Learn How To Explode Your Strength And Squat Numbers With This Squatting Method “The Box Squats”
We came across this great article by William Imbo from BoxLife magazine where he shows the benefits of training, what is considered by some a secret weapon, the Box Squats.
Most Crossfitters, if not all, love squatting… there are different types of squats (front squat, overhead squat, back squat) and we spent a lot of time focusing on how to do them with proper form and how to get better at them with more weight.
This type of squat (Box Squat) has been used for getting better at squatting, it focuses in enforcing proper technique and developing strength.
Also don’t forget to check out an awesome video on how to perform “Box Squats” properly on the – Next Page – Bellow
Read The Below Article And Start Practicing The Box Squats
The Benefits of Box Squats
…Despite the fact that powerlifters have been using box squats to lift inordinate amounts of weight for over a half-century, it’s still considered by some… to be a secret weapon that can explode your strength and squat numbers…
Performing a box squat
1-To begin, set up a box by your squat rack that is low enough so that if you were to sit down, your hips would break parallel…2-Approach the bar and position yourself in a wide stance. The reason for doing so is that having a wider stance places a greater emphasis on the posterior chain (hips, glutes, back and hamstrings) when squatting—which is a good thing when you consider how much we use all of these muscles in CrossFit.
3-Using a wide grip, set the bar in the groove of your upper back (but not above the traps), pulling it tightly into your traps while simultaneously pulling your elbows up and slightly forward to engage your lats. Take a deep breath in to expand your abdomen and make your midsection tight. This is crucial for stabilizing the lower back and allowing the power from your lower body to be transferred to pushing the bar upwards. Lift the bar from the rack and take a step back.
4-To descend, push your hips and glutes rearward as far as possible, while also screwing your feet into the floor and forcing your knees out. This will force you to sit back rather than down… Descend to the box with your chest high and your back and core tight…
5-Sit down fully on the box—do not drop down on the box, rock on the box, bounce off the box or do a tough-and-go on the box. When sitting on the box, your shins should be vertical… so as to recruit the entire posterior chain for the concentric phase of the lift. At this point in the ‘lift’, you have actually broken the eccentric-concentric chain that is the normal process in a regular back squat, though you will be preserving key kinetic energy by keeping everything tight.
6-After pausing for a second or two on the box, it’s time to begin the concentric phase and stand up. This will be an explosive movement where you reverse the sequence of movements in the eccentric phase. So once again, take a breath in and squeeze your abs tightly, then push into the bar to engage your traps and spinal erectors. This will allow you to forcefully flex the hips, glutes, hamstrings and quads while arching the upper back, forcing the knees outward… so you can ‘jump’ off of the box and stand to complete the rep.
Benefits
Enforces Proper Technique
One of the great things about box squatting is that an athlete will always have to break parallel in order to reach the box during the eccentric phase of the lift. When free squatting, there is a tendency for athletes to squat higher as the weights get heavier. Box squatting eliminates that entirely…Improves Mobility and range of motion
…If an athlete can’t break parallel on the squat… simply stack a 45lb plate on top of the box (or however many are needed)… you can start to strip the plates away and adjust the box height until they are able to consistently break parallel.Helps build power and strength
…because box squatting forces an athlete to break the eccentric-concentric chain, it helps to develop a huge amount of power as you are using dynamic concentric contraction to lift with muscles that are in a relaxed or static state from sitting on the box… if you are able to lift a ton of weight from a seated position on the box, there is no doubt you can lift that amount (and more) when free squatting…Safer
…If the weight becomes too heavy during a box squat, you have the safety net of having a box behind you. If you can’t get up, simply call to your spotters that you need assistance and they will help you stand…Article Credit – BoxLifeMagazine
Author – William Imbo
CLICK ON THE NEXT PAGE BELOW FOR A GREAT VIDEO ON HOW TO BOX SQUAT PROPERLY – NEXT PAGE –
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