box squats

[irishmuscle]

hey guys,just wondering if box squats are bad for you spine,love the exercise but when you sit with weight on your back is it pushing down on your spine?

[TigerUpperCut]

u gotta do the negative part real slow and pause on the box

[crashcrew56]

They shouldn't be a problem as long as you stay tight, especially at the bottom and don't just drop down on the box, ease you way down. Also if you have a big foam pad you could put on the box, that helps too

[irishmuscle]

why the foam pad? is it cause your cushioning the land on the box? I do the negative part very slow as to not hit the box hard,thats ok huh?

[Ryan Bracewell]

If you do a box squat properly there should be no issue with hurting your back. With any squat, box or no, your decent should be a slow controlled motion. So controlled that you could literally stop at any point during the decent. In my own personal opinion, the only ways you can hurt yourself doing a box squat is if you are doing them wrong (i.e. too fast) or you are doing a weight that is too heavy for you. The back muscles are supposed to support the spine, so as long as the weight on your back is within your capabilities there shouldn't be an issue. Once you reach the box, you should sit on it coming to a full pause, then start the accent. And a little side note, on the Accent you should be flexing with the glutes to come off the box, not your quads.

The foam pad is used by some for protection on the decent, but it also makes the squat hard. Think about the difficulty of getting up out of a wooden chair vs. a lazy boy or bean bag.

[crashcrew56]

I know I said it earlier, but I feel I need to stress this, You have to stay tight on the box, you can't relax your body just because you are sitting on the box. This is a problem most bodybuilders have when they lift

[Ryan Bracewell]

I know I said it earlier, but I feel I need to stress this, You have to stay tight on the box, you can't relax your body just because you are sitting on the box. This is a problem most bodybuilders have when they lift

I always forget to tell people this because in my mind I dont see how you can not stay tight during a squat. Whether sitting on a box or in motion I dont see how you could relax with 400, 500lbs, or more on your shoulders :dunno:

[robert da strongman]

has anyone had an issue with foot placement?

i found i got stuck with my feet wide. i moved my feet to the front of the box and became unstuck.

[Ryan Bracewell]

has anyone had an issue with foot placement?

i found i got stuck with my feet wide. i moved my feet to the front of the box and became unstuck.

If im reading this right, you got stuck while trying to come off the box wide, but you were able to get up in a closer stance like shoulder width? If that is correct, then my first assumption would be that your trying to use your quads instead of your glutes to get off the box, and at your current development your quads are probably stronger than your hips/glutes. (EDIT: in a wide stance your glutes/hips are dominant and your quads will be less effective)

[robert da strongman]

If im reading this right, you got stuck while trying to come off the box wide, but you were able to get up in a closer stance like shoulder width? If that is correct, then my first assumption would be that your trying to use your quads instead of your glutes to get off the box, and at your current development your quads are probably stronger than your hips/glutes. (EDIT: in a wide stance your glutes/hips are dominant and your quads will be less effective)

right. and that was one of the first times box squatting.
thanks!

[crashcrew56]

I always forget to tell people this because in my mind I dont see how you can not stay tight during a squat. Whether sitting on a box or in motion I dont see how you could relax with 400, 500lbs, or more on your shoulders :dunno:


Right here, I didn't stay tight while I was lifting, that was one of my biggest obstacles when I first started powerlifting

[BrotherIron]

Also when using that wide stance Rob, you use your hams and your hams imho are more important than your quads when back squatting be it on a box, or without.

[rinse]

right. and that was one of the first times box squatting.
thanks!

So do them wide and train your weakness.

[HammerStrength12]

What everyone is saying. Really focus hard on keeping your chest up and a tight core.

If anything, box squats are safer on your lower back in my opinion. There tends to be less rounding for me at least.

[HammerStrength12]

Also when using that wide stance Rob, you use your hams and your hams imho are more important than your quads when back squatting be it on a box, or without.


No doubt.