These days everyone is heading toward fitness and strength gains. And in this journey, box squats are one of the highly appreciated exercises. But have you wondered about the benefits of box squats or how this can help the body if you do it properly? If yes, then you dived to the right page as we have all the required information which can make your weightlifting, muscles, and lower body much better.
Table of Contents
What do box squats mean?
Box squats are one of the varieties of traditional squats but the only difference is that during box squats the individual has to sit on the bench when he/she does the bottom movement. This exercise is mostly done by fitness freaks and powerlifters who want to have more strength in the legs’ muscles.
From the glutes and hips to the calves, the effective results of box squats can be seen all around the lower body. If you want then you can also hold weights in your hand while performing it so that your upper body also gets the hit of power.
In summary, the only difference between traditional squats and box squats is “body posture while going down”. During the usual squats, an individual has to maintain a continuous flow of movement whereas during the box squats, an individual has to take a minor pause for sitting on the box and then stand up which results in exclusive benefits.
5 Benefits of box squats
Box squats are beneficial for all sorts of people irrespective of their stage, gender, height, and need. Yes, the purpose of performing it can vary from one to another but the advantages are literally mind-blowing. So, let’s see what you can get by doing it:
1. Build the body stronger
One of the major benefits of box squats is that it activates and works on the entire lower body which includes quads, glutes, calves, hamstrings, and core as well. By holding some weight in your hands can also ace up your upper body’s strength which will obviously maintain the balance of the body. It has more peak power and peak force than traditional squats.
2. Give comfort to knees
People with previous knee injuries find traditional squats very difficult to do as they need to put more pressure on the knees to sit and touch the ground. But on the other hand, box squats are a bit easier for them as it reduces tension and load from the knee. Apart from this, it also helps in correcting the posture for those who find that their knees go way too forward while squatting.
3. Can be done anywhere
Whether you go to a high-tech gym or prep yourself at home only, box squats can be done anywhere effortlessly. It is extremely versatile and can be performed with any setup. From high-box and low-box to front-box and sumo-box squats, you can literally go with any type as per your comfort and desires. In total, you can adjust it according to your set-up, skills, and level of exercise in the gym.
4. Gives more power
Doing box squats can increase your rate of force development which basically means how faster the muscles produce force, energy, and pressure on the body for taking the action. The reason behind this is that box squats need a short break on the box or bench which demands frequent force and energy to stand up again. Many studies say that it has thrice the time of RFD than normal squats which help in generating more strength, stamina, and acceleration during your exercises.
5. Best activator
A lot of athletes perform box squats as their primer so that they can ace the lifting. Performing it fast with minimal weight in hand can lead to benefits as a neuromuscular activator or warm-up. Above all this, it is one of the best exercises to do with the least mobility for getting higher strength.
How to do box squats properly?
We all know that a minor mistake during exercises can lead to major body posture issues. And that is why we came up with the right steps for performing box squats so that you get all the desired benefits from it. Let’s begin!
- Start with keeping a chair, bench, or box behind you.
- Make sure that your legs are wide and your toes are straight.
- Prepare your barbell and warm up a bit to make your body activated.
- Now, take a deep breath so your chest becomes taller and get yourself ready for the main action.
- Set the barbell on the shoulders once again.
- Start bending your knees slowly to go down. Keep going until your butt feels the box or bench.
- The moment you reach there, sit on the prop for a couple of seconds.
- Now, exhale the breath and put effort into the feet and hips for standing again.
- While doing this, your main focus should be on giving pressure to the glutes and calves.
And this is how you can perform box squats correctly and have immense strength in your lower body.
How to practice box squats?
There are in general two ways to include it in daily routine. The first one is for beginners or intermediate powerlifters which says that they should perform it like regular squats on the dedicated leg day workout. It also includes that the lifter should do it twice a week and go from regular to box squats.
On the other hand, the second one is to do four to five sets of five reps on the leg day workout which is mainly suggested for experienced weightlifters. And this is how you can easily get more muscle power and strength.
Conclusion
Above we talked about the steps and benefits of box squats which can help in achieving many desired gym goals. This exercise might seem a bit complex but is very beneficial for knee injuries, improving body posture, getting calves muscles, and increasing strength.
If you found this article helpful then please share your reviews in the comment box. You can also connect with us for further information or queries. So, pull a box and start squatting today only.
FAQs
- What are the different types of box squats?
There are almost seven types of box squats that an individual can practice which includes high-box squat, low-box squat, single-leg box squat, box squat jump, sumo box squat, front box squat, and goblet box squat.
- Do box squats are easier than traditional squats?
No, it is a bit harder than regular squats as it requires more strength and stamina to lift up after touching the box with the butt.
- For whom box squats are highly-preferred?
It is highly recommended for powerlifters, athletes, and those individuals who want to make their lower body stronger.
