Stepback With Corner Touch

Muscles worked

Setup

1. Stand tall with your feet hip-width apart and arms relaxed at your sides.
2. Engage your core and maintain a neutral spine with your gaze forward.
3. Ensure you have adequate space behind you and to the sides for the stepping and reaching motion.

How to do it

1. Inhale as you step one foot back into a reverse lunge, lowering your back knee toward the floor until both legs form 90-degree angles.
2. Simultaneously rotate your torso and reach the opposite-side hand across your front leg to touch the floor (the 'corner') outside your front foot.
3. Exhale as you push powerfully through your front heel to return to the standing starting position.
4. Repeat the movement on the opposite side, alternating legs and reaching arms for each repetition.

Form checklist

• Keep your front knee stacked directly over your ankle, avoiding inward collapse.
• Maintain a flat back and proud chest even while reaching toward the floor.
• Ensure your weight remains centered over the mid-foot of the front leg.
• Keep the back knee hovering just above the ground at the bottom of the movement.

Pro tips

• Focus on the 'reach' to maximize the stretch in the glute of the front leg and the engagement of the rear deltoid.
• Visualize pulling your front hip back as you reach forward to deepen the hip hinge and glute activation.
• Keep your trailing arm extended behind you for counter-balance and additional pectoral stretching.

Make it harder

• Increase the pace to a 'power skip' tempo to add a cardiovascular and plyometric element.
• Hold a light dumbbell or medicine ball to increase the resistance on the deltoids and core during the rotation.

Frequently asked

What muscles does the stepback with corner touch work?

The stepback with corner touch primarily targets the glutes and quadriceps, and also works the abs and obliques as secondary muscles.

What equipment do you need for the stepback with corner touch?

The stepback with corner touch requires no equipment — just your body weight.

Is the stepback with corner touch good for beginners?

Yes. The stepback with corner touch is a beginner-friendly movement and a strong foundation to build on.

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