# Box squat height???



## Tren4Life

I thought I knew how to squat till i started box squating. I found out that I was going down instead of back. I had to back up with my weight when i started using a box(a kitchen chair)
My question is how do i decide what the proper height is? I am 6 foot tall and the chair i have been using is 17 inches high. I just go back till i feel the chair touch.
My second question is . Should i actually be trying to unload on the chair, or touch and go.



Thanks for taking your time to look
S4L


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## PillarofBalance

Steelers4Life said:


> I thought I knew how to squat till i started box squating. I found out that I was going down instead of back. I had to back up with my weight when i started using a box(a kitchen chair)
> My question is how do i decide what the proper height is? I am 6 foot tall and the chair i have been using is 17 inches high. I just go back till i feel the chair touch.
> My second question is . Should i actually be trying to unload on the chair, or touch and go.
> 
> 
> 
> Thanks for taking your time to look
> S4L



Use different heights... Just like your bench grip width thread - to be strong, be strong everywhere, leave no stone unturned.  Mix it up. Use high box squats with super heavy weights to rep out and train the mind and CNS...  Use low box squats to fuck up your knees.  A box that puts you at parallel is ideal though.  Knee joint to hip joint parallel.  Don't use a kitchen chair, sounds like it might slide around on you.

Also, don't unload.  That implies that you let your arch go and your muscles soften.  You want to sit back onto the box, stay tight as hell, then fire back up hips/glutes first.  Lead with the chest.  Don't allow yourself to fall forward putting the weight onto the quads.  A box squat is a leg curl... 

Check out Clint Darden's yewtewbs channel to see what a box squat should look like.  Hell post some vids of yourself or PM them and we'll critique if you want.


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## Tren4Life

The video idea sounds good. It will take me some time to figure out how to make that work.


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## SFGiants

Steelers4Life said:


> I thought I knew how to squat till i started box squating. I found out that I was going down instead of back. I had to back up with my weight when i started using a box(a kitchen chair)
> My question is how do i decide what the proper height is? I am 6 foot tall and the chair i have been using is 17 inches high. I just go back till i feel the chair touch.
> My second question is . Should i actually be trying to unload on the chair, or touch and go.
> 
> 
> 
> Thanks for taking your time to look
> S4L



17'' is called a high box for you and a low would be 12'', the ideal spot for you is 14'' to 14.5'' as at 15 your most likely no long bellow or at parallel.

Go with 14.5'' when looking for a box at depth at 6 foot.

I'm 6 foot and use 14.5'' as a spot


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## Tren4Life

I tried to put up a video and it says file to large. I will have to make a new one next week 
I will also try to get a 14.5 inch box.


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## heavydeads83

parallel or below parallel brother.


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## PillarofBalance

Steelers4Life said:


> I tried to put up a video and it says file to large. I will have to make a new one next week
> I will also try to get a 14.5 inch box.




Open a youtube account... Upload to there and then just link the vid.  Good way to keep all your training vids in one place. You can watch yourself progress too.


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## Tren4Life

PillarofBalance said:


> Open a youtube account... Upload to there and then just link the vid.  Good way to keep all your training vids in one place. You can watch yourself progress too.



That is what i thought too. I will work on that today.


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## AlphaD

I have always found that between 12 and 14 inches high works best for me personally, but I am 5'10".  I always incorporate box squats training into my routines. It is the best way to correct your form and bring up weak points.  Done properly these will increase your squatting poundage over time.


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## Tren4Life

Okay so this is my first try at this you tube thing.
This is just a warm up set

I leave my feelings at home so fire away.
Thanks fo taking your time to look
S4L


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## PillarofBalance

You set the vid as private bro. You want to make it unlisted not private. We can't see it


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## Tren4Life

PillarofBalance said:


> You set the vid as private bro. You want to make it unlisted not private. We can't see it



Not sure how that happened. I think I fixed it though


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## Big Worm

Everything was wrong. But that's how most people start out. 

Too high
Knees forward
Didn't sit back
Touch n go

When I get to my computer and its not such a bitch to type ill try to help you.


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## Big Worm

Ok, first thing.....A box squat is not a depth gauge.  Its not meant to be used as something to bump into and tell you when to stand back up.

At the angle of the video I couldnt see where your feet were placed.  How far apart they were.  Judging by the stuff that happened you were probably too narrow.

No one wants to sit back because they think they are going to fall over.  Arch your back, push your knees out and sit back onto the box.

If your knees travel forward its that much closer they get to the ground.  Whats that do?  Makes it that much lower you have to sit down to get to parallel.

Sit on the box but dont unload or get loose.  If you are sitting on it, the whole bottom side of your leg will be on it.  Not just the tip of your ass like you are doing with a touch n go.


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## Tren4Life

Big Worm said:


> Ok, first thing.....A box squat is not a depth gauge.  Its not meant to be used as something to bump into and tell you when to stand back up.
> 
> At the angle of the video I couldnt see where your feet were placed.  How far apart they were.  Judging by the stuff that happened you were probably too narrow.
> 
> No one wants to sit back because they think they are going to fall over.  Arch your back, push your knees out and sit back onto the box.
> 
> If your knees travel forward its that much closer they get to the ground.  Whats that do?  Makes it that much lower you have to sit down to get to parallel.
> 
> Sit on the box but dont unload or get loose.  If you are sitting on it, the whole bottom side of your leg will be on it.  Not just the tip of your ass like you are doing with a touch n go.






I will work on all this next week. Starting with a wider stance, and pushing my knees out.


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## Tren4Life

I  built a 14.5 inch box. 
Form is going to take ALOT of work. This is this morning after 30 min of frog stretches, I was afraid to put any weight on for fear that i would stretch to far for the first time. I had to use the box for a depth guage today because i just couldn't go any lower.
As with most things in my life squating isnt going to come easy to me, but I will NOT give up.!!


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## SFGiants

Never stretch like that before you lift NEVER!

Focus on pushing your knees out and sitting back not straight down.


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## Big Worm

Looks better.  I love how much pain you are in trying to get to depth.  Hips are tight lol.

What is that weird thing you do before your first rep in both vids where you pop your hips forward before you squat.  I thought it was odd in the first vid but then you did it again in the second.

Keep working on knees out and sitting back.  It will get easier as you become more flexible.

I use horse stall rubber mats to adjust box height.


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## SFGiants

Big Worm said:


> Looks better.  I love how much pain you are in trying to get to depth.  Hips are tight lol.
> 
> What is that weird thing you do before your first rep in both vids where you pop your hips forward before you squat.  I thought it was odd in the first vid but then you did it again in the second.
> 
> Keep working on knees out and sitting back.  It will get easier as you become more flexible.
> 
> I use horse stall rubber mats to adjust box height.


Them mats add .5 inch per mat, great to have when training with people of different sizes or want different depth.


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## Tren4Life

Big Worm said:


> Looks better.  I love how much pain you are in trying to get to depth.  Hips are tight lol.
> 
> What is that weird thing you do before your first rep in both vids where you pop your hips forward before you squat.  I thought it was odd in the first vid but then you did it again in the second.
> 
> Keep working on knees out and sitting back.  It will get easier as you become more flexible.
> 
> I use horse stall rubber mats to adjust box height.



I just noticed that my self, i dont really have an answer other than i will try to remember to NOT do it next time.  You are right about the pain my hips do not flex very well. I am thinking about yoga, I no that sounds odd but it works.


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## Tren4Life

SFGiants said:


> Never stretch like that before you lift NEVER!
> 
> Focus on pushing your knees out and sitting back not straight down.




So the stretching was a bad thing? I am just trying to get my knees wide enough to go back instead of down. i am not really lifting any weight untill i can get the full ROM.


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## Tren4Life

As much as i love the stuff Dave has for sale. I dont have the cash. The piece of plywood was 5 bucks. 
Next week is a deload week for me so i think I will just keep trying to get the ROM before i add any weight.


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## Big Worm

Most say stretch after the workout because stretching before is stressing the muscle before you lift and you will lift less. Probably what sfg was getting at. Just do more light warm up reps if you need to. 

If you can't get to depth, you can get to depth. Raise your box height and work your way down as you loosen up.


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## Tren4Life

I really cant thank you guys enough for helping me. It seems like clicking the thanks button isnt enough either so i though i would just make a reply and just say it .
 THANK YOU


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## Tren4Life

I am going to look for the horse stall rubber mats today. This is a deload week, so I will be trying to get to depth during my 3  warm up sets.
I think I will wait till next week to make another vid, I need to get it right an stop taking up so much of your time.

Worm, SFG,
I am very thankful for your Coaching and advice


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## Tren4Life

Okay so I know i said i would not make a new vid this week, but i had to be able to see. So here it is, and yes this is kind of painfull for me.
Mentally it sucks because i had to go back so far in weight

Thanks for looking


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## SFGiants

Rack it too high bro, you walkout sucks learn to do it correct or heavy weight will fuck you up, keep sitting back and keep at it.

Look at your knees move forward in the decent and then you lean a bit, I saw a rep where you sat down and straightened you back up on the box and got your hip back under the bar you should be in that position that whole lift on once you sit your knees even went back after going forward.

It all start with your set up and unrack!

Bro it took me a real long time to stop being timid under a squat bar a year or so but once you get over that and have your set up correct with form being good things start rolling.

If I new you I would should you how in one year I looked very timid under the bar to aggressive, it's real mental I'm a metal lifter and the squat is the most mental lift it's the most technical.

Your smart to be on a box it's how to learn, go look up Dave Tate on the box squat on you tube.


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## Tren4Life

I did feel like the rack was too high,  I think since I am using a wider stance. That set was a new experience  for me, I was noticing muscles in my legs I didn't know were there. I guess maybe I am quad dominant? I don't know if that makes sense or not. I am surely going to go very slow with my weight. Does it at least look like I am headed in the right direction? I know I have a ways to go but as long as I am still making progress, I am not giving up.


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## PillarofBalance

Steelers4Life said:


> I did feel like the rack was too high,  I think since I am using a wider stance. That set was a new experience  for me, I was noticing muscles in my legs I didn't know were there. I guess maybe I am quad dominant? I don't know if that makes sense or not. I am surely going to go very slow with my weight. Does it at least look like I am headed in the right direction? I know I have a ways to go but as long as I am still making progress, I am not giving up.



You're not so much quad dominant as your glutes are weak.  People that box squad and are quad dominant shift their weight forward when the try to get off the box.  They put the bar over their quads.  If you have strong glutes you'll stay mostly upright, tight arch, and your knees will be behind the heels.  When you get off the box, flex the hips first.  You do this by pushing out on the sides of your feet, and leading with the chest upwards.


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## Big Worm

Lower the bar on the rack like SFG said.  Its too high and you are unracking with your back and not your legs.  You want to get under the bar, wedge yourself in there nice and tight and unracking the weight should just be standing up.  Only movement should be to straighten your legs.  Stabilize yourself after the unrack and then step back.

You are still having trouble pushing your knees out and sitting back.  Raise your box height and work on just pushing your knees out and sitting back.  I can tell you now, you arent going to learn that anytime soon without squatting on a high box first.  Dont get down on yourself.  Form first and the weight will come with it.

Since you have a rack, get some small chains and hang the bar in the chains and do some good mornings.  Good mornings will get your back side strong.  They are using a cambered bar but you can do it with your straight bar.  This video shows what im talking about.


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## SFGiants

Lol at Ryley's and Juan's squat faces!


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## Tren4Life

You guys have all been a great help. One of my next questions was going to be what else can I do to fix my problems and its already been answered.
Also I have a safety bar for good mornings. Should I just focus on that for a month?


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## Big Worm

You can work it in a couple different ways. Do it as a secondary movement after your max effort work or if you want to go heavy on good mornings do squats as secondary movement. I don't know what your lower body day looks like but it shouldn't be squats or deads only. 

 You can also throw in some straight leg deads from a 1-2" deficit after your heavy squats. You can use lighter weight for this and do more reps.


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## Tren4Life

I just got to watch the video . That is awesome, I definitely will not be using that much weight but will be trying to do it. I work in construction, so the chains are easy, I have some in the garage.

Thank you guys again for taking an interest in this old guy
S4L


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## Big Worm

Watched it real quick on my phone. 

Squat. I still don't think your feet are wide enough and you aren't pushing your knees out. You start to sit back and then go straight down, this is because your knees aren't going out. You let your air out on at least two of the reps while sitting on the box. Can't stay tight if you don't have your air.  I don't see a belt. Get a belt when you can. It will help you understand getting air and holding it. 

GM.  Well that wasn't a gm at all but I'm sure it worked something. Imagine a gm being similar to a straight leg dead lift with the weight on your back.


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## SFGiants

You need to sit on the box longer and try and sit back as far as you can while keeping the bar under your hips.

Looked good but either pause longer on the box or remove the box as a box squat is to sit back and pause not touch and go.


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