Smith Box Squat
Learn how to perform Smith Box Squat, a Legs exercise, with setup, breathing and common mistakes.
Smith Box Squat · Preview
Setup
Place the Smith bar on your shoulders and set your feet so you can touch the box behind you. Brace your core and lift your chest before unracking the bar.
Start phase
Send your hips back and lower slowly along the rails toward the box. Keep your knees tracking your toes and press the floor with your whole foot.
End phase
When your hips lightly touch the box, stay engaged and drive through your feet to stand. Let the bar, your chest, and your hips rise together.
Target muscles
Control the descent to the box with your quads and glutes, then produce force from the same depth. Keep the feeling of pressing the floor away instead of leaning into the rails.
Common mistakes
Dropping onto the box or rocking back to stand with momentum increases lower-back strain. Keep your torso and lower-body tension even at the light touch.
Breathing
Inhale as you lower and exhale as you stand from the box. Do not release your breath or core tension at the seated point.
Coach tip
Fix the box height and foot position first to make every rep the same depth. Use a light weight to check the bar path and box position before adding load.
