Box Squatting

Joliver

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Squatting is the most important thing you can do with your life. You developed a unified theory of gravity because you studied harder under the longer lasting light bulb you invented while driving your Ferrari cross country to a perfect 10 coed beach you own to perform open heart surgery, but you only squat 225lbs--Congratulations, loser.

So if it is the most important thing you can do, what if you can't do it? Your back, your knees, your whatever. Lots of things keep people from squatting. The good news for you gimps: some of the most successful squatters in the powerlifting circuit today don't do squats at all. In fact, the only time they do a squat is when they are on a platform. So how in the hell do they get to be masters of the squat? They box squat.

Why box squat?

1) You cannot cheat depth on the box. Yes, I intentionally put this first. I don't have the words to describe how stupid it is to take the bar out of the rack and bend your knees until it gets to be too difficult, some 20 degrees later, and return the bar back to starting position. You are cheating yourself, other lifters (that would never look up to you anyway--because you're a half repper), and the world. In fact, I would rather you curl in the squat rack than to pretend that BS that you just calf raised was a squat.

2) You can learn how to sit back into your squat. You should be doing good mornings to help your squat....you should not be calling your good mornings, squats. This will help you differentiate the two. Most bodybuilding type squats are quad dominant--that is their purpose. This leaves weight on the table. So when lifters try to transition from one style to the next, they may not have the glute, ham, hip strength required to sit back and find depth in a powerlifting squat.

3) Box squatting is easier on those with injuries. You can train more often with a box squat than you can with a squat. I didn't say this, Louie Simmons did. I will say this: I have a few hip issues, and when they act up, i know to go to the box squat for a few months (changing bars and stances only). If you do the box squat correctly, THERE WILL BE CARRYOVER TO YOUR SQUAT.

How do I Box Squat?

Setting up From Head to Toe

Head: You want to drive your head and traps back into the bar. Don't look straight up. Don't look down. Look down--fall down. Look up, you can't see the judge--even though it is a box squat you should practice like you play.

Upper back: Shoulders back and tight.

Arms: Take a comfortable grasp on the bar--wide enough that it does not hurt your shoulders but not so wide that you squat with your hands grabbing the plates like a lot of ****-ups do (we've all seen it). A lot of shoulder and bicep pain come from grip placement in the squat. Now that you have found your grip, pull the elbows forward like you are trying to bend the bar over your back. If your elbows flare, your back will lose tightness.

Lower Back: Arched. When you lift the bar, you will "arch the bar out."

Belly: Force your abs out and keep them tight for a larger, more stable core to lift the weight. Don't tighten your core by "flexing in" your abs. A bigger base is always better.

Glutes: Push your glutes out to create tension and to tighten the hamstrings.

Feet: Place them out wider than shoulder width.

Now You Squat

1) Arch the bar out and push out of the rack with your legs.

2) Take 3 steps back. If you take more than 3, you are being inefficient with your motion.

3) Take the widest stance possible to create as much hip tension as you are comfortable with--this isnt a quad dominant bodybuilding movement. Turn your toes out slightly to help increase the hip tension.

4) Get your air. Take a massive gulp of air into your belly. Practice this before you start squatting. If you can't get a belly full of air, you won't be worth a damn in the squat.

5) Push the hips back to begin your descent. Keep your knees forced out, and "spread the floor" with your feet! Think about it as if you are sitting back in a chair. This keeps your glutes and hams as tight as possible. DO NOT BREAK AT THE KNEES FIRST!!!

6) Sit back until you find the box. Don't guess at where it is and slump down. That is cheating the box squat, and if you don't do it correctly, you won't get a damn thing out of it.

7) Once you sit on the box, pause and release the tension in your hip flexors. Release the tension in the hip flexors only! Everything else remains tight.

8) Drive your head and traps into the bar explosively and drive with the hips.


This is a pretty good list of what you need to know before you start box squatting. If you have any questions about the box squat feel free to shoot me a PM.

Here is a video of Dave Tate teaching the box squat:

 

SuperBane

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Thanks for this post.
I've been struggling with squats again.
Form mostly irritating my lower back.
I've even dropped weight down to 225 and have thought to go lower.
Still irritates it.
Reminded me to go back to the box.
That is where I started seeing success.
The BOX and CLINT DARDEN youtube video's.
 

PillarofBalance

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I have gotten a bunch of guys who claimed they would never squat again due to knee pain back under the bar with a box. The knee pain comes from stresses the quad tendons as your knees come forward and your torso leans out over your feet. In a box squat as you are sitting on the box your knees should be above the heels or if you are a true master behind them. So a couple points I would add

1. Film your sets from the side and review them between sets.

2. Remember that it's not a squat. It's a leg curl. This means to get up you squeeze the glutes and if you see in the video that your first movement is not popping off the box but rather falling or otherwise shifting the weight forward over the quads that is a failure.

3. Incorporate hip mobility prior to box squatting because it can beat them up good

4. The corner of the box should be between your legs

5. Play with toe position. Find a point where you have tightness in the hip on the box but not so tight that you are straining the adductors or can't hit parallel
 

Joliver

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In a box squat as you are sitting on the box your knees should be above the heels or if you are a true master behind them.

Look at Dave's suggested knee placement in the video. He is a wild man. It looks like he is planning on sitting back into a barcalounger. lol
 

NbleSavage

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Saw an interview with Louie talking box squats and he said something intriguing: that muscular activation in the quads when squatting is the same with either a wide stance or a narrow stance. I'll try to find a link to the interview.
 

NbleSavage

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Here's Louie talking wide stance squatting and teaching some box squat technique.

His first line talks to quad muscle fiber recruitment (wide is same as narrow per Louie).

 

SuperBane

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2. Remember that it's not a squat. It's a leg curl.

With that said how is the box squat in terms of long term growth and strength?
Could one totally remove squats and only box squat?

The reason I ask is each and everytime I think I'm getting good with the box squat,
I go back to regular squats for some reason... and sooner than later everything begins to suffer.
 

Joliver

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With that said how is the box squat in terms of long term growth and strength?
Could one totally remove squats and only box squat?

The reason I ask is each and everytime I think I'm getting good with the box squat,
I go back to regular squats for some reason... and sooner than later everything begins to suffer.

Long term strength-wise, westside barbell ONLY uses the box squat. I believe the box squat can be used long term, with westside principles to produce long term gains. But that means that you must change bars and box heights often in order to prevent CNS adaptation.

From a growth standpoint, I consider the box squat to be a core lift and I do not use it for volume. I believe that muscular growth primarily comes from volume. That said, if you did decide to use the box squat for volume, you would experience muscular gains. But the primary movers in the box squat are the hips, glutes, and hams. The quads do participate, but to a lesser degree than a bodybuilder squat.
 

SuperBane

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Long term strength-wise, westside barbell ONLY uses the box squat. I believe the box squat can be used long term, with westside principles to produce long term gains. But that means that you must change bars and box heights often in order to prevent CNS adaptation.

From a growth standpoint, I consider the box squat to be a core lift and I do not use it for volume. I believe that muscular growth primarily comes from volume. That said, if you did decide to use the box squat for volume, you would experience muscular gains. But the primary movers in the box squat are the hips, glutes, and hams. The quads do participate, but to a lesser degree than a bodybuilder squat.

Cool I can hit the Quads with isolation. Leg Ext and close or single leg - Leg press.
I will rotate those two with regular squats or smith machine squats.
Yet keeping Box as my staple.
 

heavydeads83

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We free squat every saturday and alternate box squat and deadlift every Wednesday. Seems to be working well. This is a great post Joliver, I'm impressed. I LOVE box squats.
 

AlphaD

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Another great read. Thanks Jol. Through talks with S4L over the last few months, i realized i had horrible squatting form. I am retraining myself with box squats, thru his advice and have to say, i humble myself weightwise, but damn my legs are popping and growing since i started. More PL info please ......im a sponge willing and ready to learn!
 
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NbleSavage

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We free squat every saturday and alternate box squat and deadlift every Wednesday. Seems to be working well. This is a great post Joliver, I'm impressed. I LOVE box squats.

Running DC at present and box squatting. I like the sound of this cadence (free squats to box squats). May work it into my next blast.
 
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Box squats also make you take off from a stop instead of using the elasticity of your motion to help you get back up. (If that makes any sense.) I love me some box squats. Good post.
 

Tren4Life

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Jol Great post brother. Im still learning, it takes a lot of practice to keep from leaning forward and putting the weight on your quads. I had to literally go down to the weight of the bar and I still don't have it right, but my bar path is getting better.

thanks for taking your time to put this out for the new guys

S4L
 

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