Squat · Intermediate
Box Squat
Compound squat exercise using barbell, squat rack, plyo box.
- Movement pattern
- Squat
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
- Equipment
- Barbell, Squat rack, Plyo box
- Mechanics
- Compound
- Sides
- Bilateral
- Main plane
- Sagittal
How to do the Box Squat
Setup
Bar racked on your back as in a standard squat, box or bench set at a height that lets you sit to at least parallel.
Squat down under control until you sit back onto the box, keeping your shins relatively vertical and your weight in your heels.
Pause briefly on the box without relaxing your hips or spine, then drive back up.
Don't bounce off the box -- the pause is meant to remove momentum from the ascent, which is the whole point of the exercise.
Common mistakes
Bouncing off the box instead of pausing, which defeats the purpose of removing stretch-reflex assistance from the lift.
Fully relaxing your hips/lower back at the bottom instead of staying braced while seated on the box.
Muscles worked
Primary
How the knowledge graph models this movement
Hip extension
Knee extension
Spine extension