Squat Depth - Still Can't Tell

[bobmen10000]

Form is still pooh, however, tightness, knees and ass aside, am I reaching depth? I went touch-n-go to a 12" box, I can't tell. Everything looks high to me. The hip crease looks to me about 2-to-4 more inches further up (as in I need to go down 2-to-4 more inches to reach depth) which seems awfully deep.

[mgil]

https://m.imgur.com/YCSkkE4
Looks ok.

Why box squats though? I can’t tell if you’re slowing down because of the box or relaxing into the hole.

[bobmen10000]

I used the box to check depth, I do tend to slow down a little though regardless.

[iamsmu]

If a worry about hitting it is causing the flinch / slow down, put a towel or something on that box. It will be friendlier on the tail.

[DirtyRed]

That appears to be right on depth, maybe even a very slight shade below it.

[quark]

I used the box to check depth, I do tend to slow down a little though regardless.

I've often been told it's a bad idea to use a box or the like to check depth (at least on a frequent basis), because it hurts your ability to develop adequate proprioception, could lead to relaxing at the bottom and interferes with using a stretch reflex. I was encouraged to film every set, adjust if depth was off and try to develop a good feel. Box squats for other purposes (e.g., Westside) are another matter.

I wonder if others agree with this advice.

[mgil]

I used the box to check depth, I do tend to slow down a little though regardless.

I've often been told it's a bad idea to use a box or the like to check depth (at least on a frequent basis), because it hurts your ability to develop adequate proprioception, could lead to relaxing at the bottom and interferes with using a stretch reflex. I was encouraged to film every set, adjust if depth was off and try to develop a good feel. Box squats for other purposes (e.g., Westside) are another matter.

I wonder if others agree with this advice.

I agree, that's why I asked.

I think the box works okay to "find depth" but doing it another way:

-Find box
-Set at appropriate height
-Load bar (very) lightly
-Unrack bar and sit down on box with best squat form (not the Westside "push back"/vertical shins)
-Stay there under tension for five or more seconds to understand what it "feels like"
-Stand up
-Repeat as necessary
-Remove box
-Continue squatting and video for depth
-Continue correcting feels as needed, paused squats are preferable, use box as a last resort

Also, using the box in conjunction with the SS squat stretch deal works pretty well also.

[bobmen10000]

I used the box to check depth, I do tend to slow down a little though regardless.

I've often been told it's a bad idea to use a box or the like to check depth (at least on a frequent basis), because it hurts your ability to develop adequate proprioception, could lead to relaxing at the bottom and interferes with using a stretch reflex. I was encouraged to film every set, adjust if depth was off and try to develop a good feel. Box squats for other purposes (e.g., Westside) are another matter.

I wonder if others agree with this advice.

@mgil response is likely spot-on. I think Campitelli mentioned in one of the barbell medicine videos about his experience of using box squats in lieu of pause squats - he didn't get into the details but it is likely he programmed them as Mgil mentioned. However, with that said, I have no proprioception when it comes to squats - they all "feel" the same, I can't even perceive how straight or forward I am. And, to add insult to injury, I find it maddening to compare stills/videos of squats to others. Their squats look so much different and it is hard for me to determine my hip crease relative to theirs- it is a lack of perception in most every sense. The Buddha would not be proud - actually he wouldn't be proud in any event, the whole thing about no self and all, but that is not the point.

I am far from the most experienced lifter but I have yet to have a eureka moment where I "felt" depth, I am starting to think it is not going to happen. I kind of think filming it has made me more mental about it - recently I filmed a few sets that were obviously high even to me, closer to a half squat really, and they felt exactly the same as those that were to/near parallel during the same session.

[Travis]

If you don't plan on competing & the box helps you squat to the depth you want to squat, use the box. Do what you want, have fun doing it & fuck the squat police.

[bobmen10000]

...fuck the squat police

coming straight from the underground.

I had to look the lyric up because my knowledge of N.W.A. is limited to the recent biopic - also Ric Flair and Dusty Rhodes.

[bobmen10000]

[mgil]

If you don't plan on competing & the box helps you squat to the depth you want to squat, use the box. Do what you want, have fun doing it & fuck the squat police.

My only reservation about the box is that if something fails on the way down (I've torn VMs and adductors), you're also putting your spine/tailbone at risk.

@bobmen10000, it took me quite a while to find depth consistently, and even now I can be off due to various recovery issues. The constant effort in making sure your squat is improving will pay off; the rate of which this happens will vary person to person.

[Travis]

Yep, that's the only NWA I'm familiar with, outside of that 1 throwaway line. I loved me some Dusty Rhodes.

[Travis]

If you don't plan on competing & the box helps you squat to the depth you want to squat, use the box. Do what you want, have fun doing it & fuck the squat police.

My only reservation about the box is that if something fails on the way down (I've torn VMs and adductors), you're also putting your spine/tailbone at risk.

@bobmen10000, it took me quite a while to find depth consistently, and even now I can be off due to various recovery issues. The constant effort in making sure your squat is improving will pay off; the rate of which this happens will vary person to person.

I've always thought about putting my balls/taint on the box, so I've never even thought about my tailbone or spine if something went wrong. I'd probably wind up folded up like 1 of those CrossFit snatch fails videos.