Overhead Squat: Easy to Killer Difficult

The overhead squat is one of those movements that find any weak point you may have. This exercise is one of the most demanding of any in the weight training repertoire.

However, it is an exercise that you can master by moving from doing it with a broomstick or PVC pipe to lighter barbells to progressively heavier weights.

There are advantages to lifters of all skill levels to doing this movement with or without much weight.

Simply doing the movement with a broomstick stretches your back, shoulders hips and legs in ways they are not tested by other exercises.

In short, the overhead squat can be a great warmup or warm-down and keep your body balanced and flexible in many different positions.

 

Unweighted

Take a broomstick or PVC pipe and grasp it with a wide snatch grip. This would be roughly the same grip you would use if you had a collar to collar grip spacing on a standard 7 foot bar.

Stand with your feet a bit wider than shoulder width. Raise the bar in front of you to a position directly overhead.

Keeping your head erect and looking straight ahead gradually descend into a full squat keeping the bar at arms length overhead.

If you have not done this before or done it recently you may be surprised at how difficult it is to get into a deep squat position.

Getting into unusual positions is a good practice for staying limber. You may be surprised by how much your stiffen up when you dont get into positions regularly.

It may take a while for you to comfortably do a set of 8-10 deep squats while holding a stick overhead. Regular practice will help you build the flexibility and balance needed to do weighted overhead squats.

 

Weighted Overhead Squats

 

 

Doing overhead squats with a weight is a standard drill for Olympic style lifters. However, powerlifters generally dont do a lot of overhead training so this is a more difficult movement to master.

The purpose of doing this lift for a powerlifter is an exercise to promote balance, flexibility and general conditioning. It also can develop excellent strength in the shoulders in multiple positions.

The weighted overhead squat is practiced by Olympic lifters using a behind-the-neck technique for getting the bar to arms length overhead. This is technically very difficult, and I dont recommend trying it unless you have a real Olympic lifting coach on hand to help you.

The guidance I offer here is for powerlifters and serious strength athletes who will not be doing Olympic lifting.

Begin with an empty bar. It may sound wimpy, but until you can easily and cleanly do 5 reps with an empty bar, dont try to load up the weights.

Oh.the small issue of getting the bar into an overhead position in the first place.

Welcome to the wonderfully evil world ofthe power snatch.

Grasp the bar with the wide grip (snatch grip) and pull it from the floor to overhead in one motion.

For non-Olympic lifters this means flipping it overhead without going into a deep squat Basically, the pull is floor to overhead with maybe a slight bend in the knees.

This is going to limit the amount of weight significantly.but the purpose of doing this lift is overall conditioning and building strength in odd positions.so not to worry.

Once the bar is overhead I recommend doing 3-5 reps of the squat. Build balance, control and strength in different positions than you normally get into during power training.

 

Coda

The overhead squat with weight is really hard (aka. difficult). You hardly ever see anyone do it except hard core strength types (aka. us).

However, it is one of those obscure exercises that can help experienced strength types prevent muscle imbalances and weak links in their power chain.

Lift Big!

Richard