Are box squats supposed to be easier than regular squats?

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armydreamers
armydreamers Posts: 175 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I just started SL5x5 and the squats are harder than I thought so my trainer is having me do box squats instead. To me they seem just as hard or maybe even harder because I sit all the way down and then have to get back up from sitting! Thoughts?

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  • CarlydogsMom
    CarlydogsMom Posts: 645 Member
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    He's having you do box squats as a way to build up to barbell squats. Welcome to the world of squats! Enjoy the ride as you will soon see progress, promise.
  • ericah971
    ericah971 Posts: 55 Member
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    You'll be surprised at how fast you'll get used to going ALL the way down and be able to load weight roo.
  • armydreamers
    armydreamers Posts: 175 Member
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    Thank you! I sure hope so! They are so much harder than they look! I have a hard time getting back up once I'm down. Like an old lady kinda. Lol
  • hill8570
    hill8570 Posts: 1,466 Member
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    Assuming you're doing barbell box squats, they actually are harder than standard squats. This is because you don't get to use the stretch reflex to start back up. And they force you to use your posterior chain instead of leaning forward and letting your quads do most of the work.
  • ShodanPrime
    ShodanPrime Posts: 226 Member
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    Not for me, they're a lot harder.


    Except for highbox squats, those are easier than normal squats.
  • armydreamers
    armydreamers Posts: 175 Member
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    So I'm not crazy! I thought they were harder...
  • cajuntank
    cajuntank Posts: 924 Member
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    armydreamers wrote: »
    So I'm not crazy! I thought they were harder...

    Correct. A caveat that you have to be careful of using box squats, is some people take that an excuse to lose tightness when they sit on the box. This teaches you an incorrect queue, so always stay tight and not just sit and relax a bit while you are there.
  • MelissaPhippsFeagins
    MelissaPhippsFeagins Posts: 8,063 Member
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    My physical therapist had me do box squats when I was having therapy for my hips and back. I started on the highest box and only touched my tush to the edge of it. I wasn't allowed to sit. Eventually I got to the box that put me below parallel and I love doing barbell squats now.
  • Willbenchforcupcakes
    Willbenchforcupcakes Posts: 4,955 Member
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    I miss box squats. Always found them at least more mentally challenging than regular squats but the carryover benefits made the challenge worth it.

    Soon. After my next meet I get to fully reload and then start working with the partials as needed.
  • SonyaCele
    SonyaCele Posts: 2,841 Member
    edited April 2016
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    for me box squats are harder than conventional squats. But generally most people don't understand that box squatting is not just squatting on a box.
    stay tight . dont relax and sit on the box, just touch and go , the tighter you stay at the bottom the easier you can come back up. lean back and use your glutes to squeeze you back up. some people take the cue of "spreaing the floor" with their feet to get their glutes activate and push them up.

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