Box Squat Doesn’t decrease Squat performance for Weightlifters
Source: Wolters Kluwer Health: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins
Removing Stretch-Shortening Cycle Doesn’t Negatively affect muscle Activity,
Reports The Journal of strength and Conditioning Research
Newswise — The “box squat”, a popular training technique for weightlifters, has “limited negative consequences” on squat performance during strength training, reports a study in the December issue of The Journal of strength and Conditioning Research, official research journal of the national strength and Conditioning Association. The journal is published by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, a part of Wolters Kluwer Health, a leading provider of information and company intelligence for students, professionals, and institutions in medicine, nursing, allied health, and pharmacy.
“This study found very little difference in kinetic variables or muscle activity between the two lifts,” according to the study, led by Jeffrey M. McBride of Appalachian state University, Boone, N.C. “Thus, the use of a squat or box squat offers a very similar stimulus to the leg and lower back musculature and for that reason would many likely result in a similar amount of strength gain with training.”
‘Box’ technique Removes Stretch-Shortening Cycle, but Doesn’t decrease Squat Power
In the standard squat technique, the weightlifter positions the barbell across the upper back, then lowers the knees to reach a squatting position. the box squat is a easy modification of this technique in Camiseta Selección de fútbol de Gales which the lifter stops and sits on a box at the end of the squat. That implies the box squat consists of an eccentric phase only—it eliminates the concentric phase, or “stretch-shortening” cycle, at the end of the squat.
To test the effects of this modified technique, the researchers had eight competitive male powerlifters carry out a series of squats and box squats in random order. The movements were done while standing on a force platform with transducers attached to the bar to measure force and velocity, which were used to calculate power. Electromyography was used to measure electrical activity in the relevant muscles.
“Results indicate that top force and top power are similar between the squat and box squat,” McBride and colleagues write. In fact, during some repetitions, top force was considerably lower during the squat, compared to the box squat. In general, electromyography showed higher muscle activity during the squat, compared to the box squat.
The box squat is a popular alternative to the conventional squat technique for weightlifters. However, the use of a box eliminates the stretch-shortening cycle. In other kinds of activities—especially jumping, a stretch-shortening cycle results in considerably enhanced performance. However, no previous studies have looked at how eliminating the stretch-shortening cycle by using a box impacts the kinetics and muscle activity of the lift.
The results suggest that the box squat “has neither a significant positive or negative effect on squat performance,” Camiseta Selección de fútbol de Bélgica the authors write. “Thus the use of a squat or box squat offers a very similar stimulus to the leg and lower back musculature and would many likely result in a similar amount of strength gain with training.” However, they believe that because a stretch-shortening cycle is a “vital component” of many sports, “a squat including a stretch-shortening cycle may be of greater benefit.”
About The Journal of strength and Conditioning Research
The editorial mission of The Journal of strength and Conditioning research (JSCR) is to advancement the knowledge about strength and conditioning through research. A distinct aspect of this journal is that it includes suggestions for the useful use of research findings. While the journal name determines strength and conditioning as separate entities, strength is considered a part of conditioning. The journal desires to promote the publication Camiseta Racing Club de Avellaneda of peer-reviewed manuscripts which add to our understanding of conditioning and sport through applied exercise science. The JSCR is the official research journal of the national strength and Conditioning Association. national strength and Conditioning Association.