Do It Right and Safe

FIGURE I: The BFS Box Squat: This Is A Prime Requisite For Doing This Lift Right & Safe. It Is the Perfect Height, Length and Width. It AlsoHas Perfect Padding For Safety. The1) Only Cost $49. but For Subscribers Until Sept. 1,1 992, The Box Squat is a fantastic Parall el Squ at variation. We h ave said this for fifteen ye a rs a n d each year we disc over more and more s treng ths for implementing the Box Squ a t as a BFS Core Lift. Curiously, there are still so m e strength coaches who d o not really know about this se nsa tio na l lift for athletes. Two things must happen before the Box Squat can produce sig n if ica n t and p os it ive res u lts .

First, the technique of the Box Squat must be performed correctly a nd second, there are sa fety procedures w hich must be followed. However, be fore we explore technique and sa fe ty procedures, let us first examine just wh y the Box Squat produces such superb results: I. Hip and Hip Tendon Strength: The Box Squat is unsurpassed in the development of hip and hip tendon strength . It shou ld be noted th at bodybuilders of course, don't ca re a t a ll abo u t hip a nd hip tendon strength. A bod ybuilder wouldn 't do a Bo x Sq u a t b ecause it wouldn't help him w in but that ce rta in ly is not the case for a t h l e tes i n m a in s t re a m s p o r ts .

Through the dev el opm ent of hip and hip tendon s tre ng th in the pel vic g ird le, buttock s a n d thighs, th e a thlete will be able to tackl e, throw, ju mp, hit a baseb all and rebound w it h much g re a te r pow e r. Athlet es u suall y see an im med ia te im p ro v em e n t in th ese a rea s aft er the Box Squ a t technique is co rr ectly implemented. II . Increased Confidence For Parallel Squats: In our BFS Syst em, th e Box Sq u a t is done once per week as is th e Parallel Squa t. Sin ce th e Box Squat is done about two inches a b ove parall el and the h ip s ar e primarily used, more w eigh t can easily be used when compared to the Parall el Squ a t.

When yo u ca n Box Squat 400 pounds, FIGURE III:

This Box Is Too Tall .

DOlT RIGHT & SAFE for exa m pl e, and you attem pt 300 pounds on a Parallel Squat, th e bar will actu all y fee l light. This in crea ses con fide nce! III. Teaching Ba sic Safe and Pr o p e r Lifting Techniques: Whe n teaching hig h school and jun ior high athletes a t our BFS Clinics, the Box Squat is abso lu tely amaz ing for teaching safe and proper form for all lifts, es p e cia lly the Parallel Sq ua t, Dead Li ft a n d Power Cle a n. It m a k es it so easy to g r a s p th e co n ce p t o f "Sitt ing Tall" a nd "Locking- in" th e lower back. Proper stance, toes a nd perfect knee a lign men t are a lso no w easy to teach an d learn. IV.

Ov ercoming Plat eau s: First o f a ll, a t h le tes shou ld only have two Squ at wo rkou ts p er week. If an athlete a tte mp ts to Parall el Squa t three times per we ek, this athlet e w ill ha ve a pl a teau se t in quite rapidly. Thi s is a rul e! There are no excep tions! Athle tes w ho Par allel Sq u a t twi ce a we ek with one he a vy a nd o ne light to medium workout would also ha ve much better resu lts if they did a heavy Box Squ at workout in st ead of the medium-light Pa ra llel Squat wo rkou t. Vari a tion is the key in over coming plateaus. Th e Box Squ at is perfect for this.

In ou r BFS Sq ua t Sys tem, athle tes co nti nua lly break records week af ter week, month af ter mon th and ev en year aft er year. V. Full an d Rapid Recuperation: Th is is pe rhaps the mo st com pelling reason fo r doing th e Box Squat. Thi s rapi d a nd fu ll recupe rat ion is a rema rkable and as toun d ing process. An a thlete ca n go throu gh a killer wor kou t and be fu lly and tot all y recovered by the next d a y. T h u s , th e athl et e ca n th en pl a y a ga me or g o throu gh a n e ff e c t ive a n d co m p le te Sp r i n t a n d / o r Ply o met r ic w o r k o u t o n t h e next d a y.

Wh en done correc tly, th e hip s, hip ten d ons, pel vi c girdle m u scles Continued on page 15 FIGURE V: This Lower Back Is Dangerous! Spread The Chest and Sit Tall! .

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FIGURE VI: This Box Is Perfect For This Athlete Which Is About Two Inches Above Parallel FIGU RE VI: Don't Lean Over! Spread The Chest and Sit Tall!

FIGURE VII: You Can Put A 35 Ib Plate Under A Squat Box To Raise The Height. :FIGURE VIII: You Can Also Put A 25 lb Plate With A Towel On Top of A Bench To Raise The Height. and tendons are the prime forces in the Box Squat. Apparently, this is the reason for the rapid recovery. The insightful coach surely must see the obvious dynamic ramifications of this result, not only for the athlete who is in an in-season status but during the off-season as well. Bottom line: You now have the option to lift the day before a contest! THE HEIGHT OF THE BOX Making sure each athlete has the correct height for his Box Squat is of crucial importance.

The ideal height for this lift is about two inches above parallel (see Figure IV). If the box is too short as in Figure II, then technique and safety problems could arise. For example, plopping down hard on the box is dangerous as is unlocking the lower back. A box that is too short for the athlete makes performing good technique much more difficult. A box that is too tall (see Figure III) has its own unique problems. It is easy to get in a good squat position and easy to do the lift. However, this is the problem: it's too easy.

Thus, the athlete will put on far too much weight and make the positive results of the Box Squat far less effective especially when transferring squatting power to the Parallel Squat. The second problem associated with too tall a box FIGURE IX: Readiness - Junior High Athletes Can Use A Bench For Their Box Squats.

THE BOX SQUAT: DO IT RIGHT & SAFE a n d to o much we ig h t is p utt ing th e a thle te's s p ina l colu m n th rough too much s tress before it is structurally ready. It d oesn ' t make sen se for a young a thlete to Box Sq u a t 400 p ounds, wh en h e ca n ' t do a 200 pound Pa rallel Sq ua t. Below is a table w ith gui delines for the relati on ship bet w een th e Box Squa t a nd Pa rall el Sq ua t. If yo u exceed th ese g u ideline s or tol er an ce lev els, yo u sho u ld sho r ten your bo x.

*BOXSQUAT MAX.

45-95LBS 100-195LBS 200-295LBS 300-395LBS 400-495LBS 500-595LBS 600-695LBS 50LBSMORE 75LBSMORE 100LBSMORE 125LBSMORE 150LBSMORE 175LBSMORE 200LBSMORE *For example:An athlete who has a Parall el Squat max o f 250 po unds s ho u ld n o t Bo x Sq ua t more than 350 pou nds 000 Ibs more). There a re seve ral opti ons to con sider rathe r than go ing to a sho rter box when the tolerance level is ready to be exceed ed. Firs t, ke ep yo ur Box Squat poundage a t the m a ximum tol erance lev el fo r all reps. For example, if your on e rep Parallel Squat max is 250 p ounds, you could d o o ne rep throu gh ten reps at 350 p ound s.

Secon d option: H ave a rul e tha t you can't go u p on the Box Squat un til yo u r Paralle l Squa t goes u p . Thus, you wou ld a lways ke e p the m a ximum tol erance level in line w ith yo ur Para lle l Sq uat. T his option w ill probabl y make th e a thle te work h a rd e r on the Parall el Squat. Third option: This is a viable option es pecially with the more experienced and s tro nger hi gh school a thlete. Let ' s sa y h is Para lle l Squa t ma x is 450 pou nds a nd he's reach ed th e tol erance level of a 600 po u nd Box Squa t. Let's say also tha t thi s a th lete has be e n Box Squa tting for six m o nths straight.

A g re a t option, in thi s case, would b e to cho os e an other Sq u a t Vari at io n a t thi s po in t. For exa mp le, thi s a thle te co u ld sw itch fro m Box Sq ua ts to Fro n t Sq ua ts a nd be g in a ll over agai n fres h w ith new personal record s to establish and b reak. It is bes t to purchase a va rie ty of b ox heights from us at BFS. Th ey a re solid, safe a n d cushioned . You can ch a n g e a medi um hei ght b o x to a tall b ox by s im ply p u tting a 35 lb pl at e und ern eath it (see Figure VII). If yo u do you r Box Sq ua ts off a bench a nd yo u want to ra ise th e height, use a 251b. p la te an d tow el.

(See Fig ure VIII) Junior High a th letes or shorte r women a thle tes can begin a program very nic ely by using a sta n da rd bench. (See Figure IX.) Dealing with the taller, long legged, weaker athlete: It is a fac t; tall a nd skin ny a th letes ca n' t Squa t as well as shorter a nd stoc kier a th le tes . Ofte n, they feel in ti m ida te d espec ia ll y if they have to use th e sam e h eight bo x. We' ve got to h elp th at athlete fee l successful or we'll lose him. Therefore, build up th e height of the bo x to w here he has success and co n fidence. TECHNIQ UE GUID ELI NES 1. Assume Athletic Stance With Toes Just Slightly Pointed Out For Balance. 2. Sit Tall (See Figures V and VI) 3.

Spread the Chest and Lock-In Lower Back (See Figures V and Vl.) 4. Rise Up on Toes At The End Of The Movement. 5. Don't Plop Down But Always Sit Down Under Control. 6. Rock Back Slightly As You Sit On The Box. Then Go Forward a nd Up. This Allows The Hips ToWork. 7. Don't Just Ba rely Touch The Box. You Can't Lift As Much and All You Do Is Work The Qua d s Giv in g Yo u A Ham st r ing Stre ng th Develop ment Imbalance. 8. Never, Absolutely Never Let Go Of The Bar And Bai lOut. 9. Never Sacrifice Your Technique For A Few Extra Pounds.

FIGURE X: The Back Spotter Should Grab Firmly On To The Box With An Overhand Grip.

FIGURE XI: Do Not Use This Method Of Spotting Which Is Used Frequently In Gyms.

FIGURE XII: The Back Spotter Is Crucial For Safety And Technique.

1. Always Use Three Spotters For Optimum Results. One Spotter Can Be Used With Readiness Athletes. 2. The Two Side Spotters Should Stand At 45' Angle So They Can Coach and Judge The Lift Effectively. 3. The Side Spotters Should Use A Dead Lift Grip On The Bar. Grab It Firmly But Don 't Put Any Pressure Upwards. 4. The Side Spotters Can Assist Slightly In The Rocking Motion. 5. The Side Spotters Should Guide The Lifter Back To The Rack While Looking At The Support Standard. 6. The Back Spotter Should Always Use A Firm Overhand Grip. (See Figure X.) This Will Allow You To Control And Help Create The Slight Rocking Motion For The Lifter. (See Figure XII.) 7.

The Back Spotter's Overhand Grip Can Also Prevent The Lifter From Plopping Down . Just Before The Lifter Touches The Box, The Back Spotter Can Gently Lift Up On The Bar To Prevent Dangerous Out Of Control Descent Patterns. 8. Do Not Use The Back Spotting Technique As Shown In Figure XI. You Just Simply Cannot Control The Lifters Technique. 9. All Spotters Should Keep Their Hands On The Bar From Start To Finish!

From BFS Magazine — Summer 1992. Part of the BFS Magazine Archive (1980–2014).