains
came off and that
was that.
This
is a GREAT exercise
and something I highly
recommend you try
out, using as many
forms of resistance
as you have available
to you.
It's
total-body training
at it's finest!