Box Squats and Bands Help

So quick question, when you all set up your bands for box squatting do you double loop? I’m using light bands from EFS and when I leave them single looped they get real slack at the bottom (see video) but when I double loop it’s like I’ve got a grand on my back and I go crashing down into the box, not to mention my walk out was really really scary. Any thoughts/help on this would be appreciated.

Video for reference:

try double or even triple choking the bands, basically loop it through itself 2 or 3xs then attach it to the band pegs- Powerlift Assistance Exercises: Bands Pics

You’ll probably be better served with some average bands if you squat anything near 315 or more in my opinion, but use what you got. I have a 2x2 rack from EFS with band pegs so I just loop my bands around the bar then spread the band pags however much tension I want. When I use a regular power rack I simply choke the bands around the base and go from there.

Regardless of what bands you use when you squat with them you want to make sure that when you walk out the weight you line your ankles up with where the bands are choked off at. If you have your ankles in front of the bands you will be pulled backwards, ankles rearward of the bands and you’ll get pulled to the front.

(I can’t see your video on my work computer, you may already be doing this… )

Not really an answer to your question: I think you should use a bigger box to sit on. The plates look like a small surface and you shouldn’t have to be ‘guessing’ where the box is, especially when you add bands.

@elgreatest - thanks. I’ll give that a try.
@strengthdawg - 475 is my current squat max. I was using light bands at the suggestion of the westside manual put out by Tate. I don’t have an issue with being pulled forward or back simply being pulled down extremely fast when I had doubled up.
@onemike - I don’t have much guess work and I don’t have a box. This is what I have so this is what I use.

As long as there is tension in the bottom, you have them set up correctly. Slack in the bands out of the hole creates some unnatural movement patterns that will seriously f you up when you go back to straight weight.

I’m taking this week off after my meet and working on rehabbing my hamstring but I’ll definitely work on the setup next week. Thanks for all the input guys.

Like everyone said, just choke the bands a little more. It feels shitty to have the added tension, and if you need to have someone brace against the bar as you walk back so it doesn’t shoot you back. As far as the “safety” issue or comfort, you could always do reverse band setup (if your rack allows). That way you can control real weight and have them aid you in the exact same way as they do banded from the bottom.

Other than that my only concern would be the bands moving and causing torque on one side. I would just try to fasten the bands so they don’t come off the pegs. So far I just choke them more, since I’ve yet to figure out a way to stop them from getting slack…

good luck with the hammie…

My rack supports rev band squats but for DE box squatting I prefer to squat against the bands than with the aid of them. I’ll just choke up, or who knows maybe I’ll hit a growth spurt and stop being so damn short.

When I squatted on a rack like the one you have, I’d choke the bands around the rack and a dumbell (to widen the base around which they were choked). As others have noted, the key is keeping tension on the bands in the hole.

[quote]VTTrainer wrote:
Like everyone said, just choke the bands a little more. It feels shitty to have the added tension, and if you need to have someone brace against the bar as you walk back so it doesn’t shoot you back. As far as the “safety” issue or comfort, you could always do reverse band setup (if your rack allows). That way you can control real weight and have them aid you in the exact same way as they do banded from the bottom.
[/quote]

Not to hijack, but rev band squats are just NOT the same as band squats. Louie’s written a ton about “accelerated eccentrics” and the two movements absolutely have a different feel to them

agree on DE / Speed squats you need the tension from the bottom. I’m short too, so I will choke the lights at the base and put them over either quarters or plates to increase the tension. The tension is pretty constant and they don’t slip.

Others would increase the tension w/db’s as suggested or a 2x4, etc at the base.

Luckily I’ve got band pegs as you can see in the video so no need to really drag the DB’s out. I can just choke on the bar I suppose.

[quote]LiquidMercury wrote:
Luckily I’ve got band pegs as you can see in the video so no need to really drag the DB’s out. I can just choke on the bar I suppose.[/quote]
I must suck at describing things…

I am at a loss as to how this is functionally different or in anyway better than what I suggested in your log and you said was too much tension. It must have been misunderstood, so I’ll try again.

Loop the bands around one peg. Then pass the band under 1 or both of the other pegs then up to the bar (an alternate option is to pass one section under one peg and the other section under 2 pegs after the initial looping around one peg). What I am describing is not wrap the bands around the pegs twice nor is it double the bands over the bar.

What it will look like is: the band comes out from underneath one peg and goes straight to the bar (this is just one loop of band), the other end is passed under one or more pegs and is around the last one.

I’ll try and take a pic/vid of this set-up in case this doesn’t make sense.

[quote]jakerz96 wrote:

[quote]LiquidMercury wrote:
Luckily I’ve got band pegs as you can see in the video so no need to really drag the DB’s out. I can just choke on the bar I suppose.[/quote]
I must suck at describing things…

I am at a loss as to how this is functionally different or in anyway better than what I suggested in your log and you said was too much tension. It must have been misunderstood, so I’ll try again.

Loop the bands around one peg. Then pass the band under 1 or both of the other pegs then up to the bar (an alternate option is to pass one section under one peg and the other section under 2 pegs after the initial looping around one peg). What I am describing is not wrap the bands around the pegs twice nor is it double the bands over the bar.

What it will look like is: the band comes out from underneath one peg and goes straight to the bar (this is just one loop of band), the other end is passed under one or more pegs and is around the last one.

I’ll try and take a pic/vid of this set-up in case this doesn’t make sense.[/quote]

This sounds like a great idea

[quote]jakerz96 wrote:

[quote]LiquidMercury wrote:
Luckily I’ve got band pegs as you can see in the video so no need to really drag the DB’s out. I can just choke on the bar I suppose.[/quote]
I must suck at describing things…

I am at a loss as to how this is functionally different or in anyway better than what I suggested in your log and you said was too much tension. It must have been misunderstood, so I’ll try again.

Loop the bands around one peg. Then pass the band under 1 or both of the other pegs then up to the bar (an alternate option is to pass one section under one peg and the other section under 2 pegs after the initial looping around one peg). What I am describing is not wrap the bands around the pegs twice nor is it double the bands over the bar.

What it will look like is: the band comes out from underneath one peg and goes straight to the bar (this is just one loop of band), the other end is passed under one or more pegs and is around the last one.

I’ll try and take a pic/vid of this set-up in case this doesn’t make sense.[/quote]

I took your description in my log as to take a band, put the center part around a peg, and then bring both ends up to the bar which was definitely hugely way too much tension and I just about killed myself and ended up having to bail haha. Pictures would definitely help if ya get a chance, otherwise I’ll figure it out. Sometimes I just have terrible reading comprehension.

Walking a bar out under band tension is very difficult. I have a monolift and later today if I remember I’ll take a picture on how the bands are choked. We use some boards on the lateral base of the monolift to get the right tension.

It should be something like, WTF!!!?? if you have them right.

[quote]LiquidMercury wrote:

[quote]jakerz96 wrote:

[quote]LiquidMercury wrote:
Luckily I’ve got band pegs as you can see in the video so no need to really drag the DB’s out. I can just choke on the bar I suppose.[/quote]
I must suck at describing things…

I am at a loss as to how this is functionally different or in anyway better than what I suggested in your log and you said was too much tension. It must have been misunderstood, so I’ll try again.

Loop the bands around one peg. Then pass the band under 1 or both of the other pegs then up to the bar (an alternate option is to pass one section under one peg and the other section under 2 pegs after the initial looping around one peg). What I am describing is not wrap the bands around the pegs twice nor is it double the bands over the bar.

What it will look like is: the band comes out from underneath one peg and goes straight to the bar (this is just one loop of band), the other end is passed under one or more pegs and is around the last one.

I’ll try and take a pic/vid of this set-up in case this doesn’t make sense.[/quote]

I took your description in my log as to take a band, put the center part around a peg, and then bring both ends up to the bar which was definitely hugely way too much tension and I just about killed myself and ended up having to bail haha. Pictures would definitely help if ya get a chance, otherwise I’ll figure it out. Sometimes I just have terrible reading comprehension.[/quote]
Drawings? This is what I mean.

that should work fine .

[quote]jakerz96 wrote:

[quote]LiquidMercury wrote:

[quote]jakerz96 wrote:

[quote]LiquidMercury wrote:
Luckily I’ve got band pegs as you can see in the video so no need to really drag the DB’s out. I can just choke on the bar I suppose.[/quote]
I must suck at describing things…

I am at a loss as to how this is functionally different or in anyway better than what I suggested in your log and you said was too much tension. It must have been misunderstood, so I’ll try again.

Loop the bands around one peg. Then pass the band under 1 or both of the other pegs then up to the bar (an alternate option is to pass one section under one peg and the other section under 2 pegs after the initial looping around one peg). What I am describing is not wrap the bands around the pegs twice nor is it double the bands over the bar.

What it will look like is: the band comes out from underneath one peg and goes straight to the bar (this is just one loop of band), the other end is passed under one or more pegs and is around the last one.

I’ll try and take a pic/vid of this set-up in case this doesn’t make sense.[/quote]

I took your description in my log as to take a band, put the center part around a peg, and then bring both ends up to the bar which was definitely hugely way too much tension and I just about killed myself and ended up having to bail haha. Pictures would definitely help if ya get a chance, otherwise I’ll figure it out. Sometimes I just have terrible reading comprehension.[/quote]
Drawings? This is what I mean.[/quote]

that should work fine .

[quote]jakerz96 wrote:

[quote]LiquidMercury wrote:

[quote]jakerz96 wrote:

[quote]LiquidMercury wrote:
Luckily I’ve got band pegs as you can see in the video so no need to really drag the DB’s out. I can just choke on the bar I suppose.[/quote]
I must suck at describing things…

I am at a loss as to how this is functionally different or in anyway better than what I suggested in your log and you said was too much tension. It must have been misunderstood, so I’ll try again.

Loop the bands around one peg. Then pass the band under 1 or both of the other pegs then up to the bar (an alternate option is to pass one section under one peg and the other section under 2 pegs after the initial looping around one peg). What I am describing is not wrap the bands around the pegs twice nor is it double the bands over the bar.

What it will look like is: the band comes out from underneath one peg and goes straight to the bar (this is just one loop of band), the other end is passed under one or more pegs and is around the last one.

I’ll try and take a pic/vid of this set-up in case this doesn’t make sense.[/quote]

I took your description in my log as to take a band, put the center part around a peg, and then bring both ends up to the bar which was definitely hugely way too much tension and I just about killed myself and ended up having to bail haha. Pictures would definitely help if ya get a chance, otherwise I’ll figure it out. Sometimes I just have terrible reading comprehension.[/quote]
Drawings? This is what I mean.[/quote]