Box Squats: What is a Good Stance?

[Louden_Swain]

Power maniacs,

When you perform box squats, how wide is your stance? I can never get comfortable with the really wide stance. I prefer to use a shoulder width stance. What do you guys and gals prefer?

[Redeemer]

I've experimented with a variety of widths, and I'm at slightly wider than shoulder right now.

I'd go wider, but I lack the flexibility to keep my knees out.

[GUEST]

The goal is flexibility, power, and speed.

Most people start out perfroming box squats with a narrow (shoulder width) stance because they do infact lack the flexibility to perform them wider! Try to gradually spread yourself out..1/4 ich by 1/4 inch.

I go with a sumo stance. My legs are 3-4 inches wider than my shoulders. I have extremely broad shoulders!!! It is a challenge esp bc you will realize how strong your hips, hams, and glutes really are.

[Louden_Swain]

I really need to improve flexibility of the hips. . . .with a wide stance, I cannot reach parallel. I guess I will have to rip a few ass fibers to get down there.

[Redeemer]

I have problems with hip and hamstring flexibility, so I've been trying to work those as much as I can.

I like seated GM's with my feet out wide...I get a real good stretch out of it, and my hammies are fried afterwards.

I've also been doing Dimels, pullthroughs, and dip squats.

[Louden_Swain]

Originally posted by Redeemer
I have problems with hip and hamstring flexibility, so I've been trying to work those as much as I can.

I like seated GM's with my feet out wide...I get a real good stretch out of it, and my hammies are fried afterwards.

I've also been doing Dimels, pullthroughs, and dip squats.

These are great exercises!!

Redeemer, are you a powerlifter?

[b fold the truth]

The outside of my feet are slightly wider than the inside collars on the bar...so 52"+ I think.

B True

[Redeemer]

Originally posted by louden_swain
These are great exercises!!

Redeemer, are you a powerlifter?

Yup yup. I train with Spatts and Hannibal.

:D

[Louden_Swain]

Originally posted by Redeemer
Yup yup. I train with Spatts and Hannibal.

:D

Yep. . .you are certainly a powerlifter!!:D

[Susan]

;)

[HANNIBAL]

I train with as wide a stance as possible. When using a monolift my feet touch the sides....so 60". When I have to walk it out it is difficult to get them that wide.

[RED DRAGON]

I Have Been Working On Widening My Stance Also.

[MAXPOWER]

Get wiiiiiiiiide. Work on the flexibility and get wide or else you really aren't working the box squat like it should be done. www.westside-barbell.com Louie Simmons is the man. Read his articles about box squatting. They have enhanced my life.

[Rob The Filthy]

Vary your widths as well as the box height, majority of people can get a wide stance and alot of power from it. I personally can't, but that doesn't mean you won't squat big, prime example Brian Weston 1000lb squatter at 230 lb uses a stance that is alittle wider than shoulder width. A wider stance does mean less movement to reach parallel, so in essence is more affective from a powerlifting stand point.

[ruspa81]

On speed I go very wide. On ME day, I vary my stance.

[MAXPOWER]

Vary your widths as well as the box height, majority of people can get a wide stance and alot of power from it. I personally can't, but that doesn't mean you won't squat big, prime example Brian Weston 1000lb squatter at 230 lb uses a stance that is alittle wider than shoulder width. A wider stance does mean less movement to reach parallel, so in essence is more affective from a powerlifting stand point.

The point of a wide stance on a box is to develop hip power. Bottom line...If you aren't doing everything you can to get wide on the box, then you aren't using the box squat for what it's meant for. Shoulder width won't cut it. If your quads are supporting a majority of your squat then its more comfortable to be more narrow. Work to your weaknesses to develop absolute power. "Some of the best squatters in the world have strong quads, some don't. But they all have strong hamstrings." (Paraphrased from Louie Simmons) Wide on the box maximizes speed/power for hip extension.

[Rob The Filthy]

The point of a wide stance on a box is to develop hip power. Bottom line...If you aren't doing everything you can to get wide on the box, then you aren't using the box squat for what it's meant for. Shoulder width won't cut it. If your quads are supporting a majority of your squat then its more comfortable to be more narrow. Work to your weaknesses to develop absolute power. "Some of the best squatters in the world have strong quads, some don't. But they all have strong hamstrings." (Paraphrased from Louie Simmons) Wide on the box maximizes speed/power for hip extension.

All is true , but I never said "shoulder width" that would be very bad an ruff on the knees. Box not only strengthens your hips, but trains you to reverse momentum.

[ruspa81]

All is true , but I never said "shoulder width" that would be very bad an ruff on the knees. Box not only strengthens your hips, but trains you to reverse momentum.

Are you guys saying you never go narrow on box squats? From what I have read on elitefts and heard from people on this site, is that you should go narrow on ME days to train a different range of motion and to give your hips a break.

[Zander]

ruspa, keep doing what you're doing. Go as wide as possible on speed day and use both "close" (being a relative term) and wide stances on ME day. There's a lot to be said for varying your ME box squat stance, especially for carryover to your conventional deadlift.

[Rob The Filthy]

[ There's a lot to be said for varying your ME box squat stance, especially for carryover to your conventional deadlift.[/QUOTE]

Very true.

[Rob The Filthy]

Are you guys saying you never go narrow on box squats? From what I have read on elitefts and heard from people on this site, is that you should go narrow on ME days to train a different range of motion and to give your hips a break.

My school of thought is you want to give your hips a break, lay off the core work for a while. I am definetly the type of lifter thats gets stronger by taking some good old rest.

[Nay]

The wider the better, so much more power comes from the hips. each month gradually work it as wide out.

[jcp2]

My school of thought is you want to give your hips a break, lay off the core work for a while. I am definetly the type of lifter thats gets stronger by taking some good old rest.

I agree, whenever i miss a few training sessions due to life, i always seem to come back stronger. As far as box squats go, i am a few inches wider than shoulder width, i must be doing something right, because i have not felt a thing in my quads from box squats since i started doing them.