Box Squats

[rush33]

So, I know we talk about these a lot. I had never done them until today. I thought I might give them a try. So I put on 315, which I can ATG squat fairly easily to try it out, it was cake. Si I kept working my weights up, and up, and up, and up, and finally I decided to try 2x my bodyweight (I weigh 235, so 470) and did 5 reps. Box squats are easy, but it did feel like they were working well. Only box I could find put me right at parallel too.

No real question or anything here, this is just my experience today with my 1st time box squatting.

[dcs080]

when we do box squats in our workout it is assumed that they are power/speed squats as well, meaning a great explosive movement upward.

i dont really like them either; i feel like regular squats are 100x better...IMO

[oline73]

when we do box squats in our workout it is assumed that they are power/speed squats as well, meaning a great explosive movement upward.

i dont really like them either; i feel like regular squats are 100x better...IMO

when i first started doing box squats i felt the same way but i grew to like them, we use the boxes just below parallel and its a way to tell if people are going down low enough

[kevn594]

i dont think box squats are any better or worse than regular squats. i just think they are more beneficial to young athletes. most young kids are too obsessed with how much weight is on the bar and end up doing 1/2 squats when they go heavy. box squats force you to sit down at a certain height whether the weight is heavy or not. it forces you to sit on the box regardless of height and explode up. i like them alot

[rush33]

I did notice that I was getting more explosion out of the bottom as I was versus regular squats.

[pete_a22]

Box squats are good for that sticking point at the bottom. Since ur pausing on the box and exploding up it translates really well over to your regular squat... you'll find yourself squatting a lot more in due time.

[farzamk]

I do use box squats with my football guys and majority of the sprinters, I have found the right combination of using ATG squats, box squats, front squats and regular squats, overall regular squats still higher volume then the rest, with box squats up next.

[gekkoboy14]

u have to pause at the bottom, otherwise its just a regular squat

[Fullback7]

So, I know we talk about these a lot. I had never done them until today. I thought I might give them a try. So I put on 315, which I can ATG squat fairly easily to try it out, it was cake. Si I kept working my weights up, and up, and up, and up, and finally I decided to try 2x my bodyweight (I weigh 235, so 470) and did 5 reps. Box squats are easy, but it did feel like they were working well. Only box I could find put me right at parallel too.

No real question or anything here, this is just my experience today with my 1st time box squatting.

So you regular squat around the high 5's to low 6's?

I dont even do regular squats anymore. Just switch box height every 3 weeks. Box squats are an amazing exercise.

[rush33]

So you regular squat around the high 5's to low 6's?

I dont even do regular squats anymore. Just switch box height every 3 weeks. Box squats are an amazing exercise.

I had not ever squated more than 500 on a regular squat. Then I did these box squats and absolutely annihilated them. I am probably going to go 4 weeks of box squats then 2-3 weeks of ATG squats and back and forth. I would consider squat my weakest lift. Even though I had never deadlifted before, My first time going heavy I was able to do 405x5. I did the first 4 weeks of the advanced 5x5, got up to 315 5x5 on bench, I was supposed to get up to 395 5x5 on squat but was unable to complete my 2nd set and on my deadlifts I got up to 405 5x5 and struggled with my last set. So I have since modified my program again, swapping out squats for box squats and holy **** did I feel like I was getting a lot of work done and moving great weight.

[Fullback7]

I had not ever squated more than 500 on a regular squat. Then I did these box squats and absolutely annihilated them. I am probably going to go 4 weeks of box squats then 2-3 weeks of ATG squats and back and forth. I would consider squat my weakest lift. Even though I had never deadlifted before, My first time going heavy I was able to do 405x5. I did the first 4 weeks of the advanced 5x5, got up to 315 5x5 on bench, I was supposed to get up to 395 5x5 on squat but was unable to complete my 2nd set and on my deadlifts I got up to 405 5x5 and struggled with my last set. So I have since modified my program again, swapping out squats for box squats and holy **** did I feel like I was getting a lot of work done and moving great weight.

Are you sure you aren't doing high box squats, because you're suppose to have a minimum of a 50-75 pound drop off of squat to box squat on parallel to under? If you are doing box squats, and making gains then you really don't need to switch back to ATG squats. You will have much better gains with switching box squats to different box heights, rack pulls, or sled pulls every 2-3 weeks. Im sitting here studying for my Westside Barbell certification, so I'm a big fan of Box Squats & West side methods.

[rush33]

I am doing these box squats right to parallel.

[kevn594]

i was just thinking the same thing fullback....most people have a pretty big drop off when it comes to box squats after working regular squats their whole life.

[Fullback7]

i was just thinking the same thing fullback....most people have a pretty big drop off when it comes to box squats after working regular squats their whole life.

Ya, every Louie Simmons article talks about a drop off from squat to box. I've also never heard, seen, or read of anyone at WB having anything in the area of 60 pounds of their squat on the box. I think its almost impossible to have a box squat of more than your squat, because you put more stress on the squatting muscles during a box squat. Either he isnt sitting back or is having a box that is too high (over 15-17 inches).

This is what a box squat is suppose to look like. (this guy right here squats in the low-mid 6's & Box's in the middle-low 5's)

[rush33]

Yup, that is exactly what I am doing. Sitting down, sitting back and then popping up. If I can find a way to take a video, I'll do that for ya.

[Fullback7]

Yup, that is exactly what I am doing. Sitting down, sitting back and then popping up. If I can find a way to take a video, I'll do that for ya.

Maybe you just have a much better squat than you thought you had. Anyways, real nice job. A 2x BW box squat for 5 reps is impressive.

[rush33]

Maybe you just have a much better squat than you thought you had. Anyways, real nice job. A 2x BW box squat for 5 reps is impressive.

Thanks, I've been working my ass off for the past 4 months, got 2 more months until my season starts. I should be about 220-225 by the time my season starts and as strong as I have ever been.

[pete_a22]

What league do you play in rush33?

[rush33]

What league do you play in rush33?

United Indoor Football, www.unitedindoorfootball.com.

[thadaz]

as a general rule of thumb are box squats usually supposed to be higher than your normal squat? if how by how much approximately?

[™da1™]

Actually it would be better lower because your hitting the same hieght everytime you dont have to worry about going parrel or guessing where it is so when u do a free wieght back sqaut you just know how deep to go

becuase most people increase wieght and dont go to low

[G-mane12]

Jesus I got DOMs like a beyotch today... I Box squatted on monday, I wasn't sore at all yesterday and am tight as hell today

[rush33]

I took a little tape measure to the gym today to check the height of my box (bench) that I am sitting back onto. I measured it at 18 inches even. I finished off today with a set of 3 at 505 pounds. Next time I hit it, I am going to put some 25's under my feet to raise me up another 1.5 inches putting the box at 16.5 inches. We also have some 100 pound plates that I can stand on as well that are 2 inches thick to modify the height of the bench/box since thats the lowest they have in the gym. Still a pretty solid accomplishment in my mind. The bench does have some padding, so I'm guessing when compress with my weight and the weight on my back, its about 17-17.5 inches.

[Fullback7]

I took a little tape measure to the gym today to check the height of my box (bench) that I am sitting back onto. I measured it at 18 inches even. I finished off today with a set of 3 at 505 pounds. Next time I hit it, I am going to put some 25's under my feet to raise me up another 1.5 inches putting the box at 16.5 inches. We also have some 100 pound plates that I can stand on as well that are 2 inches thick to modify the height of the bench/box since thats the lowest they have in the gym. Still a pretty solid accomplishment in my mind. The bench does have some padding, so I'm guessing when compress with my weight and the weight on my back, its about 17-17.5 inches.

An 18 inch box is a high box squat. Thats why it is easier than your regular squat. You need to be around 14 or 15 inches on the box (Parallel). Something you might want to try also is having a 12 or 13 inch box (low box) and placing a foam pad on the box. This will drastically improve the squatting muscles as well.

Based on your height your box levels should look like this...

11-13 inches- low box
14-15 inches- Parallel
16-17 inches- high box
Anything above 17 is too high

This should help you out

Box squatting is the most effective method to produce a first-rate squat. This is, in my opinion, the safest way to squat because you don't use as much weight as you would with a regular squat.
Let me say first that, no, they won't hurt your spine, you don't use1000 lbs. on a 25 inch tall box, you don't rock on the box, you don't touch and go, and there is no need to do regular power squats before a meet. No knee wraps are worn nor are the straps of the suit pulled up.
By doing sets of 2 reps for at least 8 sets with short rest periods, you will get about a 200 lb. carryover to your regular squat. Two of our lifters finished their lifting cycle before a meet with 8 sets of 2 reps with 505 lbs. off a slightly below parallel box, and both squatted 700 for a meet PR One was competing in the 242s and the other as a 275. Two years before, in his first meet, our 275 pounder squatted 465 - quite an improvement!
There are many advantages to box squatting. One of the most important is recuperation. You can train more often on a box than you can doing regular squats. The original Westside boys (Culver City, CA) did them three times a week, which I feel is a bit extreme, but they paved the way for this type of training. We do them for the squat part of our workout on Fridays and occasionally on Mondays to build hip and low back power for deadlifting. The NBA's Utah Jazz do box squats for the same reason - recuperation. Greg Shepherd, their strength coach, is a former member of the Culver City gym.
The second reason is equally important. It is generally accepted that you should keep your shins perpendicular to the floor when squatting. With box squatting, you can go past this point (that is, an imaginary line drawn from your ankle to your knee will point toward your body), which places all the stress on the major squatting muscles- hips, glutes, lower back, and hamstrings. This is a tremendous advantage-
Thirdly, you don't have to ask anyone if you were parallel. Once you establish a below parallel height, all of your squats will be just that -below parallel. I have seen it over and over. As the weights get heavier, the squats get higher. This can't happen with box squats.
LOUIE SIMMONS' You Want the Secrets? - Click here to go to Westside Barbell
If your hips are weak, use a below parallel box with a wide stance. If you need low back power, use a close stance, below parallel. If your quads are weak, work on a parallel box. If you have a sticking point about 2 inches above parallel, as is common, then work on a box that is 2 inches above parallel. Our advanced squatters use all below parallel boxes. This builds so much power out of the hole that there will be no sticking points.
As an added bonus, box squats will build the deadlift as well by overloading the hips and lower back muscles. Your ability to explode off the floor will increase greatly. One of our 275 pounders, Jerry Obradovich, put 50 lbs. on his dead lift in 3 months by doing extra box squats during that time period, going from 672 to 722 at the 1994 APF Junior Nationals. Chuck Vogelpohl deadlifts only about once in 8 weeks yet pulls 793 in the 242s. Chuck relies on wide box squats on a low, 12-inch box and does a lot of reverse hypers and chest-supported rows.
Now, how do you do a box squat? They are performed just like regular squats. Fill your abdomen with air, and push out against your belt. Push your knees out as far as possible to the sides and with a tightly arched back, squat back, not down, until you completely sit on the box. Every muscle is kept tight while on the box with the exception of the hip flexors. By releasing and then contracting the hip flexors and arching the upper back, you will jump off the box, building tremendous starting strength. Remember to sit back and down, not straight down. Your hamstrings will be strengthened to a high degree, which is essential. Many don't know this, but the hamstrings are hip extensors. Some great squatters have large quads and some do not, but they all have large hamstrings where they tie into the glutes. Remember to sit on the box completely and flex off.
Now, how do you know how much you can full squat if you box squat all the time? Well, let's say you have squatted 600 lbs. in a meet and decided to box squat. Let's say you can do 550 off a parallel box; that's a 50-lb. carry-over. Now you are doing only box squats and you take a weight 4-6 weeks into the cycle. You hit a 575 squat, a 25-lb. jump on that particular box. This will carry over to your 600 contest best. So now expect a 625 at your next meet.
I recommend that you train with 65-82% of your box record on each particular box height that you use. Change box heights every 3-4 weeks. Do not base the training weight on your full squat record! Box squats are much harder than full squats! Do 8-12 sets of 2 reps with 1 minute rest between sets. This is a tough workout! The week that you reach 82%, reduce the sets to 6. Don't train with more than 82%. You can try a max the after you train with 82%. If you are going to a meet, take a weight 2 weeks before the meet. The week before the meet use 70% for 6-8 sets.
This type of squatting is hard work, but each rep shouldn't be hard. Don't get psyched up to do your sets. We have found that 2 reps is ideal because any more may cause bicipital tendonitis and if you are doing 12 sets, you are doing 12 first reps per workout. After all, the first rep is the most important one. This will make your contest squat much better. Our most talented lifters will do best on their first rep and then tire quickly whereas our lower skilled people will do better after the first rep is completed because they use the first rep as a body awareness tool. As they become more skilled, their first rep will be their best.
I know box squatting is not common, mostly because no one knows how do them. After reading this or watching my squat tape you should be fully aware of the benefits. Many great squatters have done box squats including Marv Phillips, Larry Kidney, Roger Estep, Matt Dimel, and of course George Fern, who did an 853 squat in track shorts in 1970. If box squats didn't work, we wouldn't do them. We have 20 lifters who have squatted over 700 lbs. in a meet including a 198 who has done 804. 1 hope this article clears up any misconceptions and leads to great success on the lifting platform.