Perform a controlled sit-back squat to a box with a barbell on your upper back, emphasizing hip drive and knee extension. The movement primarily loads the quadriceps.
How to do the Box Squat#
- Set a box at about parallel squat height behind you and rack the barbell across your upper back; grip the bar about shoulder-width.
- Stand with feet roughly shoulder-width apart, brace your core, and keep your chest up with a long spine.
- Begin by pushing your hips back and descend under control, allowing your knees to track slightly outward.
- Lightly make contact with the box without relaxing tension, then drive through your heels and mid-foot to extend the hips and return to standing.
- Re-establish full body tension before starting the next rep.
Muscles worked#
- Primary: Quads (Quadriceps Femoris), Glutes (Gluteus Maximus)
- Secondary: Hamstrings (Biceps Femoris, Semitendinosus & Semimembranosus), Adductors (Adductor Magnus, Longus & Brevis (Hip Adductors)), Lower back (Erector Spinae), Abs (Rectus Abdominis)
Common mistakes#
- Relaxing and sinking onto the box instead of maintaining tension.
- Allowing the knees to collapse inward.
- Letting the torso lean forward and rounding the lower back.
- Pushing through the toes instead of driving through the heels.
How much should you squat?#
What the average squat actually is, and what counts as beginner, intermediate, advanced, or elite at your bodyweight — for men and women, in kg and lbs.
