How low do you go on box squat's?

[Dlove]

Im still havin a difficult time with box squats. Sometimes I put a seat or just a free flat bench in the power rack. It doesn't seem to be very effective. How low do you go? I was think a little above parralell? Do you keep your back nice and arched?

 

[blackbeard]

Always keep your arch, always!!!

what are you trying to accomplish with the box?

I use a low (10-12 inch) box with a close stance for building the quads/deadlift.(im waiting for Mo to comment on this lol)

on DE day i use a very wide stance with a higher box usually 15 inches (para or slightly below)

if youre way above parallel its not going to be effective unless your training around an injury..the idea with the box is to replicate the squat and build the squat muscles..you DO NOT want to teach yourself how to squat ABOVE parallel...so do not use an above para box

 

[Dlove]

Always keep your arch, always!!!

what are you trying to accomplish with the box?

I just wanna do box squats to keep some variety in leg day. Your sayin you use a box 12 inches off the ground? It's no wonder my legs aint growin cause I dont think I go that low on regular squats. I need to start goin deep. I also think my knees have been to far out in front.

 

[blackbeard]

Always keep your arch, always!!!

what are you trying to accomplish with the box?

I just wanna do box squats to keep some variety in leg day. Your sayin you use a box 12 inches off the ground? It's no wonder my legs aint growin cause I dont think I go that low on regular squats. I need to start goin deep. I also think my knees have been to far out in front.

if you cant get that low start at para at take som height away each week..
you may have to use less weight

make sure to sit back inot the box dont plop on it..you also need to pause and then flex off it

 

[Dlove]

Thanx BB. Im gonna put it into motion tommorow. My gym doesn't have any box's chalk nada it's a weakling gym.

Im gonna def. have to lighten up the weight and fiqure out somethin else to use.
You say sit back into the box? How do you do that since box's aint got a back to them? That's gotta be an ackward feel to get used to. My main goal for working legs is to get the lower part of my thighs bigger. The upper part are big enough probably from deadlifts.

 

[blackbeard]

dont know how serious you are but i have this adjustable squat box..it makes life very easy for me since i do only boxes..you dont have to drag benches around the gym and youll know exactly what height box you are using..

you sit back with the glutes/pause ofr a split second and then flex off it hard

http://www.newyorkbarbells.tv/7610.html

 

[DADAWG]

Always keep your arch, always!!!



if youre way above parallel its not going to be effective unless your training around an injury..the idea with the box is to replicate the squat and build the squat muscles..you DO NOT want to teach yourself how to squat ABOVE parallel...so do not use an above para box

iagree but some do above parallel box squats to simulate the weight being handled in a squat suit to parallel . its probablly not a bad idea to do the OCCASIONALLY so you feel heavy weight on your back but dont get used to squatting that high

 

[Dlove]

That's nice man. It would def. beat dragging benches around the gym. Im gonna have to keep it in mine. Thanx for that link I like that clip of that guy squatin.

 

[pullinbig]

you guys got cardio steppers? thats what i use to do boxes with.

most gyms have them.

dlove send me a clip of your squats and id be glad t look at it for ya and see if you got any bad form probs. sounds like you high squatting to me, not good.

have you looked at the squat clips in the vid section?

btw heres a parallel squat. most folks who think they are parallel aint even close. a parallel squat in competetion will not got passed. well most of the time it wont.

as you can see its the hip crease and the top of the knee.

and if you not sure if you deep enough then you prolly aint.

a remedy for high squats is pause squats as deep as you can mechanically go. this means all the way down. if you squatting 315 for reg squats and they high then 185 is gonna be a strain on these.

heres a few clips of some deep squats (well below parallel). deep squats build big legs like nothing else. well that and dragging a heavy sled.

http://ironaddicts.com/video/squat 485 x 6.WMV
http://ironaddicts.com/video/500meatballsquats.mov
http://ironaddicts.com/video/405-7-12squat.avi

 

[pullinbig]

and also there is several different ways to do boxes. some are tougher than others.

 

[Dlove]

I think we do have some cardio steppers put away in the back room I can use for box's. It sounds to me like I should get my regular squats down. Im gonna try to lighten up to 185 and go as deep as possible and pause for a sec tommorow, hopefully you will hear from me again, LOL. Im hittin 315 for 5. I think Im cheatin though, to high. I got real long legs at 6 4 squat day is dreadful.
Ill see if anyone at work has the video camera so I can get a quick clip soon, I appreciate you sayin you critique it, just dont be laughin at the calves, LOL. I gotta thick back but chicken legs. I otta just get a damn sled for the empty pasture next to the house. For my squats tommorow you say go all the way down then pause? Man that sounds brutal, quess that's why it works.

 

[pullinbig]

I think we do have some cardio steppers put away in the back room I can use for box's. It sounds to me like I should get my regular squats down. Im gonna try to lighten up to 185 and go as deep as possible and pause for a sec tommorow, hopefully you will hear from me again, LOL. Im hittin 315 for 5. I think Im cheatin though, to high. I got real long legs at 6 4 squat day is dreadful.
Ill see if anyone at work has the video camera so I can get a quick clip soon, I appreciate you sayin you critique it, just dont be laughin at the calves, LOL. I gotta thick back but chicken legs. I otta just get a damn sled for the empty pasture next to the house. For my squats tommorow you say go all the way down then pause? Man that sounds brutal, quess that's why it works.

when yu film the squats get it from the side. make sure the lower body is in the clip. and dont wear baggy ass shorts or black cloths

 

[Dlove]

Wow did squats today big as low as I could go, ass almost hittin the floor. Funny doin it that way at 6 4 but man how much more effective. I had such a major pump that I was weak as hell on leg press afterwards. I made the mistake of drinkin a pre-workout shake milk, 2 scoops of whey and a green apple. Then I had a triple espresso before I started my first set. I almost hurled in the parking lot afterwards. I had to lighten up the weight significantly but I felt it much more in the upper legs and less in the lower back. Seems like the trick is to really arch that back. I looked over in the mirror and my back was arched like a mofo.

Im goona try to get you that clip.

Now if I can just fiqure out how far to bring down the carriage on leg press. When I do them I come way down then drive back up. Problem with this is