Box Squatting

[Tren4Life]

Probably the best info I've seen so far on improving my squat. Can't wait to get this into my routine.

When a person first starts box squats I suggest to start high. I'm 6 foot tall and I started with a 17 inch box to get my form right. Then after a few weeks go down an inch. You have to build a box squat from the top down. To keep good form.

 

[Milo]

When a person first starts box squats I suggest to start high. I'm 6 foot tall and I started with a 17 inch box to get my form right. Then after a few weeks go down an inch. You have to build a box squat from the top down. To keep good form.

Thanks. Yeah I'll probably need to do that. Never done them like this.

 

[Itburnstopee]

Joli, thanks man. I've been kicking around the idea of box squatting and then performing a normal squat only at comps but never looked into it it was actually a thing or not. My doc has cleared me for half squats after my knee heals but I think if I ask at the next appointment he will say it's safe to do box squats. What kind of stress if any does a box squat puts on the knee bones (how much does the meniscus take part in a box squat)?

 

[PillarofBalance]

Joli, thanks man. I've been kicking around the idea of box squatting and then performing a normal squat only at comps but never looked into it it was actually a thing or not. My doc has cleared me for half squats after my knee heals but I think if I ask at the next appointment he will say it's safe to do box squats. What kind of stress if any does a box squat puts on the knee bones (how much does the meniscus take part in a box squat)?

I have had numerous clients and guys I have just consulted with who have serious knee pains and old injuries. I have gotten 100% of them back to squatting by putting them on a box. When you sit back with a vertical shin and are pushing out on the feet all that pressure to perform is taken off the knee. Add to it that compared to say leg extensions, the foot is stapled to the floor which removes the sheering forces on the knee as well.

Start with a high box, above parallel and slowly work your way down.

 

[ToolSteel]

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[Itburnstopee]

I have had numerous clients and guys I have just consulted with who have serious knee pains and old injuries. I have gotten 100% of them back to squatting by putting them on a box. When you sit back with a vertical shin and are pushing out on the feet all that pressure to perform is taken off the knee. Add to it that compared to say leg extensions, the foot is stapled to the floor which removes the sheering forces on the knee as well.

Start with a high box, above parallel and slowly work your way down.

Just like to say thanks. Although the doctor said not to I tried box squats a while ago and they feel great.

 

[PillarofBalance]

Great post from Jol....

 

[ToolSteel]

I hate box squats. But I love the strength and form correction I've gained from doing them. So I guess I don't have them. Kinda.

 

[Tren4Life]

I just found this vid and I was going to make a new thread till I found this one. I figured Jol already had one. This is a short vid of. PROPER box squat technique. I see people doing what they think is a box squat and is more of squatting to a box.

 

[ToolSteel]

One thing he mentions in that vid, which I just discovered last week, is the feet parallel. I have FAR less hip pain when I keep my feet almost parallel than when I point toes out.

 

[Tren4Life]

One thing he mentions in that vid, which I just discovered last week, is the feet parallel. I have FAR less hip pain when I keep my feet almost parallel than when I point toes out.

It takes a ton of practice to get it right. It's a completely different lift from a normal squat when done correctly.

 

[ECKSRATED]

I see all these videos of box squats and everyone rocks back then rocks forward. I thought that was the biggest no no for box squats?

And tren I thought the bar is suppose to be over your shins the entire time? That's the way I was doing it and it was very difficult. The way she's doing it I the video I could easily box squat over 500 pounds. Keeping the bar over my shins is hard to get up around 400. I should give box squats a try again.

 

[Tren4Life]

I see all these videos of box squats and everyone rocks back then rocks forward. I thought that was the biggest no no for box squats?

And tren I thought the bar is suppose to be over your shins the entire time? That's the way I was doing it and it was very difficult. The way she's doing it I the video I could easily box squat over 500 pounds. Keeping the bar over my shins is hard to get up around 400. I should give box squats a try again.

Keeping the bar over your shin helps you learn to set back all the way. If I remember correctly Louise himself says it's okay to rock on the box. But you have to remember to keep your back tight.

If you look close at how wide her feet are compared to how tall she is, she takes a really wide stance and her toes do point out some.
Also take note to the fact that her shins are behind her ankle when she come off the box. I tried it for a while and it's really Fukkin hard to do. I had to go back and start with 95 pounds to get it right.


Tool.

The hip pain might go away after a while and you get used to the stretch. Mine took a few months but it finally did go away. You just have to make sure you are using light enough weight that you done tear something in there. What I had to do was stack 3 plates on the box and as I warmed up I took a plate off each set.

 

[ECKSRATED]

So pretty much keep the bar over your shins until u hit the box then u can rock a little? Gotcha. The way I was doing it was putting so much stress on my lower back giving me insane back pumps. I'll try them out again.

 

[PillarofBalance]

So pretty much keep the bar over your shins until u hit the box then u can rock a little? Gotcha. The way I was doing it was putting so much stress on my lower back giving me insane back pumps. I'll try them out again.

Not with your sumo pulls no you arent. I don't want the hip issues with you. There will be a brief 3 week wave with them but that's it.

Also the rocking that you see is not done intentionally it is an automatic motion caused by the nervous system trying to cope. When you hit the box you let the hip flexor go momentarily. In that instant the weight must shift back to stop you from dumping the bar over your head.

 

[ECKSRATED]

Not with your sumo pulls no you arent. I don't want the hip issues with you. There will be a brief 3 week wave with them but that's it.

Also the rocking that you see is not done intentionally it is an automatic motion caused by the nervous system trying to cope. When you hit the box you let the hip flexor go momentarily. In that instant the weight must shift back to stop you from dumping the bar over your head.

Fine. Lol. Damnit.

 

[DieYoungStrong]

Fwiw Louie has said box squatting and comp squat are interchangeable, and the westside people only take the box away at meets.

Not sure I agree with that, especially for raw lifters, but food for thought.

 

[ToolSteel]

I'd agree this probably more true for geared lifters. And also really really wide raw guys. There's a few guys I know that have pretty much the same form either way. But for most of us the motor pattern is a little different.
For me, a shitload of box squats isn't going to make my comp squat look the same, but it gets me closer and closer to what it should be. My comp squat made huge jumps from box squatting my forcing me to bring up my weak posterior chain.

 

[LeanHerm]

Fwiw Louie has said box squatting and comp squat are interchangeable, and the westside people only take the box away at meets.

Not sure I agree with that, especially for raw lifters, but food for thought.

The sweede gym here is the same way, most the people there do the same and box squat all the time.

 

[LeanHerm]

Pob made me just box squat all the time and has helped me so much. I love it, I have a bad wheel and I get no pain at all. Such a relief.