re: Box Squats

[Guest guest]

Hey gang,

With all this talk about box squats has got me going on this one. (Maybe it is

because I'm about 5 weeks out of meet, to).

For one, using a narrower box may not allow for the hips to completely " release "

because your butt and hams are not completely on the

surface of the box. Second, not that I'm a big fan of BFS or anything (in the

past I had arguments with Kim Goss on this forum about him claiming that, " BFS

was the best program for high school athletes bar none. " )

A high box squat may be in order when trying to develop RFD in that specific

joint angle. This is something I also use when doing pulls, cleans , and

snatches from the blocks and suspended bar suats in the rack. I feel this truly

lends itself to building extaordinary starting strength for athletes who start

in positions with " High " joint angles. I have yet to see a lineman or linebacker

start to engage or run after a guy starting with their " ass to the grass. "

There is a time to do full squats and lifts and there is a time to do partials

especially for athletes requiring speed strength and starting strength.

Thirdly, let's keep in mind that a correct box squat places more stress on the

hams (allowing on to sit back futher than in a regular squat.) and it teaches

explosiveness/ starting strength by dissapating the stretch reflex enough so

that a violent " reflexing " of the prime movers occurs. You simply cannot do this

with pause squats because there is alot of elastic energy stored in the hams,

quads, and glutes even if the movement ceases. It is like stretching a

rubberband, holding it, then letting it go rather than stretching it, releasing

a little tension from it, then letting it go. The muscles must simply contract

harder in the box squat where as one can rely on more elastic energy in the

regular squat.

Pete Arroyo

Max Effort Training Systems

Chicago, IL

[Guest guest]

It appears that box squats are somewhat fashionable at the moment.

In the past I found I got good results with reps off pins set at my low

position in the power rack. Philosophically I preferred the idea of not

sitting with a large weight on my back. I also found it sorted out what

I was doing in the bottom of a squat. Just throwing this in to get

others opinions/ knowledge /experiences.

Regards,

Tim Goodsell

Wollongong ,Australia

[Guest guest]

,

Thanks you brought my main ? and concern with the relaxed box squat, the

pressure that is placed on the spine. So thats the other question is benefit vs.

risk.

I think the toughest to deal with are the young people who would have a problem

with relax the spine and allowing it to round while on the box.

Lawrence

Haltom City TX

[Guest guest]

,

I do have to agree with you on the lack of explosive reflex. But I would have to

say that it will increase explosion, say for powerlifting when you are going for

max poundage.

Lawrence

Haltom city tx

" Dr. Yessis " wrote:

> The first question I would like to ask is, why do box squats? I know

> they're used to limit ROM but shouldn't the athlete learn this

> kinesthetically when doing a squat which would be a more natural movement?

> To say that the correct box squat places more stretch on the hams is also

> questionable. Are you maintaining lumbar lordosis and why should the hips

> go back further than in the regular squat? Does this movement make you more

> explosive? Also, Pete states that " it teaches explosiveness/starting

> strength by dissipating the stretch reflex... so that a

> violent " reflexing... occurs. " How can this be? If you dissipate the

> stretch reflex, how can you have a reflex action? It seems to me that pause

> squats where there is a lot of elastic entergy would be more productive.

[Guest guest]

Dr, Yessis,

Did not mean to state " reflexing " as a reflexive

action (or that dealing with reflexes). I meant for it

to read " re-flexing " as in having to violently

contract the muscles in order to explode off the box.

I do know that the stretch reflex is not completely

dissapated in this instance because one is completing/

starting the concentric portion of the lift after a

slight pause/ break in the eccentric-concentric chain,

within a short time period (under a second or so).

Also, the lordodic curve MUST be maintined while

sitting on the box in order to 1) maintsain the

tension on the hams and 2) to protect the spine from

major compressional forces. This is highly dependent

on the flexibility of the individual. my major rule of

thumb is to keep the depth of the box at the point

just before the lordodic curve in the lower spine/

forward pelvic tilt occurs.

Pete Arroyo

Chicago, IL