Sumo box squats activate your inner thighs and glute muscles more.
Squats are a cornerstone of lower-body training, essential for building strength, explosive power, balance, coordination, and stability. They also stimulate the release of human growth hormone and testosterone, which play a key role in muscle development (1).
The sumo box squat is a unique variation that combines the wide stance of a sumo squat with the controlled movement of a box squat. This exercise not only refines your squat technique but also strengthens your hip muscles, helping to prevent injuries.
In this article, we’ll explore the primary muscles targeted by the sumo box squat and the key benefits it offers. You’ll also find a detailed, step-by-step guide to performing it with proper form. We’ve included effective options for athletes seeking alternative exercises that engage similar muscle groups. Let’s dive in!
Techniques & Muscles Worked
The sumo box squat is a compound movement to work your calves, quads, hamstrings, lower back, and core muscles. But the wider stance emphasizes your glutes and adductors. The sumo box squat takes a wide stance with toes pointed out compared to the regular box squat. This allows you to focus more on the inner thighs and provides more stability.
The equipment for this exercise could be a sturdy weight bench, step, couch, seat, plyometric box, or elevated surface. What is essential is this elevated surface is hard, stable, and isn’t too low to the floor (at least knee height). Using the proper form for this exercise is also important; before going into a squat, brace your core, keep a neutral spine, straight back, and put your chest out.
You use free weights like dumbbells, barbells, or kettlebells for more resistance. You can use a weight plate, weight vest, or resistance bands for this exercise. Here are step-by-step instructions on how to perform this exercise correctly using a plyometric box.
- Place the plyometric box just behind your feet and sit at the box’s edge.
- Assume a sumo stance (your feet should be slightly wider than shoulder-width length and toes pointed out).
- Brace your core and pull your shoulders back while you keep a neutral spine (in this position, your thighs should be parallel to the floor). This is your starting position.
- Next, hinge at your hips and slightly lean forward to initiate the movement.
- Drive through your feet and raise your torso, fully extending your knees as you stand up.
- Slowly and in a controlled manner, reverse to the starting position, gently tapping the box to complete a rep.
- Repeat this movement for as many reps as you desire.
Benefits
Sumo box squats are excellent lower-body building exercises that focus on technique and help improve your form for other squat variations. There are other benefits of performing this exercise, which we dive into below.
Boost Thigh Muscle Growth
Research shows that the sumo stance used in the sumo box activates the thigh muscles more (2).
Builds the Adductors & Glutes
This exercise focuses on your glutes and adductors (inner thighs). Strengthening these muscles improves stability, coordination, posture, and explosive power.
Activates the Core Muscles
The core muscles enhance stability and posture, especially when performing various exercises. Sumo box squats activate and strengthen these core muscles, which can help prevent injuries and improve form for multiple movements.
Trains the Hinge Part of Your Squat
The sumo box squat emphasizes proper technique, especially when looking to do more advanced forms of squats and deadlifts. It strengthens the lower body muscles and focuses on appropriate movements from the top to the moment the glutes tap the edge of the surface. This is the hinge part of the squat that doing a sumo box squat train.
Easy on the Joints
Unlike the traditional squat, you don’t have to flex your knees fully during the sumo box squat. This makes it easy on the joints, especially when you pause in the middle of the movement.
Sumo Box Squat Alternatives
You can do sumo box squats wherever you have a sturdy elevated surface above knee length. However, to avoid hitting a training plateau, experts have advised incorporating other alternative exercises that can build similar muscles. Here are some effective alternatives you can add to your training regimen.
Sumo Rack Pulls
The sumo rack pull works similar muscle groups to the sumo box squats. This weight-training exercise works mainly on the back and lower body. However, using a sumo stance helps with more focus on the adductors and glutes. With this exercise, you don’t need to pick the weight from the floor with the weight starting at knee height.
Sumo Leg Presses
The sumo leg press is an excellent way to build lower body muscle. Perform the exercise on a leg press machine set at 45 degrees, using a sumo stance. The sumo stance targets the inner thighs, quads, hamstrings, and calves.
Lateral Lunges
Lateral lunges are excellent for working the lower body, and can be done anywhere. The side lateral lunge exercise works the quads, glutes, adductors, and abductor muscles, focusing on the adductor and abductor muscles.
FAQs
What is the sumo box squat good for?
The sumo box squat builds various lower-body muscles. It can also help improve your technique for more advanced squats and deadlifts. This exercise can also improve functional movements, such as sitting or bending over.
How do you do the sumo box squat?
The sumo box squat requires an elevated surface at least knee-length. This could be a plyometric box, sturdy bench, or couch. Before starting the squat, sit and assume a wide stance with your toes pointing out. Check the exercise guide above for step-by-step instructions.
What are the benefits of box squats?
Box squats mainly target the inner thighs and glutes and help build a strong lower body. They are also a great way to develop techniques for other advanced squat variations and deadlifts.
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References
- Kraemer, W. J., Häkkinen, K., Newton, R. U., McCormick, M., Nindl, B. C., Volek, J. S., Gotshalk, L. A., Fleck, S. J., Campbell, W. W., Gordon, S. E., Farrell, P. A., & Evans, W. J. (1998). Acute hormonal responses to heavy resistance exercise in younger and older men. European journal of applied physiology and occupational physiology, 77(3), 206–211. https://doi.org/10.1007/s004210050323
- Coratella, G., Tornatore, G., Caccavale, F., Longo, S., Esposito, F., & Cè, E. (2021). The Activation of Gluteal, Thigh, and Lower Back Muscles in Different Squat Variations Performed by Competitive Bodybuilders: Implications for Resistance Training. International journal of environmental research and public health, 18(2), 772. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18020772
