Originally Posted by Charles "good enough" Poliquin
The problem I have with box squats is that their application is limited to powerlifting. The reason being is the goal of powerlifting is to lift the highest amount of weight for the shortest amount of distance within the rules. Essentially in the box squat, your shins don't travel forward. Now I don't know of any sport where the shins don't travel forward for propulsion. So the mechanics of the box squat aren't found in sport.
Do you think all the Westside people are up in arms yet and have me on their hit list? But it's the Bruce Lee principle again: use what is useful and reject what is not. Box squats are the only thing in the Westside system I don't agree with. They only have applications for powerlifting.
Also, any sort of restricted movement pattern tends to change soft tissue integrity. One thing you'll find with people who do a lot of box squats is that they're abnormally tight in the piriformis muscle, for example. In sports where you have to change direction a lot, the box squat will actually decrease your power because you won't be able to use those muscles efficiently.
Finally, most of the athletes I have are highly paid. There's a risk when doing box squats of the athlete bouncing on the box due to lack of concentration. The trauma that can result on the sacral vertebraes could be tremendous. There are just better alternatives. If you're a powerlifter, they're great. If you're any other type of athlete, stay away from the box squat.
I'm an interesting case here because I'm one of the few people that takes things for what they are, rather than who wrote them. I will not disprect Poliquin in the least bit, the man has done things for athletes that most people can't even fathom but in my opinion, that does not make him infallible.
The box squat movement is not directly transferred over in to a sport movement, but then again the squat movement is rarely duplicated. He touches on the subject of propulsion and an athlete moving forward but the squat is not a lift that directly translates to this either. The concept of the Squat, or pretty much any strength exercise, is not to directly copy the movement but to provide
strength for all movements. Simply put, the Squat is about a specific movement that varies very little from the box squat. If Poliquin believes that the Box Squat is harmful to an athlete who needs to be agile and have the ability to change directions, well then he is essentially saying the same thing about the squat.
The squat is not a movement based around the change of direction. Plyometrics, Skills Training, any countless amount of things can be directly focused on through other means. Now, the one thing I will agree is the risk of injury involved with Box Squats. If you simply just drop down on to the box without the proper form and muscle tightness, you will hurt yourself. However, one of the benefits of the box squat is a severe decrease in DOMS when compared to standard Squats. For an athlete doing heavy training, plyometrics, sprint work, and skill training - this can make a significant difference in training output.
Again, I am no Charles Poliquin, that's for sure - but that is my take on the subject.
http://stronglifts.com/do-you-make-t...ronglifts-5x5/
This is the actual article I was referring to about not messing with the program.
Now, I do believe he should quit overanalyzing thigns and simply work on a routine but I do not like that link. Stronglifts has built an incredible reputation here even though he has some very questionable principles.
His 5x5 routine borderlines on overtraining, if not completely crossing the line. The article you linked to above bothers me on several levels. First, it assumes his program (which wasn't original in the first place) is the best and has no flaws. He tells you that if you're sore, to work out anyways even though it's often more beneficial to rest the body to avoid over-training. He says working out is the best way to reduce soreness. A few lines down he says if you over-estimate and lift too heavy, then you won't be able to go to the gym because you're sore. Simply put, while he has been glorified, he's still not much different than the average educated individual on the internet giving advice. While he is well learned and can pass on some wonderful knowledge, he still has flaws that bring him back down to reality.
