Squats with a seat?

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  • born2drum
    born2drum Posts: 731 Member
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    I was just about to say that they use it as a guide. It's smart if you're a noob to squats. I used the stoppers as a guide when I first stared squats on smith machine.
  • mustgetmuscles1
    mustgetmuscles1 Posts: 3,346 Member
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    Box squats are not dangerous to your spine. You are not totally relaxing and sitting there with 300lbs on your back having a conversation and twisting around. You are keeping everything tight, especially your core, and pausing just long enough to relax your hip muscles and break the rebound effect. Your vertebrae get no more squashed down than doing a normal squat.

    Box squats are used to build glute and hamstring strength, to build power out of the bottom position of the lift, and to help teach and practice proper technique of sitting back into your squat. It's not "bro lifts", it's not bad for you. They have a very useful purpose in a strength program. Why do you think so many powerlifters and strength athletes use them?

    Now, I will say, doing them in the Smith machine (doing ANYTHING in the Smith machine) is a waste of time, and doing them with a bench that is too high isn't as good, though a high box squat does have it's place as an assistance exercise..

    I've done box squats for years. I have no knee problems and no back problems from doing them. I used to go pretty heavy too, over 600lbs.

    ^ yep
  • Leadfoot_Lewis
    Leadfoot_Lewis Posts: 1,623 Member
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    box squatting. It's a technique thing. Hilarious to see it used with a smith machine.

    Hilarious to see ANYsquats done on a Smith Machine, but that's an entirely other thread...

    Box Squats are great. I throw them in my workouts every couple of weeks. They have really helped with my squat depth.
  • iamkass
    iamkass Posts: 122 Member
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    I'm a new lifter. Can someone tell me why the Smith Machine is bad? I thought the whole purpose of it's existence was to teach proper form.
  • mustgetmuscles1
    mustgetmuscles1 Posts: 3,346 Member
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    http://youtu.be/2ME8gEN54Ao?t=2m39s
  • triciamarie
    triciamarie Posts: 70 Member
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    I do squats with a chair in my KB class and trainer says the lower you go the higher your butt gets so believe me in touch that seat!
  • AshleyPaleo
    AshleyPaleo Posts: 121
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    The first time I did a squat I freaked out and fell sideways, I then put the bench under me, and it helped a lot! I have a huge *kitten*, and it still hurt when I fell. Now I no longer need the bench or smith machine.
  • mrsyac2
    mrsyac2 Posts: 2,784 Member
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    I see more and more people at the gym doing squats with a bench under them. They put the safety locks up on the Smith Machine then pull a bench up under them as they do squats.

    What is the purpose of the bench? I am assuming to hit that ~90 degree mark.

    It's to get low. many people don't squat deep enough.. Sitting on a seat is just like doing a squat. You aren't supposed to sit but it's nice to know you are dropping your squat low enough..
  • Troublemonster
    Troublemonster Posts: 223 Member
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    I do box squats with a bench but I am 6'3" and a bench is just about the right depth for me, maybe just a tad high but it's the only other thing available for me in the weight room other than platforms that are WAY too low. I use them after my heavy squats as an accessory lift.

    Most people probably should not squat to a bench, you need to find something that when you sit down upon it you are at least at or slightly below parallel.

    And yeah, I see the trainers at my YMCA trying to show people how to squat once in a while in the Smith Machine, most of them don't seem to know much about squatting or those other compounds. I don't understand why they all seem to be able to teach people to do curls while standing on one leg on a balance board but not the basic lifts.
  • grimendale
    grimendale Posts: 2,153 Member
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    I'm a new lifter. Can someone tell me why the Smith Machine is bad? I thought the whole purpose of it's existence was to teach proper form.

    Smith machine is to teach you proper bench press form. It's terrible for squat form since it forces you to drop the weight in a straight line wather than follow your back's natural curvature. Smith machines also eliminate the need for stabilizer muscles, so you get a less effective workout as the machine does part of the work for you. It has it's place, but it's better to avoid it if possible. I'll use the smith if I really need to bench but can't get a spot. That's about the only time, though.
  • danimalkeys
    danimalkeys Posts: 982 Member
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    I'm a new lifter. Can someone tell me why the Smith Machine is bad? I thought the whole purpose of it's existence was to teach proper form.

    Smith machine is to teach you proper bench press form. It's terrible for squat form since it forces you to drop the weight in a straight line wather than follow your back's natural curvature. Smith machines also eliminate the need for stabilizer muscles, so you get a less effective workout as the machine does part of the work for you. It has it's place, but it's better to avoid it if possible. I'll use the smith if I really need to bench but can't get a spot. That's about the only time, though.

    It's not so good for bench either because a proper bench doesn't follow a straight up and down path, much the same as a good squat doesn't go straight up and down either.
  • jenilla1
    jenilla1 Posts: 11,118 Member
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    The trainers at my gym always start new people with a box, then move it away. I think it's to get them used to the movement and make sure they go down far enough.
  • jhc7324
    jhc7324 Posts: 200 Member
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    I see more and more people at the gym doing squats with a bench under them. They put the safety locks up on the Smith Machine then pull a bench up under them as they do squats.

    What is the purpose of the bench? I am assuming to hit that ~90 degree mark.

    It's to get low. many people don't squat deep enough.. Sitting on a seat is just like doing a squat. You aren't supposed to sit but it's nice to know you are dropping your squat low enough..
    But when I squat with a bench behind me, I'm not able to get to parallel (not even close), and neither are most of the people I see doing that.
  • BonaFideUK
    BonaFideUK Posts: 313 Member
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    Its called a box squat. Its usually a technique that helps breaks plateaus on your squat weight because its more difficult to start from a dead stop (sitting). Although its almost entirely pointless to do it on a smith machine.
  • minijuggernaut
    minijuggernaut Posts: 98 Member
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    I'm a new lifter. Can someone tell me why the Smith Machine is bad? I thought the whole purpose of it's existence was to teach proper form.

    This is the best explanation I've found - says it better than I can.
    http://www.liftbigeatbig.com/2012/09/squats-barbell-vs-smith-machine.html

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