Lateral Step-Up
The Elite Hockey Drills app builds drills like this into your personalized off-ice program, week by week. Your first week is free.
How to Do It
Stand beside a box (30-50cm), side-on. Place the near foot fully on the top of the box. Drive through the box foot — extend hip and knee — to stand on top. Bring the trailing foot up to meet the top foot. Stand tall. Step back down with control. The driving leg stays on the box. Complete all reps one side before switching.',.
Why It Works
The lateral step-up trains the glute med and hip abductors through a vertical range in a single-leg lateral loading pattern — the exact demand of the support phase during a skating stride. Standing to the side of the box and stepping up laterally creates a hip abductor drive that bilateral or forward step-ups cannot replicate. It is a fundamental building block in all hockey strength programs.
Hockey Transfer
Trains lateral hip strength — mirrors the side push of skating. Three sets × 8 per leg, controlled. If you push off the down-foot, you cheated. Front foot only.
Coaching Cues
- "Step up sideways onto box"
- "Drive through lateral leg"
- "Stand tall"
- "Lower slowly"
Common Mistakes
Pushing off the floor foot — all power from the box leg. Knee caving inward — drive it outward over the little toe.',. Box too low — knee height or above for real demand. No pause at the top — stand fully upright on each rep.',.
Progression / Regression
Weighted lateral step-up with dumbbells, then progress to a lateral step-up with knee drive at the top.',
Step-up to a lower surface (20cm) until single-leg stability is established.',
Primary Muscles
Energy System
Strength/neural
Put it to work
on the ice.
The Elite Hockey Drills app builds exercises like this into a personalized off-ice program — created by a sport scientist and former national-team coach. Your first week is free.
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