Video Demonstration
The Single Leg Box Squat is valuable to anyone looking to begin single leg training.
It can help you to detect imbalances and asymmetries between your legs. It is also a useful tool to help correct these imbalances.
Having Symmetry in your body is important for aesthetics(how you look) and also reduces the chance of you receiving an injury.
Ideally, you want your legs to be the same size and strength as each other.
If you are new to single leg training, this is a great place to begin. You can also use other single leg lifts like the split squats,Split Lunges, and Bulgarian Split Squats to get your body more used to this form of training.
Using the box squat method is also one of the first steps to being able to perform the Pistol Squat.
This article will cover how to perform Single Leg Box Squats with a step by step description. Video and image examples.
Its difficulty level, the equipment you need, muscles that get worked, benefits to adding it into your training.
Single Leg Box Squat How to Guide
Image Example
Step by Step Description
Step 1: Place a solid/stable box behind you and stand up on one foot. The foot off of the floor should be a few inches off the floor and bent in front of you.
Step 2: Use your arms to help balance your body by placing them out in front of you. You are now in the starting position.
Step 3: Push your hips back and bend at the knee while keeping your hips as square as possible. Keep lowering your body down and momentarily sit on the box.
Step 4: Extend at your hip and knee and return to the standing position. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions then switch legs and repeat.
Difficulty Level
The single leg box squat is an intermediate level exercise.
You should have a solid understanding and technique with the body weight squat before attempting this exercise.
Having an understanding of lunges will also help you to progress on this lift much faster.
You can make the exercise more challenging by lowering the height of the box you are using.
Equipment Required
There are two different things you need to perform Single Leg Box Squats.
The first is your body.
The second is either a box, bench or a chair.
Ideally, you should have an adjustable box. This way you can continue to lower it making the exercise more challenging.
Being able to drop the boxes height continually will allow you to keep progressing on this lift.
Lowering the height of the box is also the best way to prepare you for moving to Pistols.
Muscles Worked
This exercise will work your Quadriceps, Glutes (your butt), Hamstrings and to a lesser degree the Calves.
Single Leg Box Squat Benefits
It is shown to help improve balance and proprioception. It achieves this by strengthening some of the smaller stabilizing muscles in the hips and pelvis, namely the Adductor Magnus, gluteus medius, quadrates lumborum, and the external hip rotators to prevent rotation of the femur and pelvis in a way that doesn't occur in a bilateral stance.
Another positive is that single leg training increases the overall load on the leg when compared to bilateral (two legs) squats.
Single Leg training achieves this with a phenomenon known as the bilateral deficit.
Bilateral deficit just means that the sum of the forces produced by each leg is greater than the total bilateral force production.
Training Tips
Do not let your knee cave inwards.
Slowly lower your body in a controlled manner. Just dropping down on the box will reduce the effectiveness of the exercise.
It will also take you a lot longer to be able to progress on this lift.
Do every rep with control once you begin Wobbling around you can damage the cartilage in your knees.
Try not to let your knee pass the tip of your toe.
To reduce the stress placed on your knee, when you are lowering your body make sure to move your hips back before bending at your knee.
Single Leg Box Squat Alternate Exercise
Trx Squat
Inclosing
Using single leg training will help you to develop equal strength in both of your legs.
Including the Single Leg Box Squat, is the first step to moving to being able to do full single leg squats.
Hopefully, you will give this exercise a try and see all of the benefits it has to offer to your training.
Different Single Leg Training Exercises
Lunge Split Jumps Exercise Guide
Split Lunges Exercise Guide
Goblet Split Squat Guide
All About Bulgarian Split Squat
References
Single Leg Squat Pistols - physiodetective.com,
http://physiodetective.com/2012/09/19/single-leg-squat-pistols-why-bother-because-they-are-awesome-for-you/
Single Leg Box Squat - bodybuilding.com,
https://www.bodybuilding.com/exercises/detail/view/name/single-leg-box-squat
Breaking Down The Single Leg Squat - www.t-nation.com,
https://www.t-nation.com/training/breaking-down-the-single-leg-squat
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