Can Box Squats improve your regular squats?

Squatting is the grand daddy of leg exercises. Hell, it’s the king of all exercises. The benefits one can garner from squatting is truly impressive. It’s been said a ton of times, technique is truly the key to performing exercises without injuring yourself. Sure, you could squat 700 lbs and look like a champ, but if you have improper form and get horribly injured in the process then there’s really no point to it all. The reward of injury isn’t really anything to celebrate. It just means you’ll be out of the gym for a long period of time and risk losing all the gains you’ve made.

So with all this talk of technique and form, how exactly can you ensure that you’re performing your squat correctly? At one point many people would’ve said that box squats are the key to improving your technique in the squat. To some extent that’s true, but there’s a catch. Box squats are great for those who are unwilling or unable to perform the average squat, maybe even helping those train their posterior chain. In that regard box squats are great. But do they help your regular squats? The simple answer is no, at least mostly. If that’s true then what are the positives and the drawbacks of box squatting? Let’s take a look.

Pros

Like mentioned before, the box squat can improve your posterior chain. The motion of sitting down on a stool or seat allows you to focus on improving your technique to a degree. It will allow you to keep your shins more vertical during the squat and will give you the opportunity to focus on specific muscle groups. Box squatting allows you to work your hamstring, glutes, and groin muscles.

The action can also help you hit consistent depth. This will allow you to squat lower. Instead of performing half squats you’ll be able to get really low on your squat.

But it’s not all sunshine and rainbows. Check out the cons and alternative situations on page 2!