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Bodyweight Box Squat for Beginners

Bodyweight Box Squat for Beginners — video by Girls Gone Strong | Women's Health & Fitness Play · 5:19

Video by Girls Gone Strong | Women's Health & Fitness on YouTube · Open on YouTube

Learn to squat by sitting back onto a box or bench, with a simple breathing method to brace your core. A safe first step before free squats.

  • 5 min
  • Beginner
  • Low impact (no jumping)
  • bench
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Step by step 6

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  1. Set-up: a box or bench behind you, feet a little wider than your shoulders, toes turned out slightly. 0:14
  2. Brace: breathe in, blow the air out to bring your ribs down, then breathe in again. 1:10
  3. Sit back into your hips with knees out, rest your weight on the box without relaxing, then stand. 1:57
  4. Control the descent so you don't slam onto the box, and keep driving the knees out so they don't cave. 2:47
  5. From the side: a little forward lean is fine; don't tuck your bottom under and fling yourself up. 3:55
  6. Box squat or squat to box: sit your weight on the box, or just tap it to check depth, then go box-free. 4:30

The steps are a summary in our words, checked against the video — the coach shows every move.

Form cues from the coach

  • Breathe in, blow it out to bring ribs down, then breathe in again to brace
  • Sit back into your hips and push knees out; rest on the box without slamming down
  • Stay braced and stand up without tucking your bottom and rocking off the box

What it works

Tap an area for more videos that work it.

Joints it uses 2 takes load

  • Hips takes loadsitting back onto the box and standing up
  • Knees takes loadbodyweight box squats
  • Ankles & feet movesbodyweight box squats

Easier option from the coach: Sits back onto a box or bench, which gives a depth target; no weights

A guide to the joints this video’s moves load, from what the coach does — not medical advice. Some ache is normal; stop if a joint hurts sharply. How joints are rated

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Video by Girls Gone Strong | Women's Health & Fitness; the summary, steps, cues, body areas and joint notes are Notbroken’s, written from what the coach actually does in the video and checked a second time. Warm up first, take the easier options until a move feels easy, and stop if you feel sharp pain, chest pain or dizziness. General instruction, not advice for your body. About & safety