Box Squats Pros/Cons

[eastcoastsurfer]

Currently I'm squatting 1-2 times/week. To keep from getting bored I may be doing back squats, front squats, or box squats. Yesterday a guy at the gym came up and told me how box squats are the worst thing you can and how they will ruin your back. He's a nice enough guy and I've talked to him in the past and he's seemed pretty knowledgable so it got me thinking. What does everyone else think of box squatting?

[pjb923]

These 2 articles should tell you everything you want to know about box squats.
http://www.t-nation.com/findArticle....=body_120squat
http://www.elitefts.com/documents/box-squat.htm

One point that sticks out is

Remember to raise the traps into the bar first to ascend. If you push the feet into the floor first, you will find yourself in a semi good-morning position, which is wrong and dangerous.

The tendency to push with the feet first and lean forward may be what makes people think box squats are bad for your back.

[Lost Dog]

I've seen some people relax the lower back and hips and rock at the bottom. That can't be safe. Don't do that.

[eastcoastsurfer]

Thanks guys. Yeah, I stay tight the whole time and definitely don't lean forward. I'll go over those articles and make sure there aren't any other issues with my form.

[Lisa~]

Remember, there are no really bad exercises, just bad technique or people with issues that contraindicate that movement for them.

Other than that, I agree with what Paul and Roland said.

[jvernacchio]

I have been doing box squats in my workouts for a while and all they have given me were better squat numbers over all. They help in every way.

[Matthew]

I don't understand how you can raise your traps into the bar without standing up. If you're not relaxing your back then you're sitting upright. If you're sitting upright, how can you raise your torso without getting off the box?

[GqArtguy]

Originally Posted by mAtThEw

I don't understand how you can raise your traps into the bar without standing up.

Shrug into the bar drive your head toward the ceiling, youre not really going to go anywhere but this keeps you driving upward rather than forward.

If you're not relaxing your back then you're sitting upright. If you're sitting upright, how can you raise your torso without getting off the box?

Maybe its because I just got up, but Im not making sense of this.

[Lisa~]

Originally Posted by mAtThEw

I don't understand how you can raise your traps into the bar without standing up. If you're not relaxing your back then you're sitting upright. If you're sitting upright, how can you raise your torso without getting off the box?

LOL It's just a cue to teach you to push straight up, head straight to the ceiling with no rocking forward to start the upward motion. It works better for a box squat than the often used back squat cue of "pushing through your heels." If you are focused on the feeling of the bar against your traps and the upward push into the bar as you rise, then it might help you to stand straight up.

[Chris-STL]

I used them to force myself to stop at a certain depth. I was squatting way too low. To keep from rocking I would try to not really put much weight on the box. Just use it as more of a depth guid than anything. Keeping the weight on your legs should help avoid any compression on the back.

[Matthew]

Quote:
If you're not relaxing your back then you're sitting upright. If you're sitting upright, how can you raise your torso without getting off the box?

Maybe its because I just got up, but Im not making sense of this.

If you relax your back while sitting your back becomes curved. If your back is curved, you can 'raise' your shoulders by sitting up straight. All I meant was that if your back isn't relaxed you're already sitting up straight and your shoulders are as high as they're going to get without standing up.

It's just a cue to teach you to push straight up

So there's still a chance I'm not doing them wrong. Awesome.

Thanks both of you.

[Lisa~]

Here's a video of a very good box squat:

http://www.midwestbarbell.com/videos/boxsquat.mpg

[Q.]

Originally Posted by Lost Dog

I've seen some people relax the lower back and hips and rock at the bottom. That can't be safe. Don't do that.

DONE THAT! It wasn't good!

[Matthew]

I couldn't tell because of the plates, but it looked like that person's upper body was leaning forward a lot. Again, I couldn't really tell. It's just the impression I got.

[Alcoholiday]

ok.

positives:
easier for your body to recover from
easy to each proper form
builds up your hips, lower back, and whole posterior chain
great for reinforcing squat height

negatives:
many people rock on the box, and defeat the whole purpose of them. then they try and free squat, and say that box squats give them no carryover. duh, you're not doing them correctly

really the only negatives are when people use bad form. they relax too much, or rock forward to get get weight up. They don't throw their head into the bar and use their hips and glutes to get off the box. Bad form on any exercise=higher risk of injury.

[Lost Dog]

Originally Posted by Q.

DONE THAT! It wasn't good!

I just told you NOT to do it.

Quick! Don't send me a million dollars!

[Frank.S]

Hmmm Ive always rocked just a little bit at the bottom.. I go down without rocking, then sit down and relax hips on box (still keep arch back) and then rock forward at the same time as throwing my hips.

I think they are great, they really teach you how to squat.

[Jeff Rage]

Box Squats can be a great way to get your Squat numbers up, as they can help to teach you to use your posterior chain when Squatting. To do this, you relax your hip flexors while you are on the box. This allows you strongly fire your hams/glutes to complete the lift.

I guess the only disadvantage is from a BB standpoint, in that you'd be using less Quads when you Squat. Of course, you'll be helping to build a nice posterior chain, and you can do other things for your Quads.

If you're just using a box to judge depth, than that's a different ballgame.