Equipment needed: Wooden dowel or barbell
Muscle groups used:
Primarily: Quadriceps, glutes, hamstrings, deltoids, trapezius
How to Perform:
- Begin by placing your hands at a width that allows the bar to hang at the level of the hip pocket (spot where the hips form an angle when thighs are lifted) when standing upright.
- Bring the bar into an overhead position directly above the glenohumeral (shoulder) joint.
- Focus on “pulling the bar apart” to activate the upper body musculature for stability.
- Slowly lower into a full depth squat, keeping the core tight, with the bar locked in the overhead position.
- Return to your starting position by fully extending at the knees, hips and ankles.
Modifications:
- To simplify – use a wooden dowel to learn proper form and accustom yourself to the feeling of having a bar overhead in the proper position
- To intensify – use a barbell, and when the bar itself becomes too easily, add weights
Explanation:
The overhead squat is an important exercise to a true squat progression that is used when learning how to squat properly. Overhead squats are an exercise most people have never attempted. It’s a challenging full-body exercise that will test strength, coordination and stability, with the lower body doing the lifting while the upper body stabilizes. Be sure to have proper supervision to ensure the exercise is being performed correctly, to minimize any chance of injury.
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