box squats

[Jesse Marunde]

my box squat is coming around a little. got 647x2 a while back. haven't gone heavy recently though. been doing 8-16 sets of 2. in a couple weeks me and Sarge are gonna work back into some heavy doubles.

[SqeezeMasterFlash]

How high of a box do you use?

[richl]

Wow, there is enough iron in and around that rack Jesse is using, to upset the rotation of the earth!
Nice job.
Rich

[Jesse Marunde]

my rack alone weighs 3400 pounds! it's got 12 schedual 8 bolts holding it to a 2000 pound olympic lifting platform.

I don't know how high my box was. here's a side view of my depth. this is the highest box I work off of.

[GDolan]

Have you tried them with bands Jesse? Makes you super explosive and strong in your core!

[Jesse Marunde]

ya I have. chains too. box squats are pretty new to me still. just starting doing them about 7 months ago. I'm pretty weak with a wide stance. hips need more power, which is why I started doing them. my stone lifting and deadlift have gone up as a result.

Jesse

[Dana Matheson]

Jesse,

How often do you Box Squat? and do you Squat on the same day? if not when do you squat?

thanks,
Dana

[John Hughes]

Yeh I really do like box squats. The box height differs for everybody. You want to get a box that makes you hit just past parallel.

Jesse, do you just tap the box when coming down or do you actually sit on it for a second and explode up?

[Jesse Marunde]

I meet the box very gently, rock back and then explode up with max force. I've always descended very rapidly when squatting, but now I'm pushing my butt back and down much slower. Basicly I'm switching from an olympic lifters squat to a powerlifters squat. I'm chasing that big number so I don't smoked so bad in squatting events. We squat every tuesday. we mix it up alot though. 20 reppers, 5x5s, basic periodization, etc. Right now we're alternating smashed cats with box squats just to see what happens.

Jesse

[Dana Matheson]

Thanks Jesse

[J. Alexander]

I meet the box very gently, rock back and then explode up with max force. I've always descended very rapidly when squatting, but now I'm pushing my butt back and down much slower. Basicly I'm switching from an olympic lifters squat to a powerlifters squat. Jesse

Be careful not to rock on the box too much. It can turn ito a bad habit of using the momentum from rocking to propel yourself off the box.

You should sit back on the box under control. (Many say the best way to know if you are sitting back correctly, is if you are "sitting on your nuts" when you are on the box.) Once on the box, release your hip flexors while keeping the rest of your body tight. Then explode off the box while "spreading the floor" with your feet and keeping your back arched.

When you hit it just right, you will feel minimul stress on your quads, and your hips will be screaming.

It looks from the picture, that a slightly wider stance would also benefit you. That would force you to use your hips more.

Just some thoughts.....

[Jesse Marunde]

thanks dude. for max attempts I use the stance where I am strongest, as in the attached picture. Coming from an olympic lifting background, I am much stronger with a close stance. My squats have always been ass-to-ankles. Wider stance and only going half way down is brand new to me. thanks for the pointers!

Jesse

[AaRoNSnider]

Ive always felt that a really wide stance is only going to help if you are working on strengthening the hips,or if you plan to squat that way in competition.On box squats my feet are usually set just a little wider than they would be when doing the atlas stones,although I still use a really wide stance every once in a while to help strength my hips.It seems like most strongman competitions wont let you squat really wide in a squat event,and that close,or slightly wide squats will benefit me more on most other events,than squatting with a wide sumo stance.

[Paul Sazy]

The wide stance will make your hams, glutes and lower back much stronger. By having those muscles strong you stabilize the knee joint better. If you do all close stance/ass to the grass squats you will eventually beat the hell out of your knees. Added strength in your back side can only help you.

For variety you can use a safety squat bar, manta ray, or front squat harness. I use these for max effort lifts and use a closer stance. You can do some lactic acid tolerance work on the box too. Do 12-15 sets of 2 with no more than 30sec rest between sets. Use about 50% of your max. It will tear you up.

[Jesse Marunde]

Aaron, I agree with you bro. At least that has always been my thinking. I have been, for the last year, doing wide stance squats and good morning. I've been working them in from time to time, but still do my regular stance squats where I am strongest. I find that the wider stance works much better for me when I'm wearing a squat suit. But I rarely train in a squat suit so the medium stance is where I'm strongest. I usually don't wear a belt either.

The wider stance squats have really strengthened my hips, hams and back. My stone lifting took a big jump right after I widened my stance. Most of my lifts went up actually. I beleive this was due to an imbalance from having weak hips and hammies.

I squat really deep too, so when I used a wide stance I'm not going down as far which is a double bonus for keeping the patella tendonitus at bay.

Jesse

[patrick w.]

I like using the elstaic bands for box squatting. I am going to get some chains and try those.

I have a question though. I understand how you set up the chains on the floor and work on lock out power at the top as it adds resistance as they pull off the floor. My question is what is up with hanging the chains from the top of the power rack and around the bar? Eccentric loading? I have seen it in pictures but never seen it done in person and could never figure out how it worked or how you get it set up. Any advice would be aprreciated.

[Bob Feeney]

looks like Jesse has them set up for spotters. Suspended bar ie suspended gm's, are good, hell 100 times better then doing them from a rack position, IMO. The bar still moves and you can get in a better position for the classical lift.

[JohnCarlsson]

A wide stance squat cuts down on the range of motion of the lift, and as said before gets the hips, hamstring, and glutes more involed, but are mainly used in feds that allow monolifts and more extreme gear.

You dont see many(IF ANY) powerlifters in the IPF or like single-ply, walk out feds using a super wide westside stance. It is really hard to walk out a heavy weight and then widen your stance. It is also hard to hit a deep depth with a wide stance so it doesnt work in some feds.

Look at Kirk Karwoski, Ed Coan, Fred Hatfeild, Shane Hammon, Lee Moran, Steve Goggins, all 1000+ squatters with a normal stance.

[patrick w.]

looks like Jesse has them set up for spotters. Suspended bar ie suspended gm's, are good, hell 100 times better then doing them from a rack position, IMO. The bar still moves and you can get in a better position for the classical lift.


oh, I gotcha. thanks, that is what I wanted to know. I always do my suspended work with the pins in the power rock. Is there any benefit to using the chains?

[Yan]

I meet the box very gently, rock back and then explode up with max force. I've always descended very rapidly when squatting, but now I'm pushing my butt back and down much slower. Basicly I'm switching from an olympic lifters squat to a powerlifters squat. I'm chasing that big number so I don't smoked so bad in squatting events. We squat every tuesday. we mix it up alot though. 20 reppers, 5x5s, basic periodization, etc. Right now we're alternating smashed cats with box squats just to see what happens.

Jesse

smashed cats?

[james rude]

"Smashed cats" is Jesse's name for the 10 sets of ten reps format. I guess it's named for the way you feel the next day.

[patrick w.]

oh, I gotcha. thanks, that is what I wanted to know. I always do my suspended work with the pins in the power rock. Is there any benefit to using the chains?


bump...can anyone answer this?? :confused:

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

Jesse or maybe someone else can answer this, what size chain is he using in that pic. Thanks

[Ryan Brown]

oh, I gotcha. thanks, that is what I wanted to know. I always do my suspended work with the pins in the power rock. Is there any benefit to using the chains?

yes; chains allow you to get into position better as the bar can move around. Off of pins is more awkward. I can use more weight when it is suspended.

[Ryan Brown]

I like using the elstaic bands for box squatting. I am going to get some chains and try those.

I have a question though. I understand how you set up the chains on the floor and work on lock out power at the top as it adds resistance as they pull off the floor. My question is what is up with hanging the chains from the top of the power rack and around the bar? Eccentric loading? I have seen it in pictures but never seen it done in person and could never figure out how it worked or how you get it set up. Any advice would be aprreciated.

If you want to use chains instead of bands, you don't hang them from the power rack; you hang them from the barbell. As you squat down the bar gets lighter as the chain links deload onto the floor. You typically use a small chain that is about 2.5 feet long or so to hang from the barbell and then a 5/8" chain that is 5 feet long to double over the small chain so that a few links of the big chain are on the floor when you are at the top and most or all of the big chain is on the floor when you are in the hole. The 5 foot lengths of 5/8" chain are 20 lbs each so if you use 2 per side, that is about 80 lbs of deload from top to bottom.

using chains in this way is the exact same as using bands except chains are much more of a loose feel and require more stability. The deload is usually not as extreme as with bands.

[Ryan Brown]

Jesse or maybe someone else can answer this, what size chain is he using in that pic. Thanks

big chain appears to be 5/8" chain. Smaller chain appears to be 3/8" chain.

[patrick w.]

If you want to use chains instead of bands, you don't hang them from the power rack; you hang them from the barbell. As you squat down the bar gets lighter as the chain links deload onto the floor. You typically use a small chain that is about 2.5 feet long or so to hang from the barbell and then a 5/8" chain that is 5 feet long to double over the small chain so that a few links of the big chain are on the floor when you are at the top and most or all of the big chain is on the floor when you are in the hole. The 5 foot lengths of 5/8" chain are 20 lbs each so if you use 2 per side, that is about 80 lbs of deload from top to bottom.

using chains in this way is the exact same as using bands except chains are much more of a loose feel and require more stability. The deload is usually not as extreme as with bands.



I know how to use them from the floor, thanks. what i meant to say was how do you rig it up to do suspended work?? IE, I don't want my chains to come crashing on my head during a squat..lol

[Ryan Brown]

I know how to use them from the floor, thanks. what i meant to say was how do you rig it up to do suspended work?? IE, I don't want my chains to come crashing on my head during a squat..lol



typically suspended work is done with smaller chain--3/8" is plenty--they don't weight that much. You loop them over the top of the power rack and secure them using little connectors that you can get at the hardware store--shaped like a U with a bolt that goes through it. Just make sure the connectors are strong. I also typically put the pins in a little below where the chains are suspended just in case they or a connector gives way. I've never had a chain give way though and have banged on them pretty good.

[patrick w.]

typically suspended work is done with smaller chain--3/8" is plenty--they don't weight that much. You loop them over the top of the power rack and secure them using little connectors that you can get at the hardware store--shaped like a U with a bolt that goes through it. Just make sure the connectors are strong. I also typically put the pins in a little below where the chains are suspended just in case they or a connector gives way. I've never had a chain give way though and have banged on them pretty good.


graet thanks.

[Beeve]

Great pics!