Box Squats: How to Advance

Box Squats: How to Advance

by | Jul 24, 2020 | Exercises, Exercises - Legs

The video below explains how to correctly perform and advance the box squat, so that you can eventually squat with perfect form.

WHO SHOULD USE THIS EXERCISE?

Beginners who lack the ideal bio-mechanics for squatting ass-to-the-grass. This could be down to poor glute activation, tight hip flexors, tight hamstrings, bad posture, other issues, or a combination of several factors. To find out more about your overall bio-mechanics you should take part in this mobility test first: https://immortal-training.com/overhead-squat-test/

HOW DO BOX SQUATS WORK?

Box Squats will enable you to slowly increase your squat depth over time without a high risk of injury. The movement can also trick the brain into aligning the pelvis and lumbar into the correct position during your descent. Something about having a target to aim your posterior towards makes this possible. Over time your neurological motor map will change. Thus retraining not only your body, but also your mind, to squat safely and correctly.

HOW TO PERFORM

Main Muscles: Gluteus Maximus, Hamstrings, Quadriceps

Key Points:

  • Keep your chest up, back straight & ass out
  • Hold a stick on the back of your shoulders
  • Stand with feet just outside of shoulder width, toes slightly pointed out
  • Squat down to the box, sit back slightly and drive yourself back up through the heels

 

Back-Side Split Squats

Back-Side Split Squats

by | Aug 7, 2018 | Blog, Exercises, Exercises - Legs, Exercises - Unique

 

BACK-SIDE SPLIT SQUATS

Side split squats are probably one of the most overlooked exercises on the gym floor and without good reason.

Pretty much all squats work in the sagittal plane. Split squats are the only ones that [I know of that] work in the frontal, which means that it has the potential to improve mobility and unlock new muscle fibers.

They work wonders for building strength in the gluteus muscles. As long as you are getting your legs down to a 90° angle you will be hitting gluteus maximus – the largest in the group. Squatting with all of your weight on one leg, with knees outside of your hip width, will bring gluteus medius into the movement. Gluteus medius is meant to stabilise the hips and knees.

Side split squats are also great for correcting hip imbalances that may occur when performing normal squats, which is something that is very common. A few weeks on these babies and problem solved (in most cases).

More than enough reasons to work side split squats into your leg routines!

✌🏾
Tayvis