Box Squats

I think I found my answer

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ue_GrU4mhqc

Though squats are a very risky for me with lower back issues, I'm trying box squats again, only once a week.  However, I'm doing them with dumbells, and instead of focusing on how much weight I can push up, I'm focusing on standing up as fast as I can.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ZhwHI-g10g

Right now I'm using a total of 80 pounds, two sets of ten, once a week. Next month I'll probably move to 100 pounds, which might be an awful lot to hold on to, two sets of six, focusing on speed...once a week.  I might have to  pull the dumbells up to shoulder height at that point. Anyway, the point is to move the weight as fast as I can.

  I team these up with leg presses and sumo dead lift high pulls, really focusing on getting the legs to move the weight. I'm pulling 100 lbs, two sets of ten, now. I'm seriously out of breath at the end of two sets!  I'll probably move that to 110 or 120 pounds, two sets of six next month.

Sorry, kind of a hijack here...it's just what's been on my mind, recently.

+1 Greg...  I kinda use a mix

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7d51ErnKJe0

Sitting back is what Im after, just sitting down seemed a bit pointless with my mix of Zerchers and squats and DL the true box squat hits the glut and hams muscles. I need to improve my explosion and DL and this will help it.

 

Thanks for the extra insite

make sure your feet dont come up when u rock back. you can also add a foam pad to the box to make it harder.

CraigGallo wrote: make sure your feet dont come up when u rock back. you can also add a foam pad to the box to make it harder.

The addition of the foam is to make it harder ? In what way . Perhaps , making it harder on the core to stabalize on the box ? I thought the foam was a way to train you to decend quicker to the box or help you lose that inhibition to sit back fast .

Greg, thank you for the video, motivating stuff.

Nice!  What's your max DL?  You made 615 and 635 look easy.  I also liked your one-handed snatches.  Lyle's impressively strong, but the best part of the video was the very end...

Here is some food for thought from Charles Polquin on BOX SQUATS:

 

The Lift Athletes Should Avoid

Q: Is there a lift you'd never have an athlete do?

A: One lift I don't like very much for athletes is the box squat. I never prescribe it. 

For one thing, there are a lot of better, less injurious alternatives. Many lifters, when they get fatigued or they lose concentration, will bounce off the box and get fractures in their sacral vertebrae. I may have 70 different tools that work and are safe, and one that may be potentially unsafe. Which one do I pick when working with highly paid athletes that I must get strong in only 11 weeks?

If you do use the box squat for powerlifting applications, remember that it requires very good coaching and someone there to make sure you stay on the ball. I wouldn't prescribe the box squat to an athlete training alone. With a full squat, on the other hand, you don't see those injuries.

Also, outside of powerlifting, the mechanics of box squatting are not found in sport. I don't know of any sport where the shins don't travel forward for propulsion.

Now, you can use box squats sparingly in your training if you're a bodybuilder. They'll certainly hypertrophy the glutes and thighs. But bodybuilding isn't an athletic endeavor

I am looking at these as an alternative to back squatting since my fracture im looking at tools that will hit the muscle groups with out the weight im used to doing. If I can squat 600 I know I will not be able to BS 400 hope less weight will get some of the benefits of heavy back squatting. Just trying to mix it up from time to time for the most part. Zerchers and DL will still be my main lifts.

kover wrote: well i have my athletes do them and they love em and they are much stronger because of them...

Are you saying they are stonger than they would be if they just full squatted?

I personally don't do them at all. Some guys I lift with swear by the box squat and think it helps their DL as well. I just think since they are gear whores, they never do full squats to depth and the box just makes them finally hit depth.

I also want to add that with my athletes they do many variations of squats not just the box squat...

kover wrote: i started box squatting 3 yrs ago and my throws are better

I started playing poker 3 years ago and my throws are better

kover wrote: I also want to add that with my athletes they do many variations of squats not just the box squat...

So what you're saying is that you're not really sure that they have made the earth shattering difference that you claimed above?  Or is it merely that you make them hit depth now?

YES steve box squats made me a natl champ  

im disagreeing with the fact that box squat is not good for athletes actually.....It has worked great for my athletes...That is all

 

I started playing poker 3 years ago and my throws are better......

Thats because your a freak of nature..... ...If you trained like me you would win every game.....