Caporegime
Need to get my shoulders out actually...they're abysmal
***Gym Exercise Guide, and Form Discussion/Feedback***
- Thread starter icecold
- Start date
The videos in the squat section are box squats.
Front box squats are also good.
The most important question, however, is why do you want to do them?
You've also got a fair amount of backwards momentum as you hit your box.
I'd prefer a box that was an inch lower as well.
1. As stated in the OP, anything with a hard flat sole is suitable, so this doesn't have to be expensive. Trainers are rubbish, I only wear them when I'm not really doing any lifting. Not only are you creating an unstable lifting platform (Dear physio ball bicep curlers: no, this is not a good thing), you are also going to absorb a percentage of the force you deliver through your squishy heel.
If you've got weak ankles with poor flexibility, this is going to create all kinds of problems.
2. First and foremost, with any type of bar (sorry Morba
) you are at risk from being severely internally rotated at the top of the movement. The shoulder is extremely weak here, and this is where you're putting the most force through it. It's not a simple case of "just do them with good form", a high percentage of people CAN'T get their shoulders back into the right position at the top (see MWOD videos for shoulder internal rotation to see what I mean).This doesn't stop huge numbers of gym folk doing them, even if they're experiencing pain. Side note: just because you're not experiencing pain, it doesn't mean you're not damaging your shoulders.
A good method of testing whether you have internally rotated shoulders is to ask yourself the following questions: Do you sit at a desk? Do you bench press? If you answered yes, then you probably have internally rotated shoulders (which ironically means you're missing internal rotation when your should is in the right place). The mobility thread is there to save you
There will be some people who can do these safely, but most people don't know
that their movement is bad movement so assume that they are in this group.
The bottom line for me is this: it's a risky exercise, and there are alternatives that do a better job anyway.
Caporegime
Will have to have a look at that as answer to both of those questions is.... yes 
http://www.mobilitywod.com/2012/02/daily-prog-shoulder-internal-rotation-13.html
http://www.mobilitywod.com/2012/02/daily-prog-shoulder-internal-rotation-13.html
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Caporegime
I'll have a play with things ice and post up a video on Friday.
Will have to have a look at that as answer to both of those questions is.... yes
http://www.mobilitywod.com/2012/02/daily-prog-shoulder-internal-rotation-13.html
It's not that it's a guarantee, but it increases the chances by quite a lot.
As fair as I'm aware, internally rotated shoulders/tight pecs are responsible for a huge number of shoulder problems.
If you felt more powerful on your other set, you probably got the form right. It needs to feel basically the same as your regular squat apart from you're deloading the weight onto the box.
Caporegime
Just tried to do the barbell bit by holding my own shoulder and right hand goes to the floor, left gets close.
Will get into the garage later and try with my barbell
felt more of a pull in my back than my shoulders for some reason lol. Could be because i wasn't holding it down properly so compensating.
Will get into the garage later and try with my barbell
felt more of a pull in my back than my shoulders for some reason lol. Could be because i wasn't holding it down properly so compensating.
Caporegime
The other sets felt very different when I removed the rock forward. I felt pretty big contractions in my abductors and it was more controlled. I do love the explosiveness during the reps, but mostly I like that I focus more on driving properly from parallel.
Morba, it might be worth doing some of the more basic stretches first. That hits one aspect of limitation VERY hard
There are others in the mobility thread.
Look at these ones too:
http://www.mobilitywod.com/2010/11/episode-89-bro-your-internal.html
http://www.mobilitywod.com/2011/04/episode-229365-shoulder-internal-rotation-i-has-it.html
There are others in the mobility thread.
Look at these ones too:
http://www.mobilitywod.com/2010/11/episode-89-bro-your-internal.html
http://www.mobilitywod.com/2011/04/episode-229365-shoulder-internal-rotation-i-has-it.html
Caporegime
Is it wise to do shoulder dislocations before a chest workout?
Caporegime
If done gently and sensibly so the stretch isn't pulling your shoulders off then it's fine. I do something called the Brady Band Series before each work out. Look it up, it's great
Cheers chap
I saw someone doing them at the gym the other day and so I was just querying whether its worth it over the normal box squats and in what circumstances.
Sorry yeh, I skipped through the video but clearly didn't see the box squats part. Had another watch and will apply it on Thurs. I'm still working on flexibility and balance via tightening my core to stop my good-morning like technique.
Had a chat to a guy slightly taller than me at the gym today (he was pretty built and 6'7) about squatting, he was impressed and said it took him a long time to get over balance issues with squats.
Caporegime
Bosu ball squats? lol
I fall over backwards if I dont compensate by bringing the weight and my shoulders forward (got told it looked somewhat like a good morning).
Cant get anywhere near parallel with bodyweight squats without going over backwards
Caporegime
As Fen has said.
People say 'Keep the weight over your feet'...Problem, when some people do that they lean back too far, and just topple backwards
I meant, why are you doing box squats? They aren't really necessary for the vast majority of people. I actually stopped my American footballers doing them.
In my experience, they're an exercise that seems fancy so people think they'll help, without really knowing what they're helping or why they're doing them in general.
I'm not having a go at all, I'm just asking
If you just happen to want to do them I'm not going to criticise.You are probably missing ankle flexibility and so aren't able to bring your knees forward and out over your toes. Take a look at the guide linked to in the OP.
Oh ok, so that will actually be flexibility issues rather than balance. Most likely your posterior chain is tight, along with some restriction in ankle flexion which causes that problem.
Edit: ^ wizard. Well not really I just can't read
.Right so an update - been hitting my ankles doing some of the MWods but didn't have a chance today as someone had misplaced the bands 
- still used a hockey ball around the ankle.
RE. video: Was knackered before I got to the gym, particularly my core as I've been sleeping very little - final uni exam worries etc. - but thought I'd man up. Definitely not fixed yet but it looks a lot better than my previous squats. Still need to lock my core down (although I partially attribute this to the lack of recovery), particularly on the last 2 sets.
Oh and sorry for the blurry first video - the gym was horribly humid and I didn't realise there was moisture all over the lens.
In all honesty it was to try and work on my balance as I hoped they'd allow me to practice sitting back without the fear of overbalancing.
- still used a hockey ball around the ankle.RE. video: Was knackered before I got to the gym, particularly my core as I've been sleeping very little - final uni exam worries etc. - but thought I'd man up. Definitely not fixed yet but it looks a lot better than my previous squats. Still need to lock my core down (although I partially attribute this to the lack of recovery), particularly on the last 2 sets.
Oh and sorry for the blurry first video - the gym was horribly humid and I didn't realise there was moisture all over the lens.
I meant, why are you doing box squats?... I'm not having a go at all, I'm just asking
In all honesty it was to try and work on my balance as I hoped they'd allow me to practice sitting back without the fear of overbalancing.
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Man of Honour
The side angle looks good to me there but I think you'd really benefit from forcing the knees to stay out more. The knees coming in/wobbling about like that is a quick way to injure yourself.