The Value of Box Squatting - PL versus WL Squat

[Guest guest]

Hey everyone,

There is a lot of praise out there for the value of box squatting

when it comes to training an ultra-wide stance powerlifting squat,

teaching someone to squat to proper depth, the use of bands and

weight releasers for raising kinetic energy that is tranferred into

the body as " reversal strength " when they hit the box, etc. etc.

My question is, what does everyone here think the value is of box

squatting for a Weightlifting squat? (high bar, upright torso, no

ultra-wide stance) The main issue being the amount of knee flexion

and quadriceps activation. In a powerlifting squat on the box, you

are taught to sit back and have the shins perpendicular to the floor,

placing the emphasis on the glutes and hamstrings while taking away

stress from the patella tendon. However, for a wWeightlifting squat

where the stance is not so wide, would you still try to sit back and

have the shins perpendicular, or... ?

I also read in the archives about Weightlifters using bands with the

squat (enphasizing speed, like the " Westside dynamic day " ) without a

box. In Loui's articles he always talks about the importane of the

box for the kinetic energy and reversal strength (I'm sure many of

you have heard it before). So anyone who has experimented with this,

if you could share your thoughts that would be very much apreciated.

Also keep in mind that my perspective comes from training the

weightlifting squat only; carry over to the clean and snatch isn't

an issue.

Thanks everyone.

Luc Lefebvre

Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

[Guest guest]

>

> Hey everyone,

>

> There is a lot of praise out there for the value of box squatting

> when it comes to training an ultra-wide stance powerlifting squat,

> teaching someone to squat to proper depth, the use of bands and

> weight releasers for raising kinetic energy that is tranferred into

> the body as " reversal strength " when they hit the box, etc. etc.

>

> My question is, what does everyone here think the value is of box

> squatting for a Weightlifting squat? (high bar, upright torso, no

> ultra-wide stance) The main issue being the amount of knee flexion

> and quadriceps activation. In a powerlifting squat on the box, you

> are taught to sit back and have the shins perpendicular to the

floor,

> placing the emphasis on the glutes and hamstrings while taking away

> stress from the patella tendon. However, for a wWeightlifting squat

> where the stance is not so wide, would you still try to sit back and

> have the shins perpendicular, or... ?

*****

Bud Charigna recently wrote the below on his website:

" " ...Box squats. There is no such thing as box squat technique

because no one should do squats to a box or another rigid surface for

that matter. The illogic associated with this movement is connected

with the fact that its adherents mistakenly believe squats are hard

on the knees and back. Therefore, the thinking is that if the knees

are flexed less there is less stress on these joints. This is not

true.

In actuality, unless one leans greatly forward, there is more stress

on the knees in a half squat or bench squat depth because the

resistance arm relative to the knee joint is at or near its greatest

length, i.e., the moment on the joint is highest.

Leaning forward is also not a viable option in squatting. The weak

link here is the lumbar spine. Like the knee joints with a half

squat, leaning forward increases the moment on the lumbar area.

Keeping the back as vertical as possible is of course the best

technique in squatting, but squatting to a rigid surface places the

discs of the spine between " a rock and a hard place. " This is not a

good idea.

One of the principal sources of misinformation in regards to the

perceived value of box squats, especially at the present time, comes

from the power lifting community in the USA. The reader is referred

to the web site of the International Power lifting Federation to

peruse the results of the worlds championships for the past ten

years. You will note that the American champions are very few and

far between, and, apparently, none come from Columbus, Ohio which is

a hotbed of box squat activity.... "

=======================

Carruthers

Wakefield, UK

[Guest guest]

In regards to this question, Greg Everett of Catalyst Athletics suggested

that you utilize a pause at the bottom of your high bar squat, instead of

box squatting. The box squat is too mechanically different from a high bar

ATG squat.

Lee

City? Country?

On Sat, Sep 27, 2008 at 4:12 PM, Luc Lefebvre <

intensity_training@...> wrote:

> Hey everyone,

>

> There is a lot of praise out there for the value of box squatting

> when it comes to training an ultra-wide stance powerlifting squat,

> teaching someone to squat to proper depth, the use of bands and

> weight releasers for raising kinetic energy that is tranferred into

> the body as " reversal strength " when they hit the box, etc. etc.

>

> My question is, what does everyone here think the value is of box

> squatting for a Weightlifting squat? (high bar, upright torso, no

> ultra-wide stance) The main issue being the amount of knee flexion

> and quadriceps activation. In a powerlifting squat on the box, you

> are taught to sit back and have the shins perpendicular to the floor,

> placing the emphasis on the glutes and hamstrings while taking away

> stress from the patella tendon. However, for a wWeightlifting squat

> where the stance is not so wide, would you still try to sit back and

> have the shins perpendicular, or... ?

>

> I also read in the archives about Weightlifters using bands with the

> squat (enphasizing speed, like the " Westside dynamic day " ) without a

> box. In Loui's articles he always talks about the importane of the

> box for the kinetic energy and reversal strength (I'm sure many of

> you have heard it before). So anyone who has experimented with this,

> if you could share your thoughts that would be very much apreciated.

>

> Also keep in mind that my perspective comes from training the

> weightlifting squat only; carry over to the clean and snatch isn't

> an issue.

[Guest guest]

Great question and I'm really interested to hear the opinions on this myself. I

have done box squats for many years now and generally use bands. For

powerlifting I think the box squat helps tremendously in teaching one how to

squat. When sitting on the box I take a wide stance and then I think of coiling

my body like a spring while sitting back onto the box. When I sit on the box I

relax for just a second and then try to drive my head up and explode off the

bench. This transfers well over into the form for a max squat using a squat

suit and wraps. For olympic lifting I use a lower box, narrow stance and often

a safety squat bar but no bands. I work with a little more weight and again try

to keep my back flat and explode off the box. To answer the question then yes

box squatting works well for me in perfecting the form of my squats and for

explosiveness.

Eddie White

Blue Springs, Mo.