One of the easiest exercises to make major strides in leg strength is oftentimes the one move many inexperienced and even some experienced lifters avoid: the box squat. Some think it’s unnecessary while others are a little overwhelmed by the setup and execution. But what if you were told this somewhat intimidating move can be the muscle-building missing link to explosive power and injury-proof legs? However, to get the benefits of this squat variation, performing it correctly is a must.
Former Ms. Olympia Dana Linn Bailey pulls back the curtain and shares the step-by-step secrets you’ll need to turn box-squat dread into your ultimate strength-boosting weapon.
Why Box Squats Hit Different
It’s not just the 2013 Physique Olympia winner who is a fan of box squats. For decades box squats have been a major complementary exercise for building leg strength and power for many of the world’s top strength athletes. The late weightlifting icon Louie Simmons, included box squats in most of his athletes’ training programs.
According to the founder of Westside Barbell, Box squats delivered rapid progress by nearly guaranteeing consistent, below-parallel depth on every rep. The move targeted the posterior chain, while sitting back to a set box height loads the hips, glutes, hamstrings, and low back while keeping shins vertical to reduce knee stress. This benefit helped many athletes who were going through injury rehabilitation. By mixing up heights and stances, athletes could expand mobility and flexibility safely. And because box squats produce less soreness, you recover faster and can train effective submaximal waves to build maximal strength efficiently.
While the benefits are wide-ranging, nailing the technique, Bailey says in a recent Instagram post, is critical to making gains.
“Box squats are all about taking the momentum out so you can build pure power and strength from the bottom of your squat,” says Bailey. Unlike regular squats, box squats teach you to “sit back,” firing up the glutes and hamstrings while taking stress off your knees. “You want the box at an angle so it doesn’t flip over on you—feet set wide, coming down slow until you’re just at or below parallel.” By slowing it down, you eliminate cheating—pausing at the bottom before exploding up builds raw, unmatched strength.
How to Do a Box Squat
- Set the box at an angle—corner out—so it won’t flip. Adjust height so your thighs are parallel or just below when seated.
- Plant your feet and keep shins nearly vertical.
- Sit back slowly. Do not plop down on the box or rock back and forth when touching. “You sit on it gently. You take momentum completely out,” explains Bailey.
- Pause a second, keeping tension tight within your core. If you begin to lose tension, Bailey says it’s time to reset. “The point isn’t to sit and rock; remove the momentum.”
- Drive up as if pushing the floor away, this is where you begin developing pure power!
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Common Mistakes
‘Plopping’ onto the box: When you drop too quickly instead of sitting back under control, you lose tension and let the box do the work, not your glutes and hamstrings. The goal is to lower yourself slowly and gently.
Rocking back and forth: Sitting and then rocking your upper body before standing up generates unwanted—some refer to it as “fake” momentum. This type of movement takes away from any type of muscle activation you should be getting—possibly putting your back at risk of an injury. Avoid this by pausing briefly on the box and keeping the focus on driving straight up.
Losing tension at the bottom: The goal of the movement is to stay tight throughout your core and legs, so “relaxing” at the bottom must be avoided. “If you lose tension at the bottom, you’re doing it wrong,” Bailey says.
Knees caving in: Letting your knees fall toward each other as you sit or stand can strain your joints, which may diminish your power out of the hole. A good rule of thumb is to keep your knees tracking over your toes the entire time.
Setting the box too high or too low: A box that’s too high won’t let you hit depth. On the flip side, if it’s too low the chance for an injury or form breakdowns increases. Your best bet is to always set the box so you’re just parallel or slightly below parallel when seated.
Poor box placement: Not angling the box with a corner out can cause it to tip or interfere with your natural stance.
Going too heavy, too soon: Trying to max out your load before you’ve mastered proper technique is a recipe for disaster—and injury. Perfect your form first, then add weight later.