Overhead Squat

Quads, glutes, upper back, shoulders, coreBarbell or Dowel

The overhead squat is a deep squat performed while holding a barbell locked out directly overhead. It demands exceptional shoulder and hip mobility, core stability, and full-body strength.

How to do it

1Grab the bar with a wide snatch grip and push it locked out overhead.

2Set your feet slightly wider than shoulder-width, toes turned slightly out, weight balanced over mid-foot.

3Sit hips back and bend your knees in line with your toes to initiate the squat.

4Squat to parallel or lower while keeping a flat back and the bar centered directly over your mid-foot.

5Drive through your feet to stand back up, keeping arms locked out overhead throughout.

Common mistakes

Letting the bar drift forward past mid-foot, overloading shoulder joints and ruining balance.

Bending your elbows during the squat, losing overhead stability and risking a dropped bar.

Rounding your lower back at the bottom of the squat, dumping heavy load onto your lumbar spine.

Breathing

Take a deep breath at the top, hold and brace as you lower, then exhale as you press out of the bottom to stand up.

Make it harder or easier

To scale down, practice with a lightweight PVC pipe to comfortably build depth.

To scale up, add weight to the barbell while maintaining strict overhead position.

This is general guidance, not a medical opinion. Listen to your body: if it hurts, stop. If you have an injury or a chronic condition, talk to a doctor first.