Overhead Squat
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The Overhead Squat is a barbell strength exercise where you hold a loaded bar in a wide snatch grip locked out overhead while performing a deep squat, demanding exceptional balance, mobility, and core stability. It primarily targets the quads, glutes, hamstrings, and back, enhancing full-body coordination and squat depth. Ideal for athletes, CrossFit enthusiasts, or anyone improving shoulder flexibility and posture, it requires a barbell and suits intermediate to advanced lifters comfortable with overhead positions.
How to Perform Overhead Squat
- 1Set a barbell in a squat rack at about shoulder height and load it with a light, appropriate weight. Take a wide snatch grip (hands notably wider than shoulder width).
- 2Step under the bar, press it overhead to a locked-out position with arms straight and the bar balanced over your mid-foot, then step back out of the rack.
- 3Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, toes slightly turned out, bar locked out overhead, core engaged and chest tall.
- 4Inhale deeply, then bend your knees and hips to lower into a squat while actively pressing the bar upward against your locked-out arms.
- 5Descend until your hips are at or below knee level, keeping your heels flat on the ground and the bar stable overhead.
- 6Exhale as you drive through your heels to stand up, fully extending your hips and knees while maintaining the overhead lockout.
- 7Repeat for the desired reps, then walk the bar back into the rack to finish the set.
- 8Key form tips: Keep the bar directly over your mid-foot throughout the squat; avoid excessive forward lean or letting your elbows bend. Common mistakes: Rounding the upper back, letting knees cave inward, or losing the overhead lockout as you descend.