Box squatting is not new to powerlifting. Box squatting isn't even only meant for just powerlifting. Box squats have been and will continue to be used for strength sports and athletic sports as well.
I recently got asked on one of my Instagram Q and A's what the "proper" way to box squat is. Should you pause? Or should you touch and go?
Now, let me preface this by saying that I don't believe there is a "wrong" exercise. Most everything has a time or place depending on the person. That having been said, I rarely prescribe a touch and go box squat. The only reason to do that would be to make sure you're hitting the depth you want. However, I have seen so many who do this and actually end up hitting the box too hard and it throws off their movement. So if you absolutely had to use it as a depth check, touch lightly. However, it would be a good idea to wean yourself off of this and get your body used to where depth is by feel.
I prefer to use an actual sit-on-the-box type of box squat. There is a fine line between sitting and "relaxing" and sitting and staying tight. Having watched hundreds (probably thousands) of people in person and on social media, here are the common mistakes I see:
1. They begin the descent, then about 2" above the box they lose tightness and "plop" to the box. This is a good indicator of a weak posterior chain. It could also be the bar placement in relation to their hips and feet. If they try to keep a vertical torso and the bar is BEHIND their knees, there's no way they can maintain balance. The torso needs to lean forward a bit in order to keep everything aligned.
2. They descend properly and sit properly, but as soon as they sit, everything relaxes. Hips, abs, back, lats, torso. They are basically a big ball of mush on the box.
3. The descent is great, the pause on the box is great, but then they rock back and rock forward again to get off the box. They are still essentially losing tightness by rocking back, the torso and lats especially. Remember, you never want the spine to flex under load.
Those are the most common mistakes seen with the box squat pertaining to how someone actually sits and pauses on the box. There are a plethora of other mistakes, like knees caving and head position, that are common as well. But as we talk about how to actually use the box to its fullest, we need to keep this check list in mind.
1. Control the descent. You can descend with a little speed but you should never plop. If you are, bring up your posterior chain. For my clients who have this problem, I cue them to sit softly as that helps them to control and not crash.
2. If you're completing relaxing on the box, it probably means you're not tight from the start. Lock in upper back and lats from the unrack. For my clients who have a tendency to completely relax, there are typically other cues that are the issue. Telling them to pause lightly and keep their abs tight helps.
3. For those that rock back, it's usually an issue with keeping their torso tight, similar to above. Once they sit on the box, I put my hand behind their shoulder blades to keep them from rocking back. I often explain to them that if there wasn't a box there, would they do that? Cue them to keep bar over their knees and drive head back off the box.