box squat sticking points

my current cycle to close out the summer is working on alot of weak points. this is because once classes start again i have to cut back from 6 sessions a week to 4 which is the perfect time to start westside.

so last night i was doing box squats. i noticed a big gain over the previous weeks weights as i think my technique is alot better now (thanks to reviewing the squating from head to toe article in detail). however in my last 2 sets i found that i had a slight sticking point about 3-4 inches out of the lift. the box i am using is about 1 inch below my knee when i stand next to it.

what can i do to work on this weakness? keep in mind im in a university gym and i can’t do some exercises like glute ham raises.

what percents have you been working at? Its really hard to tell without seeing. Keep bringing up the hamstrings, low back, and glutes and abs.

i was pretty sure it was posterior chain that is holding me back… i have a good routine to strengthen my lowerback but the glutes/hams are a grey area for me. currently aside from my box squats im doing stiff legged deadlifts… do u know any other really effective lifts that could be done for hams/glutes especially in a limited equipment gym like mine (aside from normal benches and one squat rack there is all the standard crap like a smith machine, those universal stations, etc).
i know of a few hamstring exercises, but dont really know which ones are the most effective.

read some articles on westside. i dont have a reverse hyper or glute ham raise either. check out elitefts as well.

im actually reading that site right now… yup im REALLY bored at work. (and i had just got up from my desk to get some water for my protein shake and man can i feel those box squats now).

Do glute/ham raises. It is easy, and you don’t really need any special machine to do it.

  1. Put a bench sticking out from the squat rack.

  2. Set the bar rests (with a bar on them) outside of the squat rack so they are about an inch above where your feet would be if you stuck them under the bar whil kneeling on the bench.

  3. Put weight on the bar (about what you way should work.

  4. Wrap a towel (or one of those thing some people to use to pad the bar while squatting) aroun the bar, or you will kill your ankles.

  5. Kneel on the bench, and start the glute/ham raise.

our squat rack is non adjustable… maybe i shouldnt even call it a squat rack :\

I have to load up on olympic bar, then I place dbs in front of it to keep it from rolling around, and I do my glute ham raises on the floor.

Have you tried to set the box up at that sticking point? and using that, then slowly working your way back down over a peroid of time?

If you are generating speed off the box you wont fail there. but its tough to tell without seeing. Tape it if you can and put it online.

You will always have a sticking point, no matter how strong you get. It’s just part of the game.

im gonna give what paul does a shot and incorporate those next week…

for those first 3 inches off the box i am generating power, but then its a pause where i can feel a give right before the rest of my power output comes out (i hope u know what i mean :). i know there will always be some point u work on to get better, but im not really advanced at squat yet so i know what problems i have are probably easily addressable right now.