Box Squats

[-JM-]

Can anyone describe in the most basic way, the mechanisms at the bottom of a box squat?

I am going to do wide stance, low box squats from today in an attempt to begin increasing my hip strength and power out of the hole.

Dont deload on the box, dont rock, dont touch and go, just release and contract the hip flexors and this should send me off the box, as it where?

Sounds straight forward :confused: Will I just know by the feel of it? Should I just go and work it out myself? Is it this release and contraction that gives the appearance of rocking sometimes?

Only time I have used a box was to mark depth and these were all touch and go. Ha!

I appreciate any input and apologies if this has been covered before. I will take a video today and post it up later but a few pointers before hand would be awesome.

Thanks Guys!

[MNRob]

MY limited experience doing them, so take it with a grain of salt, is you don't want to "rock" on the box or pick up your feet. You just wan to sit down and back onto the box, relax your hips and thighs but keep your back tight. Pause and then explode of the box by driving from your heels. I believe the extra concentration on driving from your heels causes a little more glute and ham activation, which is what you are going for, I believe, with a box squat.

Also, don't slam yourself into the box, lower yourself under control.

Again, take it for what you paid for it.

[Reko]

Travis Bell explained it to me better than most have. His explanation of it was stay tight, but commit yourself to the box.

Think about it in terms of benching, when the bar is on your chest, you comit it to your chest but you don't lose tightness by any means. Your elbows stay tucked, back arched, etc but the bar is on your chest. The box squat is similar, your back is arches and tight, knees out spreading the floor. So when you get to the box, its not like you change anything, you just commit yourself to it while keepign everything tight. .

[Brad08]

Reko, the way you explain it, how is it different than a pause squat (other than the fact that there's a box there).

[-JM-]

Thanks a lot!

I do appreciate having to keep tightness and squatting as if almost normal. It is really the hip flexor release and contraction that has me thinking ''what the...?'' I am looking for a solid contact but no support?

Im hoping I will feel it when I do it and it is not something I will have to actually think about. I hope I am overthinking this and its not a big deal.

Cheers again.

[Reko]

Reko, the way you explain it, how is it different than a pause squat (other than the fact that there's a box there).

The weight is (mostly) on the box vs being held (completely) by your legs/glutes.

Granted, I do tend to rock on the box and I don't actually stop myself fully before reaching the box. I don't plop by any means, but I don't fully stop myself either, just like sitting in a chair.