first time box squatting

[DOM]

I started box squatting yesterday, first time for me. In fact I just started squatting period two months ago. I've been doing 5x5 for the last month or so with 235 lbs on the bar, and I project my max somewhere in the 300-350 range, probably closer to 300, but it's been going up fast. I've been doing westside for my bench for four months and now I'm going to use it for squat also.

Anyway, I thought I was going to smash my tailbone or something, but everything went fine. Here's what I did.

9 sets of 2 @ 175 lbs squatting onto a 1" below parallel box with full acceleration.

3 sets of 8 @ 220 lbs for leg presses.

3 sets of 12 @ 70 lbs for pull-throughs.

Standing ab work and side bends.

Ok, 175 seemed ok, but I know in the videos Louie says one of the most important things while box squatting is getting fast separation from the box. When I did it, it was very slow separation, but then once I got it out of the hole, extremely fast -- the bar was even jumping off my shoulders as I finished the reps. So should I a) lower the weight I use in order to get faster separation or b) interpret the bottom as a weak point. Also, if it is a weak point, what muscle group should I be working?

I know I should be using chains or bands, but I can't because the only squat rack I have access to has these 3 tiers for people of different heights. Point being that I need to walk the bar back about 6-8 feet before I can squat.

Next, I wanted to ask you guys if you can recommend any exercises for working my 'posterior chain'. I don't have access to a glute-ham raise or a reverse hyper. So I've been doing pull-throughs for the last month, and I'm looking for something new.

 

[latinus_spicticus]

Buy a reverse hyper. Its worth its weight in gold. Period. In the meantime do pullthroughs, dimel-deads, stiff legged/romaninan deadlifts, and A LOT of good mornings. Also find a way to do non-machine oriented glute-ham raises.

 

[TheProject]

You can always drop the weight for your speed day, and bring it up as your speed improves. You could start at 40% of max, and work up, although that percentage assumes you're using bands.

Also, are you staying tight on the box, or relaxing?

I'm weak off the box too, and for me, it's an issue of glutes/hams/and hips.

If you can get a band, you can use a low box for hip work. There are pictures of that in the AR thread that's stuck up top on training.

http://boards.elitefitness.com/forum/showthread.php?threadid=138023

In addition, I'm doing sumo deads to try and bring all 3 up.

We've got a reverse hyper, but I don't know that I have a good opinion on it yet. The good mornings have been the biggest help to my lower back. When I started training, my back was my weakest point, and now it's come up so far that I have a tendency to good morning up my squat.

Something else I want to try, but haven't yet, is squatting a lower weight for higher reps to work on my form, and get some more hip/glute/ham work in.

 

[DOM]

Thanks for the suggestions guys.

Project, now that I think about it, I don't think I was staying tight on the box. I was concentrating too hard on releasing my hip flexors and sitting way back and how ridiculous I looked to the guy who was waiting for the squat rack, that I think I just relaxed entirely. That probably explains the slow separation in part.

I'll add some stiff leg deads as accessory work and throw sumo deads and GMs in for max days. Would you ever do GMs as accessory work after speed squats or just use it only for a ME exercise?

 

[DBCooper]

The whip you get at the top is most likely you using your leg drive at the top, try forcing your knees out all the way thru-that and maybe a wider stance, will force your hips to work more,especially off the box.For the glute ham raise you can do them off the floor if you have a good pad for the knees and somewhere to wedge your feet. and for the reverse hypers try normal hypers for high reps 20-30reps.