It’s a gym scenario that’s all too familiar: somebody inevitably loads the squat bar with back-breaking weight, gives a loud shout to announce his presence and then commences to lower the bar two inches before re-racking it with ground-shattering authority. Aside from a lack of form that subjects the lifter to injury risk, he has minimized the range of motion to a point where his hamstrings and glutes are getting very little benefitial exercise or explosive strength training.
Now cue up the same scene with a box behind the squatter that forces him to lower his hips to parallel with the floor or further in order to sit and our problems are solved. By placing the box behind the lifter, it teaches the proper form of squatting back, not down, in order to sit. Furthermore, a proper box height will assure the squatter of achieving a hips-parallel or break-parallel stance with every rep (and soon without a box). But the greatest benefit of box squatting is the explosiveness and strength the trainee will develop in his quads, hamstrings, glutes and hips by utilizing a static-overcome-by-dynamic work approach.
In order to perform the box squat correctly, the lifter should take a very wide stance with toes either pointed straight forward or angled slightly out (I prefer the straight forward method). Take a wide hand grip and tuck in your elbows so as to utilize the lats. Keeping your head up and looking forward, proceed to slightly arch your back and draw the chest up, lift the bar off the pins, and then take your stance two to three inches in front of the box (maintaining a very wide stance). Begin to squat back, not down, keeping your back arched, abs pushed out, and your head up at all times. Once you reach the box, relax ONLY the hip muscles for an instant, and then forcefully flex them by pushing against the bar. It is important to remember that when beginning the drive upward, raise your traps into the bar first and don’t begin the movement by pushing your feet to the floor. By pushing with your feet first, you can and will expose your back to a dangerous and potentially harmful position.
As a big proponent of the static-overcome-by-dynamic work approach, I really like this exercise. It teaches proper form, builds explosive strength, and is actually less stressful on the lifter than a full squat and can therefore be trained more frequently. Please note, however, that this workout is geared more towards powerlifters and those seeking to build explosive leg strength – not bodybuilders looking for bulging quads. The lifting approach differs greatly from a bodybuilder and a powerlifter, and although my philosophy tends to blur the lines and incorporates both, this is a topic I will address in greater detail in a coming article.
For more information regarding the box squat, I encourage you to read Louie Simmons’ “Why You Should Box Squat.” Louie, in practical terms, is a powerlifting animal and THE source for all things strength related. Just ask the Cleveland Browns, Green Bay Packers, Seattle Seahawks and…you guessed it, New England Patriots. For his biography, click here. I also recommend that if you want to try the box squat, follow Louie’s Westside Barbell routine and try training at 50-60% of your one-rep max for 8-12 sets of 2 reps.
Here’s a video to illustrate the exercise…
Recent Comments