You DO need to do inner thigh work!!

[Hannibal]

It's a very dangerous squat, especially for the beginner. The video shows that time is taken before the butt touches the box, but this is usually where beginners or inexperienced lifters make their mistakes. Unlike regular squats, box squats have two forces pushing towards the midline from opposite directions. Regular squats has the weights (and gravity) pushing down, but the box has the weigths pushing down and box pushing up (or stopping the motion). It causes too much pressure on the spine, creating a movement similar to an acordian. I'll dig up my books and cite references for you, but that is one reason I know of.

A SMITH MACHINE SQUAT is a DANGEROUS SQUAT! A box squat, IF, done correctly is not dangerous. When you box squat right...you sit BACK (not down) far enough that yoru shins are past vertical...this takes all the pressure off the patella tendon. And overloads the hips, glutes and hamstrings...the prime movers of a BIG squat.

Also you SIT on the box...you dont FALL on the box. If a beginner cannot control the eccentric portion of the lift then we have them use a higher box until there hamstrings are brought up. When on the box...you keep everything tight...you relax the hip flexors and then reflex them. "This will cause the spinal erectors to instantly flex, which activates the hips and then the hamstrings. The action is like doing a jerk in Olympic lifting."

One last point....the weights we use on box squats are percentages of a 1RM for 2 reps. Think of the different TUT between that and a conventional squat with near maximal weight...on a consistant basis. The muscular soreness is much less than with regular squatting.

http://elitefts.com/documents/box-squat.htm

 

[poohbear]

I hate to stray further off topic, but you two made really good counter arguments. I've seen several individuals perform a bench squat, where the compression on the spine seem painful. Repetition was at least 8. Far more than the 2 rep mentioned above. The available vid is the first example I've seen, in which control is maintained throughout the movement. I'm beginning to wonder if we're talking about different exercises. Hmmm?

 

[Hannibal]

I'm beginning to wonder if we're talking about different exercises. Hmmm?

Nope....just probably two different ways of doing it....the wrong way (the way you saw)...and the right way.

 

[MarshallPenniford]

Guys - you lost me here. I'd like to try box squats, but they look dangerous. What you and Hannibal are describing looks different then what I'm seeing in the videos. In the videos you put up, you can see in the last seconds of the movement the arch in your back disappears and as your leg goes past perpendicular you look like you fall on the box. I'm not doubting your expertise in any way, it just looks very different than what you're describing, and very different than my form, an Ed's form down below.

When I squat, I look exactly like Ed in the video down below, except I think my back is slightly more upright. I don't look like the videos up above, it's painful for me to arch my back that much even without a weight on my back.

Ok, feel free to offer pointers or tear what I said apart.

 

[MarshallPenniford]

I'm gonna wear out my Window's Media Player -- I keep watching these vid's over and over.

 

[b fold the truth]

Not a great example as my form is not great and the video is VERY dark...(brighten up your screen as much as possible)...but you can get the general idea.

www.angelfire.com/journal2/bfoldthetruth/325boxsquat52202

Copy and paste..

B True

 

[b fold the truth]

Never mind...can't get the link to work..shoot. Have an amazing video...I'll try to upload it somewhere else then post a link...

B True

 

[b fold the truth]

I'll try again.

These are over IrishPower on the powerlifting board...this guy rocks!!!!

http://207.202.218.110/training/videos/box_heavy.wmv

http://207.202.218.110/training/videos/box_speed.wmv

Remember that not every example that we give is or can be perfect...sometimes I wonder if the perfect squat is just a theory...lol...we are ALL in search of the perfect squat.

B True

 

[Arioch]

The primary hip abductor, the gluteus medius, is very important in single leg stance, activities and sports involving lateral motion, and gait. The reason you see all knee patients (and most hip and low back patients as well) doing hip abduction and adduction is due to the vital role these muscles play as prime movers in everyday activity. Gluteus medius weakness causes all sorts of knee, hip and low back problems. Weakness of the adductor group can result in groin strains, adaptive shortening of the abductors due to inadequate opposition, and gait difficulty.

Of course, if one is training specifically for a sport, there is only so much time and energy to go around. If these a weakness in one of these muscles is not holding back a particular lift or impeding performance in an area, it is generally getting enough work through its supportive role.

Also, both muscles also serve to rotate, as well as resist rotation of the femur. And this will occuring during squatting and deadlifting, particularly sumo deadlifting. So when one is forcibly abducting the femurs to ensure that the knees travel out over the toes, instead of forward, increasing the lateral shear at the knee joint, guess what is not only contracting isometrically, but getting worked concentrically and eccentrically as well.

Any type of lunge where the body is moving from side to side radically increasing lateral shear at the knee joint. Anybody advising this type of exercise should be beaten until they are bleeding from every orifice they have. If you are busy or do not have the stomach for it, I have lots of chain and even more frequent flyer miles.

I call that rock the tootsie roll. I have seen many WSB guys box squat and some do it and some don't. It also seems that those with the most extreme arch and bigger "squater bootys" seem to look more exagerated. I am still waiting for Arioch's take on it, as I posted it on my squat thread too.

What do you mean my take on it? Could you be more specific?

 

[Gladiola]

Any type of lunge where the body is moving from side to side radically increasing lateral shear at the knee joint. Anybody advising this type of exercise should be beaten until they are bleeding from every orifice

So that would include the 'crossover lunge' - the move that is like a curtesy? If so - UH-OH. My too biggest, most knowledgable, educated, & experienced sources of training info are now at odds with one another.

AAAAAHHH! Guess it's back to more studying & reading for me to make sense of it all.

In the mean time, I've had no pain or strain in my hip area at all (oh wait, it's NOT a totally neglected area, I get some workouts there outside the gym! ) but my shoulder's still hurting.