how to do box squats?

[oregonchick76]

I switched to box squats for a bit to take some strain off an inflamed knee. My box puts my hips slightly below parallel, and they are WAY HARDER (to me anyways) than regular back squats. I've been reading up on box squat form, and read this...

"You can isolate all the correct squatting muscles by sitting extremely far back on the box. By sitting back on the box to the extent that your shins are positioned past vertical, the glutes, hips, hamstrings, spinal erectors, and abs are totally pre-stretched and overloaded simultaneously, producing a tremendous stretch reflex."

I am trying to picture my shins traveling past vertical, but I just can't imagine not tipping over like that. Can anyone clarify this?

[sonti]

I find this video to be helpful.

but lol how cute is the trainee? he's so young i want to bake cookies for him and drive him to the mall to meet a girl.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UbCaLZ8a0cw

[freebirdmac]

This video may help http://train.elitefts.com/instructio...the-box-squat/

[whatevergirl]

thank you for posting that link. i have not been doing these right.
not totally off, but definitely needs improvement.

[oregonchick76]

This video may help http://train.elitefts.com/instructio...the-box-squat/

Geez Louise! That's way more involved than I was expecting. I'm not sure I can think of all that stuff at the same time!

[wakechica]

Love box squats although I do use a box just to butt check to make sure i'm below parallel. I occasionally box squat and it's hard!
Never seen it done with such a wide stance as in the video free bird posted.... how wide to most people have their stance for regular squats?

[ilovethe80s]

Love box squats although I do use a box just to butt check to make sure i'm below parallel. I occasionally box squat and it's hard!
Never seen it done with such a wide stance as in the video free bird posted.... how wide to most people have their stance for regular squats?

I go superwide for box squats and try and get the shin straight, knees back as far as possible. I think there is another kind of box squat - the 'butt check' as you are doing, just barely touching the box in order to hit the right depth. In this box squat, you deload completely on the box. Usually the box squat won't be as good as your regular squat, because once you deload on the box, the concentric is more difficult. HTH!

[wakechica]

I go superwide for box squats and try and get the shin straight, knees back as far as possible. I think there is another kind of box squat - the 'butt check' as you are doing, just barely touching the box in order to hit the right depth. In this box squat, you deload completely on the box. Usually the box squat won't be as good as your regular squat, because once you deload on the box, the concentric is more difficult. HTH!

Yeah I've tried a couple and know what you mean about getting up, probably would have been a bit easier with a wider stance. I don't envisage myself being able to concentrically push what I can squat. Might give it a go tomorrow

[2ndfloor]

I tried doing box squats a few times, but I never got the hang of it without it putting stress on my backbone when I sit down. No matter how gently I do it, it hurts. Mark Rippetoe provides an alternative to box squats in Starting Strength for those of us who are sensitive to spinal compression. He suggests putting the pins in the rack to your desired height and then letting the bar come down and rest on the pins for a moment before driving back up. I haven't tried this alternative, yet, but I'm hoping to soon.