Box squats

[Sumo]

I'd say box squats are good for learning how to squat on a box FFS.

What is this.

Ha ha ha Andy applying Occam's razor once again

 

[0ni]

Konstantinovs seems to be making good use of box squats with regular squat form

 

[Sumo]

Konstantinovs seems to be making good use of box squats with regular squat form

How can you get things so wrong - KK is using exactly the form I have just described for doing box squats (his shins are past vertical and he is sitting back on to the box as I have described) - are we looking at the same video??? KK is using perfect form for doing box squats please look more carefully at The video You posted a link to.

 

[0ni]

shins are nowhere near vertical, knees are forwards

 

[Sumo]

Look at the video where KK is doing the speed squats at the very beginning - which strangely enough emphasises the point of using box squats as an assistance exercise. Once again how can you get things so wrong?

 

[0ni]

Look at the video where KK is doing the speed squats at the very beginning - which strangely enough emphasises the point of using box squats as an assistance exercise. Once again how can you get things so wrong?

Here's the real kicker
I'm not saying that you should not do box squats with parallel shins. I am saying that box squats can also be done with regular raw squat form with the knees pushed forwards.
Yes, KK does his speed squats with regular box squat form; but he also does max effort box squats with his knees pushed forwards. You're doing a great job of making an ass out of yourself here so I suggest you look back at what I said (that box squats with regular raw squat form are fine for building a raw squat) and then watch the full KK video again and see what he does

 

[Goosey]

Squatting on a box and not squatting on a box are two different exercises.
As you can see in the video, there is no argument here.

Watch the bar and it's path please.

 

[0ni]

He sits back on his max effort low box squat, but his knees are still shoved forwards

 

[Sumo]

Here's the real kicker
I'm not saying that you should not do box squats with parallel shins. I am saying that box squats can also be done with regular raw squat form with the knees pushed forwards.
Yes, KK does his speed squats with regular box squat form; but he also does max effort box squats with his knees pushed forwards. You're doing a great job of making an ass out of yourself here so I suggest you look back at what I said (that box squats with regular raw squat form are fine for building a raw squat) and then watch the full KK video again and see what he does

Sorry if I have offended you Oni but it was a really important point to make as box squats are very misunderstood. To everyone reading this please endeavour to do box squats (as an assistance exercise) with your shins as vertical as possible - you will not be able to use as much weight as you can normally squat but it will help your raw squat go up and also strengthen your hips and glutes and lower back and take a lot of pressure off your knees. Unfortunately I have been unable to get my point across to Oni but please do not do box squats if you are just going to use your normal squat technique (assuming you are a knees forward squatter) as you will get little benefit from them unless you are using them primarily as a depth guage.

 

[Sumo]

Squatting on a box and not squatting on a box are two different exercises.
As you can see in the video, there is no argument here.

Watch the bar and it's path please.

Good point

 

[0ni]

Sorry if I have offended you Oni but it was a really important point to make as box squats are very misunderstood. To everyone reading this please endeavour to do box squats (as an assistance exercise) with your shins as vertical as possible - you will not be able to use as much weight as you can normally squat but it will help your raw squat go up and also strengthen your hips and glutes and lower back and take a lot of pressure off your knees. Unfortunately I have been unable to get my point across to Oni but please do not do box squats if you are just going to use your normal squat technique (assuming you are a knees forward squatter) as you will get little benefit from them unless you are using them primarily as a depth guage.

I agree with this but that wasn't the point that I was making. What I do not agree with is that you wouldn't get the full benefit of the exercise with the knees forwards - you would get a different benefit

 

[Sumo]

As Andy has pointed out box squats and squats are two different things. Do not do box squats with knees forward for the following reasons:

a.) It puts more pressure on your knees especially as you shoot forward at the knees to come off the box therefore box squatting with normal knees forward style increases risk of damage to your knees for no appreciable gain compared to normal squatting. This is a very important point for people who do a lot of running and running sports - box squatting with knees forward will only put more work on already hard working knees. One of the major benefits of box squatting with vertical shins and sitting back is that it takes all the pressure off your knees.

b.) You end up working the same muscles (quad dominant) that are being used already in your normal squat therefore no point in doing the same thing (but adding a box and calling it a box squat) - most of us have limited training time and there are more effective ways to build quads for the squat.

c.) There are better ways to break the eccentric than box squatting (if you are a knees forward squatter) than doing box squats. this is only important for people using squats to build exposiveness for sports. It is not important to bodybuilders

I have been doing shins vertical box squats for 3 years now and they have allowed me to build up a decent squat and deadlift after wrecking my left knee and hip in an industrial accident many years ago after which I was told I would never lift again and would be lucky just being able to walk so understandably I am a big fan of them and very passionate about people doing them properly. I was lucky enough to train with Henry Day and be shown how to do them properly.

Please do box squats properly and understand why you are doing them and don't listen to bad advice which can end up getting you injured.

Be strong everyone and use your training time as productively as possible.