A couple of training questions:
Box squats - After some lower back issues several years back, I switched to box squats almost exclusively for my compound leg movement. I’ve made good gains with this (strength and size), but wondering if this movement robs me of something that needs to get back to normal squatting?
BN OHP - When I was early 20’s (25 years ago), I trained OHP behind neck only and never had issues. For some reason it always felt more natural to me (I’m tall and lanky, always had a tendency to arch lower back). Now being a desk jockey for umpteen years, my mobility (t-spine, posture) has suffered and overhead work has been non-existent for a while. Have been addressing these issues, and making good progress over the past 6 months, and have started incorporating overhead work again. BN still feels more natural to me (wide, snatch type grip), but after reading so many negative comments about BN (Wendler hates these, and I respect his opinions), wanting some feedback on overhead work / behind the neck?
BN OHP: I’ve always done them, but I do them realizing it is a stretch and I can’t bounce it and I can’t push the weight the way I can with a more biomechanically sound lift. Without them and OHS I can’t get into position to catch a snatch. I hear you with the desk work, I have the posture of an ape now and my arms barely past my ears overhead.
I’m going to muddy the waters and say I think box squats can be great or can suck depending on the quality of the box you have and the depth you do them to. Some people use boxes as an excuse to squat pretty high and I thik that does rob them of something. If done to ood depth though they work as well as any squat variant.
As far as BTN presses I hate them but really the oly thing that matters if why you are doing them. If its instead of OHP then I think they suck. If its to just do some shoulder work then I think they are fine.
If you can get away with BTN presses with no pain, I feel it will hit your delts better than your standard OHP…I would do both if I were you heavy on the standard OH Press, and turn your BTN press with light high rep Klokov Presses since you already do it in a snatch grip.
As far as Box squatting goes, Im not a fan of it for raw lifters. BUT if you are hurt and its the only way you could do them, then they are better tha nothing. If you are box squatting, do not box squat like a geared lifter where you kind of rock back and lose your tightness, box squat like Stan Efferding does with light touch of the box (lol) as if it was on fire and you do not lose your tightness…
Thanks for the feedback guys. I do go past parallel when box squatting, and due to my past lower back issues, found that I can stay more upright doing these - but yes MattyXL, I do have a tendency to rock back vs. touch n go…I will keep that in mind thanks.
Probably best to keep working on and improving my mobility issues so I can strengthen OHP, I definitely want to strengthen and improve numbers overhead and not just a light training tool. But like you said MXL I do feel BN hitting delts solid. And yes the stretch feels good for my mobility issues Corrmhona. Appreciate the comments…very helpful.
I started at a hard core gym one year ago. All the squats are box squats. All. Even when using the belted hip squat machine, they shove a bench under your ass.
Finally the let me do regular squats a few weeks ago. Almost like learning it all over again.
I’m in favor of box if it helps you find the proper depth and if it helps build strength. But if you want to do regular squat, you’re learning a different exercise.