It looks like a great exercise, but unfortunately my gym doesn’t have the equipment for it.
Yeah, I like regular deadlifts, but I feel like I am weak in my quads and already relatively strong in my lower back.
When I used to do squats, I could do RDL’s for reps with significantly more weight than my squat 1RM.
Since you’re using box squats as a max strength exercise, there is no reason, at least, initially, to mimic a powerlifter stance. Remember, not all powerlifters lift with really wide stances.
Read some articles by Dave Tate. He has some good ones on the box squat. Initially, squat light and a little high. Once you find your groove, slowly increase weight while maintaining proper form. Then drop the weight and lower the box. In fairly short order, you will find your groove.
Trap Bar DL is key- do it.
I agree that box squats are a really great lift. Don’t believe me? Go over to the westside barbell site, or their videos on youtube. They almost always train with boxes and those guys move some serious weight.
You said you were a tall football player-- like me. I have the exact same lower back issues, which i was always told it was just a hamstring tightness problem. My advice to you, stretch those hamstrings and squat on a box!
Dont just touch and go on the box, Sit completely down on the box and use a wide stance. Check out westside barbell, and they’ll teach you how to do them.
Yeah, I would prefer to start out with a high box and work my way down. Unfortunately though, my gym doesn’t have any suitable boxes, so I have to do them onto a low bench which is a few inches below paralell for me.
I did some last night with a pretty light weight and my glutes are pretty sore today.
could you please elaborate on that statement?
Did stretching your hamstrings actually fix the issue for you?
In my case, I feel that I can get into the correct position for squats, but due to my height / proportions there is more emphasis shifted towards the lower back than for someone with shorter femurs.
Point your toes out slightly more and widen your stance.This will allow you to sit back more and shift more to the hips away from the back. It won’t happen instantly…give it some time and stick with it.
In a trap bar deadlift your legs are going through about a 1/4 squat. Compare this to the ROM your back is going through…your entire back is going to much more of a limiting factor.
You’re giving conflicting advice. Telling him to sit far back and remain upright is a nice way to fall over backwards. What kind of squat allows you to remain the most upright? An olympic, which is the squat you sit back the least. What kind of squat do you lean most forward? An equipped powerlifting squat, which is the squat you sit back the most. The more they sit back / lean forward the more they get out of their gear.
The only reason the kid in the video seems upright is because he is rocking on the box. Take the box away from him, or take away his relaxing on the box and use of momentum, and he won’t be as upright.
This makes no sense.
A great lift for whom? Everyone? Or geared powerlifters, which is all of Westside.
Stretching the hamstrings is unlikely to correct any lower back issues. But it is likely to cause even greater issues.
From what I’ve read, it doesn’t seem like you have any lower back issue. The real issue seems you are afraid to lean forward while squatting. Just because you lean forward more than most while squatting, because of your proportions, doesn’t mean your lower back is at greater risk for injury nor does it mean your lower back is what’s limiting you in the exercise.
I just don’t understand all the negativity towards Westside? While I do agree that sprinters need to focus on sprinting, the fact remains that high level sprinters should AT LEAST handle 2x their body weight in the basic lifts, and with that said, I can’t think of a better system then Westside to teach youngsters how to handle heavy weight safely.
It’s safe because they use things like box squats which forces you to have good technique and trap bar dead lifts which are not as demanding as regular deadlifts and much safer for tall long limed athletes. It’s also safe because they frequently rotate basic lifts which allows you to avoid boredom and over use injuries of the same muscle groups.
There are many sub 10 people who didn’t squat 2x bodyweight. Westside may be okay, but any form of progressive overload will teach someone how to handle plenty of weight for anything that isn’t powerlifting or weightlifting.
It’s safe because they use things like box squats which forces you to have good technique and trap bar dead lifts which are not as demanding as regular deadlifts and much safer for tall long limed athletes. It’s also safe because they frequently rotate basic lifts which allows you to avoid boredom and over use injuries of the same muscle groups.
Box squats are only safe if done correctly, just like any other lift. Plenty of people do a terrible job dropping down and bouncing off of boxes, just as plenty of people that abort many other lifts. Rotating lifts isn’t necessarily good for a sprinter and most people think you shouldn’t…
Me personally I only use the leg press for unilateral hypertrophy work. Regardless, I don’t like to use it for much else because the the way the machine is built it does most of the work for you which is why Body builders can stack the weight full AND have their friends stand on it and do that for reps/sets!
http://www.metacafe.com/watch/2537988/ronnie_coleman_2300_lb_leg_press/
Make no mistake. Ronnie Coleman, despite his hilarious weight room antics, is incredibly strong. My estimate based on the angle of the leg press in that video, is that there is about 1200lbs of force required to keep that that weight moving. Obviously this amount cannot be compared to other lifts, but it is a lot.
Yeah I noticed the rocking, but the fact that he allows his knees to travel forward also allowed him to stay more upright than if his shins were kept perpendicular to the floor.
That’s why I posted the video. I wanted to know if I should allow my knees to move forward when doing box squats.
Agreed.
I’m not a sprinter, but I don’t like the idea of rotating lifts. Changing lifts regularly would cause soreness which would affect my skills training / running etc.
The box squat, without question.
An olympic, which is the squat you sit back the least.
For a person of the OP’s stature, this is absolutely incorrect. It is very common for athletes of the OP’s stature to lean forward excessively in a free Olympic squat. That’s what he’s been doing, essentially, and he’s just told you it requires him to lean excessively.
What kind of squat do you lean most forward? An equipped powerlifting squat, which is the squat you sit back the most. The more they sit back / lean forward the more they get out of their gear.
He’s not wearing gear, so this is irrelevant.
The only reason the kid in the video seems upright is because he is rocking on the box. Take the box away from him, or take away his relaxing on the box and use of momentum, and he won’t be as upright.
He doesn’t SEEM to be upright, he is upright. And yes, if you took away the box he won’t be as upright…so why are trying to take away the OP’s box?
A great lift for whom? Everyone? Or geared powerlifters, which is all of Westside.
Great for everyone I know who has had issues with free squatting and who has given box squats a real try. The vast majority of these indivduals NEVER squat in gear…those that do squat in gear don’t use the box squat as much unless they are several weeks from a comp.
I can’t give you a solid answer on that. I still have minor back troubles… and I haven’t been able to loosen up my hamstrings very consistantly.
During last track season I actually became decently flexible (about 3" past my heels on a sit and reach) But during that time, I wasn’t doing any squatting. Coincidentally, I also became a lot faster. I was the fastest I had ever been in my life. I find it very difficult to gain strength and flexiblity because Im sore a lot. Maybe thats just me.
I really haven’t found a way to stretch my lower back. It kind of rounds when i squat deep- probably the cause of my back problems. I haven’t found the pain or the soreness enough of a negative to outweigh the benefits of squatting, so I continue to squat heavy.
I’m REALLY not trying to be a smart a@@ but could you list the sub 10 people who DON’T lift under 2x body weight other then Kim who just retired?
Put it this way, the male sprinters who are house hold names are either buff and strong or just strong for their size. In general, I have found that most of the elite sprinters bench around 300lbs plus or minus and they squat AT LEAST 400lbs all around 170-190ish body weight range.
As far as rotating lifts, you are right in that it’s not advisable for sprinters.
Tyson Gay
Asafa Powell
Usain Bolt
Carl Lewis
Wallace Spearmon
Should I continue? I agree that most probably have the talent/ability to do so if they were to change their training and begin to focus on it, but at any given time a large % of them cannot and many have not squatted double bodyweight to at least parallel. A lot of these guys don’t squat at all.
Most elite sprinters bench around 300lbs? Do we need to post the video of Asafa getting crushed by 1 rep @ 245lbs? And he is one of the biggest guys.