Multi Step Pro Review Summary
FAE Multi-Step Pro
The Multi-Step Pro from Freak Athlete Essentials is a stackable step-up box designed to help athletes progress through movements like the Jefferson Curl and Peterson step up. It's super robust and is ideal for athletes doing the ATG training program.
4.5
The Good
3 settings available of 2 inches, 4 inches, and 6 inches.
Dedicated function of progressing/regressing ATG and Knees Over Toes exercises.
Wide surface area with a textured grip-tape for maximum traction.
Robust and solid construction for worry-free use.
The Bad
Fairly basic design.
No grip at the bottom, making it slightly slippery on certain surfaces.
Recommended For
The FAE Multi Step Pro is great for anyone wanting to progress/regress their ATG/knees over toes training with an adjustable, grippy, well-built piece of kit.
FAE Multi Step Pro Review – Best Budget Step-Up Box?
It can get downright scary doing ATG/knees over toes exercises on big plyo boxes or wobbly gym stools, which is why I took a hard look at the FAE Multi Step Pro.
It’s an adjustable, wide, light-weight “stack box” that is designed specifically for people doing ATG/knees over toes training, offering a solid experience for progressing and regressing many different exercises.
I’ll be honest: I usually just stack plates up or treacherously balance on whatever surface I can find at the gym/home, but the Multi Step has offered a much better experience than your basic plastic aerobic-steppers and excessively large plyo boxes.
Let’s check out why I think the Multi Step Pro is a great addition for ATG training, and how it chalks up against some of the more “make-shift” options.
The FAE Multi Step Pro Is Stackable
The game is in the name: the MULTI Step is a set of 3 separate 2-inch boxes that can be stacked and unstacked.
They fit together like a puzzle, with the bottom 2 boards having 4 little cutouts in each corner for the “feet” of the board above to slot into.
This gives you the option of a 2-inch, 4-inch, or 6-inch platform – perfect for progressing and regressing your exercises like the Petersen step up and other ATG/knees over toes exercises.
The stackable-ness (is that a word??) also levelled up my Jefferson Curl, since I could slowly increase the height rather than going from floor level to something too high like the boxes at my gym.
The FAE Multi Step Pro Is Perfect For Slant Board Training
Now where the Multi Step really shines is if you use it in conjunction with a slant board.
The Multi Step is mainly designed for ATG training, so if that’s you, you’re probably already doing some sort of heel-elevated training.
Putting a slant board on top of this thing works perfectly because it’s wide and has a textured grip, leaving you worry-free about the slant board slipping out or tipping off the edge.
This progresses many exercises like the Poliquin step up as well as RDLs.
It’s also great if you’re trying something like the ATG split squat and need a slant board for your poor ankle mobility and a raised surface as a regression:
Freak Athlete Essentials very own Slant Board Pro works exceptionally well with the Multi Step Pro.
What I Liked About The Multi Step Pro
Overall I really like the Multi Step – let’s dive into it a bit deeper!
Build Quality
The construction is solid, with no bells or whistles – it’s a simple wooden build that feels sturdy and does what it needs to.
It’s levelled out nicely, creating a completely flat surface.
The screws are visible, but don’t poke out at all – again, this is a basic design but the build is excellent for what it is.
Portability
I’m always nervous about boxes of this size because of weight issues, but the Multi Step is super light and easy to lug around.
The size of each board is 19.5″ x 13.5″ at 2-inches thick per board.
The handles on the side are a nice touch, and make stacking/unstacking and carrying it a breeze.
I’d say it’s even portable enough to bring to the park or the gym for out-of-home training sessions.
Fantastic Grip Surface
The grip surface is super big and spans the whole surface on all 3 boards.
It’s very grippy, holding your feet well whether you’re barefoot or wearing any type of shoes.
It also holds slant boards or squat wedges real well – I haven’t gotten any slippage at all yet!
Plug & Play
The Multi Step is ready to get to work right out the box with no set up needed.
What I Disliked About The Multi Step Pro
This is a bit of nitpicking, but here’s what I found could be better with the Multi Step Pro…
DIY Design
The Multi Step is clean, but basic.
This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but I found that the simple wood, screws, and glue combo gave off a fairly homemade design – of course, you might actually prefer that look.
No Grip On Bottom
The Multi Step being wide mostly takes care of this problem, but the lack of grip on the bottom can make it a bit slippery on some surfaces.
Just keep this in mind if you’re doing any jumping exercises or anything that could push the box around.
That being said, as long as you’re doing controlled exercises and not training on marble floors it should hold pretty steady.
How Does The Multi Step Compare To The Competition?
Check out how the Multi Step compares to two different types of equipment you might be considering.
TBG Slant Stack
The TBG Slant Stack similarly offers 3 levels of 2-, 4-, and 6-inch heights, along with a 20″x16″ surface area (each board is 2-inches thick too).
The TBG has these “knobs” on its surface that allows it to interlock with each platform and the TBG Slant Board, which takes away from the overall useable space and also blocks putting slant boards from other brands on it.
This is a good idea, but it makes it a bit less versatile when wanting wider stances or if you have a different brand of slant board.
The TBG Slant Stack is made of high-quality plastic vs. the Multi Step’s wood build, and is missing grip tape on the surfaces.
It comes in at around $40 less than the Multi Step Pro and includes a slant board.
Rogue Foam Plyo Boxes
The stackable foam boxes from Rogue are much larger, measuring in at 28″x28″ and only offering a 6-inch minimum thickness.
This makes them less portable than the Multi Step, and the vinyl material makes them slippery for slant board use and any smooth flooring.
The Rogue Foam Plyo Boxes are just under $200 for a single 6-inch pad, making it more expensive than the Multi-Step Pro and less adjustable.
Who Should Use The FAE Multi Step Pro?
The Multi Step is great specifically for people looking to easily progress/regress their ATG/Knees over toes training.
It’s perfect for at-home exercising, but portable enough to bring to the gym or park.
The Multi Step is also great for adding any slant boards, especially FAE’s own Slant Board Pro.
I’d say to look at something like the Rogue Plyo Boxes if you want to focus on jump training, since the 6-inch maximum on the Multi Step will quickly become too low for you.
What’s The Verdict?
I really do like the Multi Step Pro…
It has a wide surface area, is stable, provides a lot of traction, and pairs great with my slant board for my ATG training.
I’d personally recommend this for anyone wanting to level up their knees over toes workouts yet doesn’t want to worry about cheap build-quality or having to re-buy poorly made alternatives (I’m looking at you, Amazon).
Definitely recommend checking the Multi Step out!
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