Box Squat

The box squat is a squat performed to a box or padded stool set behind you, sitting briefly before standing back up. The box does two jobs at once: it makes depth consistent from rep to rep, and it forces you to push the hips back rather than simply bending the knees, which is the hinge most people miss when they learn to squat. Sitting rather than bouncing is the point — touching and rebounding turns it back into a normal squat and wastes the drill. Keep the back flat, the abs braced and the knees tracking behind the toes, then drive through the heels to stand. It suits beginners learning the pattern, lifters rebuilding after a knee issue, and anyone whose depth drifts as the sets get heavy. Choose a box height that puts your thighs roughly parallel at the bottom, then lower it over time as your hips learn the pattern.