Box Squat (Dumbbell)

A lower body compound exercise where you squat down to touch a box behind you before standing up, using dumbbells to add load and improve strength and depth.

Instructions

1. Stand in front of a box or bench with your feet shoulder-width apart, holding a dumbbell in each hand at chest height or at your sides.
2. Take a controlled step backward and sit back onto the box behind you, keeping your chest upright and weight in your heels.
3. Lightly touch the box with your glutes before driving through your heels to stand up powerfully.
4. Return to the starting position with dumbbells held securely.
5. Repeat for the prescribed number of repetitions.

Tips

• Keep your chest upright and your core braced throughout the entire movement
• The box helps teach proper depth and creates a consistent range of motion
• Touch but do not fully relax onto the box; maintain tension in your muscles
• Keep your knees tracking in line with your toes
• Choose a box height that allows you to reach parallel or slightly below
• This exercise can improve squat depth and reduce knee strain compared to free squats
• Drive through your heels, not your toes, when standing up