Box Squatting for Wrestling

WRESTLER STRENGTH SYSTEM BOX SQUAT

By: Dickie White

Copyright © 2013 by Dickie White. All Rights Reserved.

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Limits of Liability/Disclaimer of Warranty: This manual is designed to provide information in regards to the subject matter covered. It is provided with the understanding that the author is not rendering medical advice or other medical/health services. You must consult your physician prior to starting any exercise program or if you have any medical condition or injury that contraindicates physical activity. These exercises and programs are designed for healthy wrestlers and the content is not intended to be a substitute for professional advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read. The author shall have neither liability nor responsibility to any person or entity with respect to any loss or damage caused or alleged to be caused directly or indirectly by the information contained in this E-book. Don’t lift heavy weights if you are alone, inexperienced, injured, or fatigued. If you experience any lightheadedness, dizziness, or shortness of breath while exercising, stop and consult a physician. Mention of specific companies, organizations, or authorities in this E-book does not imply endorsement by the author.

Copyright Notices This book contains material protected under International and Federal Copyright Laws and Treaties. All rights reserved. Copyright © 2013 by Dickie White. Any unauthorized transfer, use, sharing, reproduction, sale, or distribution of these materials by any means, electronic, mechanical, or otherwise is prohibited. No part of this manual may be reproduced in any form whatsoever, without the expressed written consent of the author. Published under Copyright Laws of the Library of Congress of The United States of America, by: Dickie White 198 Palmer Hill Road Port Crane, NY 13833 [email protected]


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Quick Thank You/Intro First off, I’d like to thank you for downloading this eBook and thank you for belief in my ability to put together programs that get top quality results. With as much information as there is available on the Internet, in the locker room, from the jacked guy at your gym, from all the bodybuilding magazines, etc. I am humbled that you have chosen to improve your performance on the mat with my knowledge. Now, let’s get down to business! First off I’d like to state that I’m not the smartest guy in the world (wow, great intro right?!). I’m a super easy going guy and very little bothers me, but strength coaches and trainers who think they know all the answers really bother me. No one knows everything and no strength and conditioning system (or anything for that matter) is perfect. In my opinion, though, this style of traditional weight room strength training for wrestling is by far the best way to develop the strength you need to be more effective on the mat. The unbelievable amounts of strength that you can gain in just a few short months will astonish you and you’ll really start to notice it when you get on the mat and put it to good use. In this eBook I will go into not only how to perform a lot of the traditional exercises, but also the other ways you can use the pieces of equipment because there’s nothing worse than having to buy a piece of equipment for one specific use (unless you have all the space and money in the world). I’ll also cover where to find and/or how to make some of these pieces of equipment so you can save time and money in the process! Finally, I’ll finish up this eBook with tons of sample templates along with the tips necessary to teach you how to choose and assess a template so that it becomes perfectly molded to your weaknesses, strengths, and goals. I’ll be the first to admit that there are many more exercises to perform than the ones I’m going to introduce and describe. These are just the ones that I’ve found to be most effective


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for the wrestlers that I’ve worked with. Rather than fill this eBook up with tons and tons of exercises and descriptions to make it big and give you a false sense that you got a great deal, I’ve only put in the exercises that I know work because I’ve seen my wrestlers improve their performance on the mat. Alright, enough with the talk; time to get to work!


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Box Squat Intro The squat is by far the mother of all exercises. Although it sometimes gets a bad rap, when performed correctly you are able to use about 70% of the total muscle in your body. The squat will build legs stronger than you could ever imagine and help you battle successfully through almost every wrestling situation known to man. I have all of my wrestlers squat and the majority of their squats are done on a box. World renowned strength coach Louie Simmons has identified four distinct benefits of box squatting as opposed to free squatting. First, the time of the eccentric (lowering of the weight to the seated position) is much shorter during a box squat in comparison to a free squat. As a result, soreness from the workout is reduced, allowing you to recover much faster. Now, you may be one of those people who judges the effectiveness of a workout based on how sore you are. But let me ask you, in your quest to become a champion wrestler would you rather be sore for days at a time and have trouble practicing, or would you like to practice with a high level of intensity the day after, or even hours after a heavy squat session? The second benefit of box squatting is that you will always know the depth to which you are squatting. It will take all the guess work out of whether or not the depth of each of your reps is sufficient and simply let you concentrate on lifting the weight. It is unfortunately common to see squat depth getting higher and higher as the weight


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gets heavier and heavier. With a box underneath you, you know whether or not you’re getting to the desired depth. The third benefit of box squatting noted by Simmons is increased flexibility. For example, if your form falls apart in an attempt to reach a parallel depth simply raise the height of the box and lower it over time as your technique gets better and your hip flexibility increases. With increased hip flexibility you are not only able to squat deeper, but more importantly, you are better able to apply force in compromising positions on the wrestling mat. The more flexible your hips are the better chance you have at coming out on top in scramble situations and the less chance you have of sustaining an injury. Finally, a fourth benefit of box squatting is that the eccentric-concentric chain is broken by pausing on the box before squatting back up. Not only does this make box squatting sports-specific in general, but it makes box squatting one of the most wrestling-specific exercises you can perform. Think about the number of times in a match where you go from a very relaxed state to a very explosive state. This happens when you shoot takedowns, when you sprawl on an opponent, when you throw an opponent, when you stand up or break an opponent down from referees position on the whistle, and when you reach stalemate situations and then power through them. Increasing your box squat will increase your success in these situations and ultimately, help you win more matches.


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Building a Box Building a box is both cheap and easy. However, if you workout at a commercial gym or at a high school weight room carrying one around with you to and from your workouts can be a bit of a pain. Necessity breeds invention when you’re looking to box squat and don’t have a box handy. I’ve constructed boxes out of bumper plates, 100lb plates, and Reebok aerobic steps. The rule to building a box is if you can stack it and it won’t collapse or slide when you sit on it, it’ll work. After you identify your construction materials, the next step is to figure out how high you’re going to build the box. For wrestling purposes, I would recommend that the box is never more than two inches above parallel. What is parallel? There are many definitions, but for our purposes I’ll define it as when the tops of your thighs are parallel to the ground at the bottom position of the squat. Why, you ask, is going parallel with your squats so important? Going parallel in the squat (or any leg exercise for that matter) gets a maximum stretch on both the glute and hamstring. With maximum stretch comes increased activation. This not only will get more muscle involved in your squat which will ultimately result in heavier weights lifted, but it will also help to protect your knees because your hamstrings will be firing with your quads so you get a nice balanced force around the knee. Having suggested earlier to never squat above a depth higher than two inches above parallel, I would like to clarify that there is not a set depth past which wrestlers should not travel. Barring that you are healthy and you are generally pain free when squatting, I would say the deeper the better as far as wrestlers are concerned. Why?


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Well, because there are many instances throughout a match where you may end up in a deep squat position underneath an opponent. Being able to power your way through the situation to earn a pivotal escape or takedown may mean the difference between winning a National championship and being a runner-up. Obviously, it is a good idea to vary the box height every few weeks. Also, if you are relatively new to squatting and/or are not the most flexible wrestler in the world, it is a good idea that you start on a higher box and work your way down over time.


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Proper Squatting Technique Ok, the box is built and you’re ready to start squatting. Before you throw some plates on the bar and get going, let’s go over a few steps to get you squatting correctly. Always remember, getting hurt in the weight room training for wrestling is stupid. Strength training for wrestling is a means to an end - winning more matches. The first step to a good squat has nothing to do with your technique. Instead, it has everything to do with your footwear. I highly recommend flat soled shoes for squatting. Wrestling shoes work great, as do Converse Chuck Taylors. Any sort of skateboarding shoe or an Adidas Samba Classic work well too, however they do not provide the ankle support provided by the other two options. Running/tennis shoes tend to rock back and forth too much which oftentimes leads to missed squats and injuries. Whatever you do, please don’t go running to your parents asking them for money for flat soled shoes because I said you had to have them. Make do with what you have, however, if you have a few extra bucks and don’t want to use your wrestling shoes in the weight room, I’d suggest investing in a pair of flat soled shoes. Just like in wrestling, your stance is everything when you squat and that’s why it is the next step to a good squat. A good, functional stance can be interpreted from as wide as a power lifting stance to as narrow as an Olympic lifting stance. I’d say find a happy medium and get into an athletic stance similar to the square stance your coach showed you when you first joined the team. Your feet should be a little wider than shoulder width apart. If you’re having trouble sitting back take a wider stance and try again. I always angle my toes out a bit, about 15-degrees. It makes it easier for me to


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open my hips and sit back. If you want to keep them forward and it works well for you, by all means keep doing what you’re doing. The next step is to get the form down prior to getting under the bar. First, begin with your arms straight out in front of you. This will help you balance as you squat. Next, initiate the movement by driving your hips back while keeping your chest tall, your head up, and your lower back arched. Continue to drive your hips back until you can no longer do so. This is going to feel a little weird because in order to do this successfully a good amount of your bodyweight is going to be on your heels; something wrestlers are not exactly used to. At this point you need to open your knees by spreading the floor. There are a few tricks you can use to learn how to spread the floor. A verbal cue I use is “rubber band.” I tell my wrestlers to imagine a rubber band around their knees that’s trying to pull their knees together. Their job is to resist the force of the rubber band by driving their knees out so they stay over the ankles. If your knees keep coming in, place a Jump Stretch band around your knees and perform bodyweight squats while resisting the inward force of the band. Another trick to learn how to drive your knees out when you squat is called "spread the floor." To learn how to do this simply have your coach or lifting partner put their foot besides yours and have you drive against it in an attempt to push his foot away from yours. Be sure to keep your foot flat on the ground at all times. Put your hands on your hips and feel how tight you get when you drive against the other foot. Watch your knees and notice how they drive out as well.


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Once you open your knees you should be able to sit down to the box. If you did everything correctly your knees should not have moved forward during the movement and should still be over the ankles as they were when you were standing. Your shins should be perpendicular to the ground. It’s important that your chest remains tall throughout the movement and that there is a constant arch in your lower back. Now that you’ve paused on the box, it’s time to come off. Keep your chest tall, your lower back arched, and your abdominal region tight. Never rock back when you sit on the box and then rock forward to gain momentum to get off; this will take the emphasis off the hips and place it on the quads. All of your strength to get off the box comes from your hips. So, with that in mind, spread the floor hard and drive through your heels concentrating on the power coming from your hips. Continue to drive with the hips until you are back in the starting position. The lift should look the same on the way down as it does on the way up. After you’ve completed a set or two of bodyweight squats with your arms straight out in front of you, try a few sets with your hands behind your head. Everything else should look and feel the same.


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Getting Under the Bar Alright, so you’ve got your technique down and you’re ready to squat. Great, you’re that much closer to becoming a tank on the wrestling mat. The good news is that getting under the bar is not particularly complicated. The bad news is that there are a few places where things can to wrong and lead to injury to your elbows and shoulders. Here are the steps to finding a place (for the bar) on your back that’s both comfortable and functional. First things first, you have to find a grip. Generally, the closer your grip, the better since it will create a more stable “shelf” for the bar to rest on. Being a wrestler, you are more than likely flexible in the shoulders so getting a somewhat narrow grip shouldn’t be too difficult. Don’t worry if things don’t feel comfortable right away. I battled with my hand placement for years until I finally found something that worked best for me. That’s the key: do what works best for you. The next step is to get the bar on your back. Slide your head under the bar and drive your chest up so that the bar rests against your upper back/shoulders. Squeeze your shoulder blades together as tight as possible and pull the bar into your traps causing them to be driven up towards your ears. Avoid carrying the bar high on your traps and/or on your neck. It will not only lead to discomfort, but puts you at a higher risk of falling forward which may lead to a back injury. Now that the bar is on your back, it’s time to get everything straightened out with your elbows and wrists. Drive your chest up one last time; this should pull your elbows under the bar. The closer the elbows are to being under the bar the less chance


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you have of falling forward when squatting. With your elbows under the bar I’ll bet that your wrists are extended to nearly 90-degrees.

What you’re going to do to help save your wrists is called “rev the bike.” Just like you would rev a motorcycle, you are going to rev your wrists until they are straight. Do not let the bar travel up towards your neck while you are doing this; instead, do your absolute best to keep the bar and your elbows in place.


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Alright, you’re ready to rock and roll. Get your feet under the bar and squat it up off the J-hooks. Take the necessary amount of steps back to get to the box (set the box up so you don’t need to take more than one or two small steps back with each foot). Set up your stance and squat away. Please note that these pictures are with the Safety Squat Bar. It is the bar of choice when training my wrestlers because of the way it is designed to both better challenge the core and upper back as well as because it places less stress on the shoulders, elbows, and wrists as compared to a traditional straight bar. Obviously a lot of you reading this don’t have access to a Safety Squat Bar so I wanted to go over the proper technique on how to carry it on your back so as to minimize the stress on your upper body.


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When you are done walk the bar forward until you hit the rack, then lower the bar into the J-hooks. Have your spotter help guide you in to make sure you keep the bar steady so that you don’t miss the J-hooks. Never try to put the bar on the J-hooks one hook at a time. This can lead to missing one of the hooks resulting in a nasty weight room accident and potential injury. Congratulations. You just performed a correct squat, probably for the first time in your life. Don’t ever forget how to squat; it is arguably the best lift you can perform in a weight training session, especially as a wrestler.


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Quick Reference: Box Squat Muscles Worked: Quads, Hamstrings, Glutes Stabilizers: Core Setup: First construct a box that will put the tops of your thighs parallel to the ground when you sit on it. You can use anything from stacking plates to a bench. You can also buy an adjustable box for box squatting at www.Elitefts.com. I get all my stuff from them so if I mention specific pieces of equipment without letting you know where to find it just go to Elite; you'll find it there. Execution: Take the bar out of the rack by squatting under it and standing up. Step back and take an athletic stance that is comfortable for you (as your hips get stronger your stance will most likely start to widen). Start the lift by driving your hips back while simultaneously driving your knees out. Sit your hips back and down to the box under control to prevent "plopping" on the box. Dropping uncontrollably to the box (aka plopping) is a great way to injure your back so make sure you never do this. If you sat your hips back correctly your shins will be perpendicular to the floor. Pause for a second on the box and stand back up. Wrestler Usage: Strong legs are needed for everything from sprawling, to finishing takedowns, to throwing an opponent. I think the box squat is the best way to build strong legs for wrestling for two reasons. One, you don't get as sore from box squatting as compared to free squatting. As a result, you aren't forced to hobble around during your wrestling practice thereby maximizing the benefits of each workout. Two, pausing on the box teaches you to produce a lot of force from a relaxed state much like you have to do when getting off the bottom or finishing a shot after your opponent sprawls.


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Squat Variations Getting tired of squatting with a straight bar? If you have access to them, give these bars a try for a few weeks.

Safety Squat Bar There is really no guesswork as to how to get under a safety squat bar. The only trick is setting it up correctly in the rack. Always make sure that when you unrack the bar that the camber in the bar is in front of your shoulders, not even with them. If you’re lucky enough that your gym has a SSB I’d suggest using it as much, if not more than the straight bar. Why? Because it is simply the best bar for a wrestler to use for any exercise that requires a bar to be on the back. One of the reasons I like this bar so much is because you don’t need to worry about carrying the bar on your back which takes a huge stress off your shoulders and wrists (which take enough of a beating as it is during practice and matches). Another benefit is the way the bar is made. It pulls you forward while you are squatting, lunging, performing good mornings, etc. This mimics the way an opponent feels as he/she sprawls on your leg attack. I’d go so far as to say it is the most functional training tool for wrestlers ever invented. If your gym does not have one and you have a couple hundred bucks you’ve been saving for a rainy day, I’d almost suggest buying one and asking if you can store it at the gym and/or bring it with you to workouts, as big of a hassle as that sounds.


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Cambered Bar Using this bar is similar to using a straight bar as far as position on your back goes. However, hand position is different from what you are used to with a straight bar. Instead of holding the top of the bar, you hold the bars that come down to your sides. The cambered bar is another great way to give your shoulders and wrists a break when you’re feeling especially beat up. It’s also a great indicator of your technique and efficiency. When the bar swings back and forth it’s “telling” you that your technique is breaking down and you’re losing the initial smoothness you had earlier in the workout.


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Manta Ray More than likely you’ve seen one of these before. Heck, you may even use it. The Manta Ray is pretty common and offers an inexpensive alternative to squatting. Feel free to substitute the Manta Ray for squatting for a few weeks to provide your body with a new stimulus for further progress. The higher bar placement will challenge your core a bit more and help to activate your quads more than what they are used to with a lower bar placement when straight bar squatting. Although it’s no safety squat bar, it is a good alternative.


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Front Squat Begin with the bar set in the rack at a height you would use if you were squatting. Instead of getting under the bar and placing it on your upper back, you’ll slide under keeping the bar in front of you, so it is supported on your shoulders across your upper chest. Cross your arms and bring your hands to the opposite shoulder to secure the bar on your shoulders. Unrack the bar and setup a stance that is no wider than shoulder width apart. Once you are in position begin the descent by pushing your hips back like you would for a squat. Just like in the squat you want to focus on keeping your knees from drifting past the middle of your foot. Squat down until your thighs are at least parallel to the ground. Most of the time I’ll have my wrestlers go as deep as they can. If you’re having trouble with learning the technique use a box for a while and slowly lower the height over time just as you did with your squat. One of the primary reasons I think all wrestlers should perform front squats is because, similar to the Safety Squat Bar, it mimics the feel of an opponent sprawling out on your leg attack. Combat the forward pull of the bar by driving your elbows and chest up and squeezing your abs.


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Zercher Squat This is by far one of the top five hated exercises by all of my wrestlers. Zercher squats are extremely taxing on the body, but then again, so is wrestling, so deal with it. The movement from the lower body is the same as it is for any other squat; the placement of the bar is the only thing that is different. Instead of carrying the bar on your back or on your shoulders, you will be holding it with your arms in the crook of your elbow. If you’re using a straight bar, you can alleviate some of the discomfort in your arms by putting one of those squat pads on the bar. Because you won’t find one of those in my gym (except for this picture!), we use the fat bar which works just as well, if not better.


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Squat Safety Because the squat is such a complex movement, a lot of things can go wrong when things get heavy. Being proactive by setting up safety pins and learning how to spot are two ways you can stay injury free in your quest to become the best. Setting up safety pins is the first step to safer squatting. Although they are self explanatory in how to use them, it is important during your warmup sets to pick the right height. Find a happy medium between too high where they may bump the bar on a heavy squat that causes you to lean forward a little more than usual and too low so if you need to bail either forwards or backwards you don’t need to go more than 2 or 3 inches before the bar hits the pins. Cheaper racks and/or those designed by people who haven’t touched a weight in their life may only have spacing for safety pins every 3+ inches. Sorry to say, but you’re going to have to deal with it. Just tell your spotter(s) to be extra alert, especially if you’re going for a new max. Being a good spotter is the best way to stay injury free while squatting. With a good spotter, as long as you’re not being overly aggressive with adding weight, you almost don’t even need safety pins (always use safety pins, I’m just trying to make a point about the importance of being a good spotter). Being a good spotter requires you to know exactly what the lifter wants whether it is a liftoff, help guiding the bar back to the rack, where they want you to spot, how many reps they’re going for, how much help they want if they begin to struggle on a rep, etc. It is important to gather as much information as you can about the lift about to take place prior to it occurring. It will take all the guesswork out and enable your partner to totally focus on the task at hand.


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Because most squats are lost due to the lifter falling forward I’ve found the best way to spot is with your forearms by the lifters ribs and your hands in front of their chest ready to catch their shoulders. If the lifter begins to lose the lift grab their shoulders with your hands and pinch their ribs with your forearms and help them stand up. Obviously a problem exists if a female wrestler is squatting with the style of spotting I’m detailing, so always be sure to ask them how they want to be spotted. If there are 3 or more available spotters it wouldn’t hurt to have one on each side of the bar as well, especially if the wrestler is going for a heavy lift. Again, as a spotter you should know exactly what the lifter wants from you. Always use your best judgment and know when to allow your partner to grind through a rep and when to help them as much as you can. Obviously, the more you lift with someone the better you’ll know what they want and expect from you as a spotter.


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Increasing the Intensity Using Contrast Methods Intensity is simply a percentage of your one rep max; the heavier the weight, the higher the intensity. Therefore, all we are looking to do here is essentially increase the poundage you’re carrying on your back. Easier said than done right? There are a few tools I use to increase the resistance throughout the lift to continually challenge my wrestlers. Although these methods will not immediately add actual plates to the bar, it will add additional resistance at more advantageous, power producing joint angles. Accommodating resistance is essentially the use of specific training tools that provide a greater challenge to the wrestler as they reach stronger joint angles during a lift. The phrase “a chain is only as strong as its weakest link” can be applied here. Have you ever been to a gym and seen a guy getting all fired up to squat a bar loaded up with plates? Then, after all the hoopla he finally gets under it and only moves it about 3 inches. Instead of checking his ego at the door, he chose to work in a range of motion that he is strongest in. Accommodating resistance will give you the feel for weights that are near or above your max while allowing you to lift them through a full range of motion. As you squat to the box, the poundage added by the accommodating resistance decreases. Then, as you squat up and reach more advantageous joint angles (like those last few inches all the other gym goers never squat beyond), the load becomes heavier forcing you to accelerate throughout the entire range of motion. In a nutshell, methods of accommodating resistance will help you to become stronger and more explosive, two things every wrestler needs.


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I use two different “toys” to provide accommodating resistance for my wrestlers: bands and chains. Both of these can be purchased at www.EliteFTS.com. Although making your own set of chains is fairly easy, finding a heavy duty logging/trucking company that carries them is anything but. Look in your local phone book, but don’t sweat it if you can’t find a place that sells them. Most chains offered at your local hardware store only go up to 1/3” which won’t cut it. For those looking to make them, listen up. You’ll want to get multiple 5-foot lengths of 5/8” chain, lots of carabineers, and two 8-foot lengths of a light chain with large enough loops to fit the carabineers through. After you get everything assembled, step one is to attach the light chain to the collar of the barbell using a carabineer. Step two requires you to attach a carabineer to the middle link of one of the 5foot lengths of 5/8” chain. The final step is to attach the 5-foot length of 5/8” chain to the light chain on the bar. You want a few links to be on the ground at the top of the squat in an effort to prevent chains from flying all over the place as you squat. Nearly all of the 5/8” chain should be on the floor at the bottom of the squat. Obviously this will depend on both the height of the wrestler and the depth of the squat.


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I use bands two ways when squatting. One way is to attach the bands at the bottom of a power rack and loop them up to the bar. Always make sure that there is some tension in the bands when you are is sitting on the box. This setup results in the highest band tension at the top of the squat and the lowest at the bottom. As you squat


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up the band gets tighter and provides more resistance. For most wrestlers I don’t think there is any need to invest in bands bigger than the Light Jump Stretch band. However, if you are squatting over 500 pounds, you may want to look into a pair of Average bands.


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Now I know not every wrestler has the luxury of training at a well stocked hardcore gym. So for those of you working out at a health club or at your high school an alternate band setup you can use without too much of a hassle is to attach the bands to dumbbells. Hex dumbbells will obviously be your best bet here, but if they are not available just get a bunch of 2.5 and 5 pound plates and wedge them along side of the dumbbells. Never make a knot and wrap the band around the handle from there, always knot the band down if you’re looking to increase the tension. If you only use one knot and then wrap the band around a few times the force of your squat may cause the dumbbell to unravel from the band like a yo-yo. The other way I use bands when squatting is by looping them around the top of the power rack and dropping them down to the bar. This is commonly referred to as the lightened method. I like to make sure there is very little to no tension at the top of the squat. This setup results in the highest band tension at the bottom and the lowest at the top of the squat allowing for heavier bar weights. As you sit to the box the bands lengthen and increase their tension providing additional power out of the hole with very little assistance being provided at the top.


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Box Squatting for Wrestling

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