Eric Roberts shows how to modify step-ups to target your glutes more. Keep your back leg light, position your front foot forward with a slight torso lean, and step back slowly on the way down instead of dropping. This shifts work to your glutes and away from hip flexor momentum.
If you want to work more of your glutes during step-ups, then first you have to stop using your back leg to catapult you on the way up. Because if you're using your back leg for momentum, you're not going to work your glute on your front leg. So instead, come up on your toes on your back leg first and then step up. Second, move your foot farther away from you, lean your torso forward, and think about stepping up and forward. And number 3, on the way down, don't just let yourself drop down. Instead, go slow and take a big step back to stretch your glute a lot more.
