Why You Need to Squat

Squatting with Michael Harris at Double Jab ABC, maximal effort day.

Why the Squat?

The squat is regarded as the king/queen of all the exercises in the strength world. The squat requires a tremendous amount of technique, strength, balance and mental fortitude. The low bar squat (which for this article, I will be referring to as the ‘squat’) is arguably the best exercise to overload hip drive. The squat also works the posterior chain muscles, the muscles that allow hip extension and flexion, as well as the core. For boxers, these are the muscles that are crucial for explosiveness in attacking and defensive movements, such as driving in and out of range, and rolling and slipping.

Martial artists in striking sports will quickly learn that the greatest force output from a strike comes from a good base and stance, which is why beginners should be coached from the ground up. However, a very strong athlete with a decent level of skill (or a low level of skill if they are freakishly strong) can beat a highly skilled opponent who is not as genetically gifted in the strength department or keeping up with their strength work. Boxer Nigel Benn or MMA fighter Brock Lesnar would fit this description of fighters that are not as skilfully sound as some of their opponents but are incredibly strong and powerful, taking them far in their sport.

But why not strive to be both? Lethal technicians such as contemporary boxers Oleksandr Uysk, Gennady Golovkin or Canelo Alvarez entice boxing fans with their unfathomable skill set and leave no guessing to the judges and the casual fans with their knockouts.

Maximal Strength Training

Maximal strength just means the maximum weight you can lift. The purest form of maximal strength training is a 1 rep max (1RM). If you are not used to handling heavy weight, I would recommend to start with a 5-6RM. To be able to perform a true 1RM (especially on a squat) can be as much psychologically demanding as it is physically demanding. I’m not saying never attempt a 1RM, but rather spend time working on technique and form instead of rushing to add weight to the bar. Look for stability throughout the lift.

Why focus on maximal strength?

It is always better to be stronger than weaker. However, the majority of the boxers I have been fortunate enough to work with still neglect S&C or aren’t efficient with their time in the weights room or on the track.

If you raise the maximum of anything you raise the average. Here is a very classic example which applies well to major compound lifts. You have 2 identical twins, twin A squats 100kg, twin B squats 200kg. Who can squat 50kg for more reps? Twin B obviously. Not only has twin B got more maximal strength, but in the pursuit of maximal strength they have also increased their strength endurance. This is just one example of a peripheral physiological change stemming from strength training. Increasing the maximal strength of an athlete will give you a stronger foundation to work with, raising the numbers in the percentages along the force-velocity curve. This gives you a more powerful, faster fighter.

Why focus on squats?

Because simply stated by the great Yuri Verkhoshansky, “Barbell Squat, which has a high training influence on the maximal strength, is the most important SST (Special Strength Training) means for all acyclic sports.” - Verkoshansky, 2011, Special Strength Training Manual for Coaches, Chapter 6, P146

If you increase your squat, you unlock the potential to become more explosive. This is especially useful in amateur boxing where the rounds are less, the pace is much more intense, rapid foot work will help rack up the points and please judges.

How Much Should I Squat?

A sweet spot for men squatting, based on limited data working with boxers and myself in my amateur boxing club, was 1.5 - 1.6 x BW. A decent squat for the majority of women (based on even more limited data) was 1.2 - 1.3 x BW. These figures aren’t that high compared to the requirements in other sports like rugby lets say. The reason for this firstly, is the sport is dictated by weight categories that will stunt the hypertrophy allowed for a boxer to gain muscle and strength. Secondly, the training for boxing itself is too taxing within these weight confines to be able to justify burning yourself out in a weights room on a calorie deficit (which might be during a camp if pro) as well as keeping up with fitness and technique. Lastly, an attempt to aim for higher numbers in the weights room will likely be low down on most amateur boxers to do list, with jobs, lives, and finding time to recover and rest. If there are athletes that hit these numbers with ease and look better in the ring for it they should continue to build on their squat under close watch, to make sure they don’t over train.

Take your time adding weight on the bar, execute all movements with a full range of motion, if you can’t complete an exercise with full range of motion then drop the weight and get a qualified coach to keep an eye on your form as to avoid injury.

Building strength naturally is a marathon not a sprint.