Belts, benches and box squats

[CF-OC_gal]

I have questions for those who helped me on my other question.

1. I used to always wear a leather weight belt many years ago but decided that I'd be better off without one (besides it pinches now). Should I be wearing one when I squat? I only squat with 100 lbs right now.

2. The T-nation explanation about box squats goes into a lot of detail about stabilizing the upper body and proper breathing technique including pushing out against your weight belt. Obviously if I'm not wearing one I can't do this. Does it matter at the beginning of my training when the weights are low?

3. Im using a standard weight bench to box squat (wide stance and straddling the bench to start). They feel like doing nothing and my quads are just above parallel when I sit. Will I get any benefit out of doing them if I continue to use this setup?

[Gartrell]

Box squats are designed to boost the top part of your squat. Basically if you're trying to up it a lot. If you're only doing 100 pounds and fairly easily, I don't know why you'd do box squats. However, if you're working to up your squat, you should be wearing a belt. The reason you wear a belt for box squats is that you're weakest point should be your legs, not your core. It helps you isolate them more. To give you an example, when i tried box squats a while back I was squatting about 350. For my set of 5 I did 500. The difference should be that great.

[DaRkAnGel]

Originally Posted by Brat

I have questions for those who helped me on my other question.

1. I used to always wear a leather weight belt many years ago but decided that I'd be better off without one (besides it pinches now). Should I be wearing one when I squat? I only squat with 100 lbs right now.

2. The T-nation explanation about box squats goes into a lot of detail about stabilizing the upper body and proper breathing technique including pushing out against your weight belt. Obviously if I'm not wearing one I can't do this. Does it matter at the baginning when the weights are low?

3. Im using a standard weight bench to box squat (wide stance and straddling the bench to start). They feel like doing nothing and my quads are just above parallel when I sit. Will I get any benefit out of doing them if I continue to use this setup?

A belt should only really be used when you need it, it is not a necesarry component to every squat session. Don't rely on it - build a strong core and when you are working with 85-90% of your max it may be a good idea to put one on. Of course, it is not necesary if you have a strong core.

You don't need a belt to squat.

If you are box squatting onto your bench that is way too high. If it is a decent height and im guessing you are box squatting dynamically, make sure to explode no matter what load you are using(50-70% of your max). Take short rest periods and it should tire you out pretty well.

[CF-OC_gal]

I used a really light load because I had not tried them before and didn't know how they would feel (no one in my gym does them that I've seen). There is no way I'll be using mega-poundage. I have a weak squat, that's what I'm trying to improve on.

I do feel that my form is way better without a belt on regular squats. (I check it more.)

BTW - 100 lbs is my working weight right now for regular squats - period.

[DaRkAnGel]

Originally Posted by Gartrell

Box squats are designed to boost the top part of your squat. Basically if you're trying to up it a lot. If you're only doing 100 pounds and fairly easily, I don't know why you'd do box squats. However, if you're working to up your squat, you should be wearing a belt. The reason you wear a belt for box squats is that you're weakest point should be your legs, not your core. It helps you isolate them more. To give you an example, when i tried box squats a while back I was squatting about 350. For my set of 5 I did 500. The difference should be that great.

Height depends where you're weak on, which is why i box squat off of a 11 inch box. I don't see the point in wearing abelt all the time... that sounds like it will just build a weaker core to me.

[luke.w]

You don't need a belt for what you are doing.

[luke.w]

heres my little story about belts, When I first started training strongman I was advised to wear a belt on the "super-yoke" by everyone and also a pro-strongman that I've trained with a few times. They push their stomachs out against the belt while walking with that heavy poundage.

I thought to myself maybe in competition, but I'm not going to wear one in training, then I met our contest promoter Graham, he's over 45 years old and he carries a 700+lb "super yoke" like it's an everyday walk with no belt, he took off his shirt and had an amazing mid-section devolpment, after I met him I said the hell the belts.

I'm to the point now wear I've built a an internal belt inside my body, I got it from doing heavy lockouts and holds, last sat. I carried a 705lb "super yoke" 55lbs over my PR weight for 15 feet at a body weight of under 190lbs. I'm very comortable with that weight on my back, but the walking is tough and my uprights on the yoke are bolted not welded making the weight swing making it extra hard, every step took total focus and concentration, my breathing had to be on perfect, I kept my mid-section tight and I noticed I was pushing my stomach out against the steel that I've built inside of me (internal belt) I'm ready for a heavy lockout hold this weekend with like 715 and then do a longer walk with alittle under 700 the week after, and then the next week do a very short walk with over 710 and so forth, with no belt.

my point is if you don't wear one now you shouldn't ever need one and you will build better inner strength, then if you use one now, you might start to reliey on one, and making it a hard habit to break.

[Jaster]

Originally Posted by luke.w

I've built a an internal belt inside my body,
my point is if you don't wear one now you shouldn't ever need one and you will build better inner strength, then if you use one now, you might start to reliey on one, and making it a hard habit to break.

I agree 100% with this. Belts are for people who NEED them.
You have to ask Do you need one? Do you have back trouble? If not I would not use a belt and build your core making you in turn stronger over all.
Hey when I am on the fire ground I don't have a belt. So in real life I would not be as strong as I am in the gym. What good is that to me? It's not.
: Just my thoughts on this. :

[candyass]

Box squats without a belt are a great way to improve your core. Whats the point of reducing the benefits of this exercise by wearing a belt? If you think you're going to hurt yourself then use less weight; give your ego a break at the gym.

[CF-OC_gal]

Good, because I don't want to wear one.

So if I don't wear one, what to I do about the "push out against the belt" recomendation? I know how to consciously contract and stabilize the core. Is there another set of instructions other than the T-nation one I posted? One that explains proper form in less than half a page of text.

I notice that my real weak point that tires first when squating is " fatigue somewhere over the left hip". It's not the lower back which is more central. Way back when, I used to have a bad habit of "wagging my hips" to get the weight up from the lowest position if I got stuck. I've long since corrected that but it is still the weakest point.

Is that a glute weakness? Looking at the muscle map it is right in the gluteus medius (hip abductor) but only on one side. As a matter of fact when I was on the stationary bike doing cardio it would get fatigued too.

[luke.w]

push your belly out, as long as you have a belly fool of air, and you keep your mid-section tight, your good to go Brat.

I've only done squats starting from the bottom position (parallel) in the past, and they seem very much similar to the "box squat" (I think) and I can actually squat more weight like that because I've only squatted that way, I'm in no shame from that because starting a squat from parrallel means POWER he!he!

So the box squatting should help you with those weaknesses, if not.... try the bottom position one's here and there, as they do force your hips into serious action, and if your body is not in the right position, the weight will not go up, builds power in the hips.

[CF-OC_gal]

I don't work with a spotter just a squat cage with safety bars. Since I set up the bars at just below where my natural low postition on a lightweight squat, I often wonder what would would happen if I really did go to complete failure and had to let go.

Should I set the safety bars a notch higher and get used to failing completely on the last rep then crawl out from under? I'm starting to think that I might be holding back because I don't want to get stuck in an awkward position.

[luke.w]

I have done that many times in the past! Just make sure the pins are low enough to where you don't tap them at the bottom of every rep, but high enough so that you'll still be able to squat a little lower if you fail and have to rest the bar on the pins.

[grambo]

dont fail the last rep.


If you are unable to finish the last rep, dump the weight off your back...

[DaRkAnGel]

Originally Posted by grambo

dont fail the last rep.


If you are unable to finish the last rep, dump the weight off your back...

Lol i squat at my house usually without a cage. If i fail there is nothing i can do but dump it. Ive never had to resort to that though. If my life is on the line the adrenaline tends to kick some extra strength in .