With every body part lies an exercise synonymous with its supposed optimal development. There can be no more illustrious a pairing than the legs and the squat. However, just because the two are so frequently linked in training literature does not automatically grant its hegemonic position.
Who’s Right? Like many theories within the confines of this industry, be it a nutritional approach, training methodology or even individual exercise, these things are tools and are seldom the absolute answer to solving a problem. It’s my opinion that it’s no different in this case and no doubt the squat, in any of it’s given variations is a phenomenal tool for lower body development, providing it can be executed with technical proficiency of course. Yet due to the complex nature of the squat pattern and the fact that our natural mechanics are being altered by the unprecedented amount of time spent on our derrieres, has resulted in an extremely low percentage of people with the mechanics to perform a full squat. Although the squat may not be the one and only exercise as a “primal movement pattern”, purely as a movement it is something that should undoubtedly be integrated into a complete training regime.
Why Box Squat?
Warm up
The Program
Order |
Exercise |
Reps |
Tempo |
Sets |
Rest (secs) |
A1 |
Safety Bar Box Squat |
10-12 |
4010 |
3 |
60-90’s |
B1 |
Hip Thrusts |
10-12 |
3010 |
3 |
60’s |
B2 |
KB swings |
20 |
3020 |
3 |
60’s |
C1 |
FFE DB Split Squat |
10-12 |
3011 |
3 |
60’s |
C2 |
Back Sled drag |
2 lengths |
XXXX |
3 |
60’s |
D1 |
Leg Press |
25 |
3010 |
2 |
60’s |
Written by David Lewis