Box squats vs REgular for MA

[True2KungFu]

For the past year ive only done box squats, and i just recently got up to 325 today, i then figured id do a few sets of free squats after my squat workout, got like 3 with 275 with some difficulty.... so i am wondering, what is harder, box or free squats? Which has more athletic carryover as well? Should i just stick with box squats?

Also, i was thinking of adding Glute Ham Raises into my routine, is that a good good excercise for kicking strength, or should i stick with stiff legged deads and whatnot?

 

[Ted-P]

You did the same thing as I did and I regret the decision now.

Depends which exercise you use as the regular if you wanna assess the difficulty level.

I would use free squats as the main exercise, because of the full range of motion.

 

[dogmai]

I second that! Deep squats are the best! Use box-squats as an assistance exercise, and make the traditional squat your meat and potatoes!

 

[anvar]

everything is good and everything is bad...the trick is to know what to use at the right time for your body, and for your goal

 

[dogmai]

everything is good and everything is bad...the trick is to know what to use at the right time for your body, and for your goal

... huh?

 

[peregrine]

box squats have there place. most people use squats as the base and do box squats on a seperate note.
btw how high is your box?

 

[True2KungFu]

the box is a little below parallel

 

[Mark Limbaga]

Are you using it as an assistance for your regular squats?

 

[True2KungFu]

No, its my main and pretty much only squat.

 

[SmashiusClay]

I prefer deep squats, I see them as having more of a carryover to my mma (bigger range of motion etc). I tried doing only box squats when i first started doing heavy squats and found they did'nt have anything like the same effect on my ability to use my legs on the ground or explode into throws and strikes, I can see the point of using them as an assisstance for your weak point though.

 

[colinm]

i remember reading that the guys at westside do boxsquats almost exclusively. ive just started doing box squats and i like them a lot, i also put up considerably less weight with the box squat.

 

[SmashiusClay]

i remember reading that the guys at westside do boxsquats almost exclusively. ive just started doing box squats and i like them a lot, i also put up considerably less weight with the box squat.

Yeah I remember seeing that but guessed it was more focused on powerlifting than on gpp.

 

[gruesome]

If you never free squat, going from box to free will be a problem.

One isnt better than the other, they are different. Simply mix it up, 3 weeks box, 3 weeks back squat, 3 weeks front squat, etc. Constantly mixing it up would be ideal for an athlete.

 

[Ian Coe]

I found the same problem when I did exlcusively box squats.

My body wasn't used to the load so I couldn't squat anywhere near what I used to (it went down 100lbs or so in a 3 month period because all I was doing was box squats with considerable less weight then I was free squatting). In future I'll do it as a varient after the main lift as people have already mentioned

 

[Mark Limbaga]

For building strength, regular squats. For building power, box squats

 

[CoachB40]

I found the same problem when I did exlcusively box squats.

My body wasn't used to the load so I couldn't squat anywhere near what I used to (it went down 100lbs or so in a 3 month period because all I was doing was box squats with considerable less weight then I was free squatting). In future I'll do it as a varient after the main lift as people have already mentioned

100lbs in a 3 month period, while performing box squats? I could not squat at all for 3 months and not drop near that much. Your weight difference should vary on the height of the box, so if your box was parallel you shouldn't have dropped.

 

[True2KungFu]

Maybe its because i free squat ass to the grass and my box squat is higher. Im going to lower the box i spose.

 

[Ian Coe]

100lbs in a 3 month period, while performing box squats? I could not squat at all for 3 months and not drop near that much. Your weight difference should vary on the height of the box, so if your box was parallel you shouldn't have dropped.

maybe I should check my log before I state such things :redface:


It probably wasn't that much......I think it went from 135kg free to 110 after 3 months of box squats, so.....25kg.....about 60lbs.