Start with a low step beside you and use only your bodyweight at first. As your strength and stability improve, you can progress to holding a pair of dumbbells.

Keep your hips level throughout the movement. If the step is too high, maintaining this position will be difficult. A common mistake is pushing off with the non-working side by extending the knee or ankle. To prevent this, keep the knee locked and the ankle dorsiflexed (toes up), tapping the floor with your heel only.

Due to the short range of motion, a higher rep range (15–20) works well. On the final repetition of each set, stop just before touching the ground and hold this position for 5–10 seconds. This isometric contraction increases intramuscular tension and fatigues any remaining muscle fibers.