Posterior Step To Overhead Reach

Muscles worked

Setup

1. Stand tall on top of a low step or aerobic platform with your feet hip-width apart.
2. Engage your core and keep your gaze forward with your arms relaxed at your sides.
3. Ensure there is clear floor space behind the step for a full lunging stride.

How to do it

1. Step one foot back off the step into a reverse lunge, lowering your back knee toward the floor while keeping your front heel planted.
2. Simultaneously reach both arms straight overhead toward the ceiling as you descend, inhaling during this phase.
3. Exhale and drive through your front heel to return to the starting position on top of the step.
4. Lower your arms back to your sides and repeat the movement, alternating legs for each repetition.

Form checklist

• Keep your front knee aligned over your ankle, preventing it from caving inward.
• Maintain an upright torso and avoid excessively arching your lower back as you reach overhead.
• Ensure your back knee tracks straight down toward the floor, hovering just above the ground.
• Keep your weight centered; do not lean too far forward or backward during the transition.

Pro tips

• Focus on 'lengthening' your entire torso as you reach up to maximize the stretch in the hip flexors of the trailing leg.
• Squeeze the glute of the back leg at the bottom of the lunge to provide a more stable base for the overhead reach.

Make it harder

• Hold a light medicine ball or dumbbells to increase the demand on the deltoids and core stabilizers.
• Increase the height of the step to create a larger range of motion for the front leg.

Frequently asked

What muscles does the posterior step to overhead reach work?

The posterior step to overhead reach primarily targets the glutes and quadriceps, and also works the serratus anterior and trapezius as secondary muscles.

What equipment do you need for the posterior step to overhead reach?

The posterior step to overhead reach requires no equipment — just your body weight.

Is the posterior step to overhead reach good for beginners?

The posterior step to overhead reach is rated intermediate. Build a base with simpler variations first, then progress to it with light load and strict form.

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