I have a video here, aside from stance needing to be wider any tips? Critiques? I’m trying to hammer my posterior chain as it is very weak, my trainer says to do higher box squats, I always though lower is better? What do you all think?
Do you have powerlifting related goals?
Right now, that’s more of a squat to a box rather than a box-squat. That’s not necessarily wrong.
The way your doing it can be good for honesty with depth and learning to stay tight in the hole.
The box-squat has the additional benefits of more posterior chain and hip involvement. Also, it’s great for developing power in the hole. It’s easier to recover from since you break up the eccentric and concentric and are at a mechanical disadvantage since you sit back so much.
If squats to a box as you’re doing now are what you want to stick with, then the only suggestion I have is to work on not flaring your toes out so much. This could be you just don’t know better, or ankle mobility, or hip mobility.
You’ll get more stability and it’s a lot easier to ‘spread the floor’ with your toes pointed in some more.
I’m trying to use the box to develop posterior chain strength, i tend to fail when it comes time to pop the hips out, what should I change to turn this into a traditional box squat as opposed to a squat to a box?
Chances are that you lack the P-Chain strength and flexibility in the hips and adductors to box-squat that low.
Start with a box a couple to a few inches above parallel. Parallel is defined as when the hip crease dips below the top of the knee.
Start with this video series, practice what you learn and feel free to submit more vids and ask about anything you think you need help with.
May not be what you are looking for if your focus is on improving squat technique, but I really like doing deadlift (narrow if you pull conventional) stance box squats to work the posterior chain. I picked them up from George Leeman and do them to a box just above parallel mainly as deadlift assistance.
1 Like
Thanks for the tips, both of you guys.
Add in an SSB and I’d rate it the exercise that taxes your middle back the most - at least for me.
1 Like
I went back in today to try again, I went much wider and I threw some mats on to go higher, toes still facing out as you can see.
Looks a lot more like a box-squat.
There’s one thing missing. You’re not releasing your hip flexors.
Try this to under stand the concept.
Just at home or wherever, sit back like you would a normal box squat onto a chair or something. Once all your weight is on the chair, lift your knees up. You’ll slightly rock back. Re-engage the hip flexors (pull your torso so your center of gravity is over mid-foot) and do something that feels akin to a leg curl to pop back up.
When you ‘rock back’, don’t actively rock back and then rock forward. It’s basically cheating and can lead to injury when done with a lot of weight.
I think your toes still flare way out because of inflexibility and lack of p-chain strength.
You might need to go even higher with the box squat and use less weight to be able to move your toes in.
I also see this odd thing at lockout. You want your concentric to be a seamless single movement. And make sure your torso is anchored to your pelvis the entire movement. It looks like your hips move forward at lockout, but your torso doesn’t go with your hips at the same time. This is leading you to tuck your hips and can cause back problems.
2 Likes
I’ll try that, thanks again
You need to tighten up A LOT. Way too loose with the bar on your back.
Stop pushing back so far with your butt. You need to sit back and down. Your descent is way too exaggerated. I can’t believe your lower back isn’t killing you.
Stop jutting your hips forward. Let it be more of a natural movement.
When it comes to releasing your hip flexors on the box, just don’t rock back and forth like Fletch said. You kind of “unhinge” them for a sec and then pop back up.
Definitely raise the box up some more. Your low back is dog-tracking inward towards your front rather than staying rigid.
You’re not finishing the lift with your legs as you get to the top. It’s like you’re ducking under the bar before it gets to the top. Do you have any balance issues?
I’d recommend watching a lot of vids of lifters notorious for using box squats in their regular training. You don’t need to emulate them exactly, but compare your vids to theirs and see how tight and together they are. Use lighter weight to get proper technique so you do it right first. Then add weight.
2 Likes