Ski Step
- Primary muscleCardio
- EquipmentBodyweight
- DifficultyBeginner
- TypeCardio · Locomotion
- Secondary muscles
- Quads, Hamstrings, Glutes, Calves
- Body part
- Cardio
- Position
- Standing
- Laterality
- Bilateral (both sides together)
- Category
- Cardio
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Springing from one foot to the other with the trailing leg sweeping behind mimics a skater's or skier's push-off, but with no equipment and modest landing forces. Keep the bounds short and rhythmic during warm-ups; widen them and add pace when it serves as a lateral conditioning finisher.
How to do the Ski Step
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart.
- Bend your knees slightly and keep your back straight.
- Jump to the right, landing on your right foot while swinging your left leg behind your right leg.
- Immediately jump to the left, landing on your left foot while swinging your right leg behind your left leg.
- Continue alternating jumps from side to side, mimicking a skiing motion.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Tip: Reach tall, hinge at the hips and drive the hands down past the thighs on every stroke.
Muscles worked
Primary
Cardio · Cardio
The ski erg is a full body conditioning tool and pushes the heart rate up steadily over an interval.
Secondary
Common mistakes
- Pulling with the arms only — the pull starts with a hinge at the hips and a crunch of the torso, then the arms follow through.
- Standing straight up between pulls — keep a slight bend in the knees and hips so the legs help every stroke.
- Short, choppy strokes — reach high at the top and finish with the hands past the hips for a full stroke.
- Sprinting with no plan — pace to the length of the piece and keep the stroke rate steady.
Where it fits in a workout
The ski erg works as a warm-up before upper body training or as a conditioning finisher. Alternate intervals on the ski erg with kettlebell swings for a hinge-heavy circuit.
How many sets, how heavy and how hard: see what the ACSM position stands support.
Variations and alternatives
When to talk to someone
- Chest discomfort, feeling faint or lightheaded, or trouble breathing during or after exercise can be signs of a heart attack. In the US, call 911 right away; elsewhere, call your local emergency number.
- Heart, metabolic or kidney disease, or symptoms like these when you are active: talk to your doctor before you start or step up training.
- Pregnant: ask your obstetric care provider which exercise suits you.
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More exercises
Sources
- ACSM position stand on exercise quantity and quality (Garber et al., 2011)
- ACSM preparticipation health screening (Riebe et al., 2015)
- ACOG Committee Opinion No. 804 on exercise in pregnancy (2020)
- CDC: About Heart Attack Symptoms, Risk, and Recovery (2024)
Sources checked on October 17, 2026. Full citations are in the exercise library.
Animation and exercise data: ExerciseDB, licensed to SetGrip. General information, not medical or coaching advice.