What is a Box Squat?

 

When practicing in the gym, a trainee will often find that their ability to continue progressing and adding weight as they did when they were a novice has begun to slow down, if not completely stop. When this happens it can be of great use to take apart such complex exercises as the squat and the power clean into its component movements and practice and train for each one. Doing so allows for weak areas of the overall exercise to be strengthened, resulting in a greater overall lift. If your squat has begun to suffer from such a problem, then it might be time to train with a box squat in order to break through your plateau. What is a box squat? Read on to find out!

A box squat is actually a partial squat, which means it is a non-standard squat that selectively focuses on a portion of the whole squat. Box squats have been around for many decades, and are an accepted manner of training for the squat. Essentially what is done is that you set a box or platform behind where you squat, and then lower yourself down in an exaggerated manner until you sit on the box. Then you stand once more, and voila, the box squat is performed.

The box can be an actual box, or a pile of stacked weight plates, or any other sturdy object that can take your weight and that of the amount you are lifting. You want to set it perhaps a food behind you, and you must ensure that there is no chance that it can slip or slide out from under you. You want to squat in a roughly equal stance as that of a regular squat, perhaps just a little wider to allow your adductors stretch a little further and increase their contribution to the move.

The squat itself has to be an exaggerated version of a normal squat, with extra emphasis on getting your hips way back, your knees wide out to the side, and to lean forward sufficiently to stay in balance. Slow down just before reaching the box, so that you load your weight on it carefully and don't compress your spine. Pause for a breath, and then drive up hard with your hips. Don't exhale at the bottom. Be very careful so that you don't damage your spine when you sit on the box.

 

 

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