The Art of the Box Squat
 

If any of you follow my log, you know I dont do any box squats. This is pretty odd for a multiply lifter, but its just something I have never felt the need to do. Due to an injury I am spending some time doing light box squats with a SSB untill I am able to do some heavier lifting. During the sets I noticed some slight pain in my right knee. I felt the need to ask guys who know more about the subject than I do, and got some great replies. I am posting the pictures from my facebook so you can see what answers I got.

Thanks for posting this up JB. Some great thoughts from some great lifters.

One last picture, it would only let me do 4.

A little run down on the people:

Matt Christie: Pro Multiply total at 242
Tim Higgins: Long time lifter, not sure of his best total.
Joe Whitney: Former training partner of mine
Harmon Rickman: 800lb squat raw in competition
Rob Wess: Raw and single ply elite lifter
Donnie Thompson: All time WR holder 3000lb total!
Steve Shaw: The living legend himself :D

http://muscleandbrawn.com/forums/att...quat-box-1.png

http://muscleandbrawn.com/forums/att...quat-box-2.png

http://muscleandbrawn.com/forums/att...quat-box-3.png

http://muscleandbrawn.com/forums/att...quat-box-4.png

Donnie makes a point that resonates with me. I am a "drive into the bar/head" squatter. Never been a "lead with the hips" squatter, though I did spend a couple years thinking I was wrong and teaching people to do that.

When I box squat I change my form, break at the hips instead of the knees, lead with the hips, etc. I end up with nasty knee tendinitis.

I've been a bit afraid to come out of the closet with my squat form because there were so many voices telling me I was wrong. It is nice to get a viewpoint from the other side.

I squat much in the same fashion. What I did notice from the box squat was that I was getting lazy on being tight. The weight was so light I could have done it with one leg. This was a break down mentally as much as it is in form. As i am physically able to add weight, hopefully I can notice the activation of muscle groups. I did get some nasty sorness up near the glutes though!

Box squats work great for me but unless I keep in mind to arch hard and drive my traps into the bar, my chest collapses forward badly. This happens free squatting as well but I get away with it a lot more off the box. Correcting this is helping my equipped squat a lot.

On a side note this is why I love the PL community: those are BIG NAMES giving you the benefit of their experience for free. Priceless. You don't see that in many sports.

I have been lucky enough to get advice from some lifters that I have always looked up to. I am not sure there are many other sports where top people are as open as they are in powerlifting. I guess that is one of the benefits of powerlifting not being a main stream sport.