The Underrated Tool in Strongman Training: Why Strongman Athletes Are Neglecting the Box Squat
Strongman competitors often chase the biggest lifts—Atlas stone loads, yoke carries, log presses—while continuously pushing the limits of their strength and endurance. Yet, there’s one powerful training tool that’s overlooked by many athletes in the strongman community: the box squat.
The box squat has long been championed by powerlifters and popularized by Louie Simmons of Westside Barbell, but its utility extends far beyond the confines of a powerlifting platform. Box squats have immense carryover to strongman events, especially when performed with specialty bars like the Safety Squat Bar (SSB) or the cambered bar. Despite this, strongman athletes tend to neglect the box squat in favor of more traditional back squats and deadlifts. This article will explore why box squats are a critical tool for strongman success, how they can improve performance in specific events, and why integrating them into a training program is essential for long-term progress.
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Why Box Squats Are Essential for Strongman Athletes - Strongman Athletes Are Neglecting the Box Squat
The box squat is more than just a variation of the traditional squat. It’s a unique movement that builds explosive power, addresses weak points, and reduces injury risk—all of which are critical for strongman competitors. Unlike the standard back squat, which relies heavily on the stretch reflex to bounce out of the hole, the box squat forces an athlete to generate power from a dead stop. This eccentric-concentric chain break makes it an ideal movement for building strength that transfers to strongman events.
Box squats also allow athletes to squat to a specific depth, ensuring consistency in technique. They help lifters sit back into the squat, emphasizing posterior chain engagement, including the glutes, hamstrings, and lower back. For strongman athletes, this is crucial because posterior chain strength is needed for nearly every event, from stone loading to yoke carries.
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Breaking Down the Benefits of Box Squats
1. Reduced Joint Stress:
Strongman athletes endure significant wear and tear on their joints, particularly in the shoulders, elbows, and wrists. The box squat reduces upper body strain compared to straight bar squats, especially when performed with specialty bars like the SSB. This allows strongman competitors to build lower body strength without compromising joint health.
2. Posterior Chain Development:
Box squats emphasize the muscles of the posterior chain—the glutes, hamstrings, and lower back. This is critical for strongman events like the deadlift, Atlas stone loading, and yoke carry, where hip and leg strength play a dominant role.
3. Explosive Power:
By breaking the eccentric-concentric chain, box squats teach athletes to generate force from a static position. This explosive power is essential for events that require sudden bursts of strength, such as stone loads and overhead presses.
4. Injury Risk Management:
Because box squats can be performed with various specialty bars, they provide a way to manage fatigue and minimize injury risk. Specialty bars alter the load distribution, making the movement more forgiving on the shoulders and wrists.
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Box Squats and Specialty Bars: A Perfect Combination
Incorporating specialty bars into box squats adds another layer of benefit. Here’s how different specialty bars enhance box squatting for strongman:
- Safety Squat Bar (SSB):
The SSB shifts the center of gravity forward, increasing upper back and core engagement. This mimics the demands of events like the yoke carry and the log press, which require strong thoracic extensors and core stability.
- Cambered Bar:
The cambered bar introduces instability, forcing the athlete to stabilize the load actively. This instability mimics the unpredictable nature of strongman implements, making it a valuable tool for building dynamic control.
- Front Squat Harness:
The front squat harness allows athletes to focus on quad and upper back strength without the need for wrist flexibility. This is particularly beneficial for Atlas stone training and log pressing.
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Event-Specific Applications of Box Squats
Let’s take a closer look at how box squats can improve performance in specific strongman events:
1. Atlas Stone Loading:
Atlas stone loading requires explosive hip drive and posterior chain strength. Box squats, particularly when performed dynamically, teach athletes to generate force from a dead stop, mimicking the movement pattern needed to lift a stone from the ground to the platform.
2. Super Yoke Carry:
The yoke carry demands core stability, upper back strength, and the ability to handle a heavy load in motion. Box squats with the SSB or cambered bar train these exact qualities by challenging the lifter’s balance and core engagement.
3. Overhead Pressing:
Whether it’s a log press, axle press, or barbell overhead press, strongman pressing events rely heavily on leg drive. Box squats teach athletes to generate power from their legs and transfer it through their upper body. Additionally, using a front squat harness or SSB during box squats mimics the rack position of a log or axle press.
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Addressing Common Misconceptions About Box Squats
One of the reasons box squats are underutilized in strongman training is the prevalence of myths and misconceptions. Let’s address some of the most common ones:
- “Box squats don’t carry over to strongman events.”
This couldn’t be further from the truth. Box squats build explosive power, posterior chain strength, and core stability—all of which are essential for strongman success.
- “Box squats are only for powerlifters.”
While box squats are a staple in powerlifting programs, their benefits extend to any strength sport. The ability to control depth, break the eccentric-concentric chain, and build posterior chain strength makes them highly valuable for strongman athletes.
- “Box squats are dangerous.”
When performed correctly, box squats are no more dangerous than any other squat variation. In fact, they can reduce injury risk by allowing athletes to control their depth and manage joint stress more effectively.
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Integrating Box Squats into a Conjugate-Style Program
The conjugate method, popularized by Louie Simmons, emphasizes rotating exercises and using various specialty bars to prevent accommodation and target weak muscle groups. This approach is ideal for strongman training, where athletes need to address multiple events and movement patterns.
Incorporating box squats into a conjugate-style program allows athletes to address specific weaknesses, build explosive power, and reduce injury risk. For example:
- Use dynamic effort box squats to build explosive power for Atlas stone loading.
- Perform max effort box squats with the SSB to improve upper back strength for yoke carries.
- Rotate in cambered bar box squats to build balance and stability for events like the farmer’s walk and keg carries.
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The Westside Influence: Louie Simmons and Box Squatting
Louie Simmons revolutionized strength training with his Westside Barbell method, and box squatting was one of his key innovations. Simmons recognized that box squats allowed lifters to squat heavier, reduce injury risk, and build explosive power—all of which are critical for strongman athletes.
Simmons often said, “Strength is measured by your weaknesses.” Box squats, with their ability to target weak points and build power from a static position, embody this philosophy. For strongman athletes looking to improve their performance across multiple events, the lessons of Westside Barbell are invaluable.
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Strongman athletes constantly chase bigger lifts, heavier carries, and faster times, yet one of the most effective strength-building tools—the box squat—is widely overlooked. While powerlifters and Conjugate-style lifters have long recognized the box squat’s benefits, many strongman athletes dismiss it in favour of traditional back squats and deadlifts. However, box squats provide unique advantages that translate directly to strongman competition performance, making them an essential addition to any well-structured training program.
The Benefits of Box Squats for Strongman - Strongman Athletes Are Neglecting the Box Squat
🚀 1. More Power, Less Joint Stress
Strongman training is brutal on the body, with constant axial loading, awkward implements, and heavy carries. Box squats allow for maximal strength development with reduced joint stress, particularly when performed with specialty bars like the SSB or cambered bar.
🔥 2. Explosive Strength & Posterior Chain Development
Unlike conventional squats, box squats break the eccentric-concentric chain, forcing the athlete to generate explosive power from a dead stop. This directly benefits events like Atlas stone loads, yoke carries, and deadlifts, which all require hip drive and posterior chain strength.
💪 3. Carryover to Strongman-Specific Movements
Atlas Stone Loads: Box squats train hip extension and explosive leg drive, crucial for lifting stones efficiently.
Yoke Carry: SSB box squats improve core strength and upper back endurance, mimicking the demands of carrying a heavy yoke.
Overhead Pressing Events: Box squats enhance leg drive, translating directly to log, axle, and Viking presses.
🔄 4. Specialty Bars Make It Even More Effective
Adding the right specialty bar further enhances the carryover to strongman events:
✅ SSB Box Squats → Strengthen upper back & core stability, perfect for yoke carries & log pressing.
✅ Cambered Bar Box Squats → Mimic awkward strongman implements, forcing greater stabilization.
✅ Front Squat Harness Box Squats → Mimic stone lifting mechanics while reducing wrist strain.
Why Strongman Athletes Overlook Box Squats (And Why They Shouldn’t)
Many strongman competitors believe the myth that box squats don’t carry over to strongman events—but this couldn’t be further from the truth. Box squats aren’t just a powerlifting tool; they’re a highly effective movement for developing strength in positions specific to strongman events.
Common misconceptions include:
❌ “Box squats don’t build strength for strongman.” → Wrong. They develop explosive power, stability, and posterior chain strength, all critical for strongman.
❌ “They’re only for powerlifters.” → No, box squats benefit ANY strength athlete who wants to move more weight more efficiently.
❌ “They’re dangerous.” → Performed correctly, they’re actually safer than regular squats due to controlled depth and reduced joint strain.
How to Integrate Box Squats into Your Strongman Training
The Conjugate Method, popularized by Louie Simmons and Westside Barbell, rotates variations to prevent stagnation and maximize strength across different movement patterns. Box squats fit perfectly into this system:
📌 Max Effort Work:
SSB or cambered bar box squats for heavy triples or singles to build absolute strength.
Variations with accommodating resistance (bands/chains) to reinforce lockout power.
📌 Dynamic Effort Work:
Speed-focused box squats at 50-70% 1RM to develop explosiveness for stone lifting & yoke carries.
Bands/chains to reinforce force production and bar speed.
A Call to Action for Strongman Athletes
It’s time for strongman competitors to stop overlooking the box squat. The benefits are undeniable: reduced joint stress, improved posterior chain development, explosive power, and direct carryover to strongman events. By incorporating box squats into your training program—especially with specialty bars—you can address weak points, improve performance, and reduce injury risk.
If you’re ready to take your strongman or powerlifting training to the next level, join my online coaching program at Team JoshHezza. Together, we’ll build a program that targets your specific needs, incorporating proven methods like box squats and specialty bar work to ensure you’re prepared for every event. Don’t let neglected training methods hold you back from reaching your full potential—start your journey with Team JoshHezza today.
The box squat is an underutilized powerhouse for strongman athletes. Whether you’re looking to build hip drive for stones, improve core stability for yoke carries, or develop explosive power for overhead pressing, box squats should be a staple in your program.
❌ Stop neglecting what works.✅ Start training smarter.
🚀 Want a program that maximizes strength for strongman success?
My online coaching will:
✅ Optimize your squat & lower body training for event carryover
✅ Incorporate proven Conjugate-style programming
✅ Help you break plateaus & reduce injury risk
📩 Apply now at TEAMJOSHHEZZA.com and let’s get to work. 💪🔥 #BoxSquats #StrongmanTraining #StrengthAthlete
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