[quote]malonetd wrote:
A few thoughts on squatting and box squatting:
First thing to know is that you can use a box for any squat you want. Back squats, front squats, zercher squats can all be done with a box.
Second, you can use different heights of boxes. You can go parallel, higher, or lower. They’re all good tools in helping you squat bigger. Also, I’m finding that many people think box squats are only for speed and dynamic effort lifting. Not true. You can box squat with any rep/set/weight scheme that you choose.
As far as frequency, I think everyone can squat twice a week. I also think most people should be doing some form of squatting at least twice a week, unless you have a specific set of goals that do not coincide with this.
I also believe anyone that has the physical ability to safely squat can do at least a double bodyweight squat. In fact, most can and should shoot for a triple bodyweight squat. (Triple bodyweight might be out of range for many female lifters. I don’t have enough personal experience with female lifters to know. But I think most females can get to double bodyweight with a little determination.)
There’s already a lot of great articles on squatting that are better than anything I could write on the subject. It’s always a good idea to re-read some of these articles periodically. It helps to keep the ideas fresh in the mind. Moving on, I have a few squatting tips, I don’t often see in articles:
Squatting is about getting under the bar and having weight on your back. It’s uncomfortable, it hurts, and it can be scary. I think the fear is what holds most people back. To squat bigger you have to get over the fear and get comfortable with bigger weights on your back. The easiest way to do this is to put bigger weights on your back.
Do some heavy walkouts. Load the bar heavier than your max squat and set up as if you were about to squat that weight. Unrack it and step back into position. If you feel you can handle it, and if you have room in your rack, step back again. Hold the weight on your back for a few seconds and re-rack the weight. Do this once every two or three weeks and heavier weights will become less intimidating.
Another movement that works well is what I call squat lockouts. Set the pins in the rack about 5 inches below where the bar would be if you were standing in a locked-out squat position. Put the bar on the pins and once again load it heavier than your max squat – much heavier.
Once the bar is loaded, get under it and squat it up. You will have a very small range of motion, but that’s what you want for this movement. You want your mind and body to know that it has the ability to stand up and hold much heavier weight than what you are squatting with. Again, do this once every two weeks.
Lastly, you can do very high box squats, 18-22 inches, depending on your height. Like before, you can go heavier than you squat max on these, though not as much as the previous two movements.
If you rotate the above movements into your squatting routine, you will grow more comfortable and more confident with heavier weights on your back. And that translates into bigger squats. However, you must continue to do some full ROM squatting, too. It doesn’t matter if it is box or free squatting; you need to continue to work the deep portion of the ROM as well.
Happy Squatting[/quote]
This is great advice. I have found through trial and error almost the same exact things in my own training. Get that heavy ass weight on your back!