Overhead Squats

[Centennial80015]

I'm trying to Overhead squats to my workout, but I can't seem to get the form down.
I feel like I need to be able to bend backwards, like a Chinese acrobat.

As long as the bar is light enough for me to hold it at an angle, like a front raise, I can do it, but I'm confident that this isn't the correct form.

Anyone have some pointers? I don't see people doing them in my gym. When I ask around, noone seems to know how to do them either.

[FlexinMike]

I am not familar with them. I would like to know what the benefit of doing them is?

[Arlecchino]

I like them, and do them all the time.


I have no idea why a bodybuilder would do them.

http://lukamar.ca/os/showthread.php?tid=190

Edit: in b4 gbg

[GnomusMaximus]

Ugh...Overhead squats....how to feel like an idiot in one step. I try, I try, I try, and I feel like an idiot....someday I will get these right, just probably not today.

[McJimmie]

If you can't manage overhead squats (which are great at strengthening the muscles which stabilise the shoulder girdle), then try front squats. They also help to develop the lower back / pelvic flexibility needed to do a back squat with good form.

I was at a seminar given by a national strength and conditioning coach - he will not allow his athletes to do back squats until they can do front and overhead squats.

He quoted a female canoeist weighing 40kg, who can overhead squat in excess of 100kg !

(but I admit that I can't even do an overhead squat with a broom handle)

[FlexinMike]

Originally Posted by Arlecchino

I like them, and do them all the time.


I have no idea why a bodybuilder would do them.

http://lukamar.ca/os/showthread.php?tid=190

Edit: in b4 gbg

No way in hell I am going to even attempt them.

[Centennial80015]

Originally Posted by Arlecchino

I like them, and do them all the time.


I have no idea why a bodybuilder would do them.

http://lukamar.ca/os/showthread.php?tid=190

Edit: in b4 gbg

Thank you for the website. That has some good tips. The videos are withdrawn, but the information may help.

They are in Chad Waterbury's book, "Huge in a Hurry." I believe he adds them for stabilization training. He also recommends them as a warm-up exercise.

[JeepCreeper]

The link has great pointers. I'll add that, for me, doing shoulder dislocates with a wooden 7' dowel helped get my shoulder flexible enough for the OHS. I also found that OHSing with the dowel as a warm up helped when I was first learning the movement.

[Arlecchino]

Originally Posted by Centennial80015

Thank you for the website. That has some good tips. The videos are withdrawn, but the information may help.

They are in Chad Waterbury's book, "Huge in a Hurry." I believe he adds them for stabilization training. He also recommends them as a warm-up exercise.

<sigh>

Another reason not to do them. If I pissed on someone, too bad.

Not a great warm-up exercise until you learn how to do them. Learning curve is too sharp. By the time you are reaping the benefits of them, you could have been spending your time far more productively. Yeah, they are cool, and I realize 'stabilizing the core' is all the rage in Europe, but there are easier ways to do it. And I say this as someone who spent the first eight years of his lifting career competing in OL'ing.

Warm up with whatever you are going to train. Do something to make sure the blood is flowing (light cardio if necessary), then if you are going to squat, warm up with squats. Really very simple.

Guys like Waterbury make everything too damn complicated. But it makes them sound cool online.

[GnomusMaximus]

I go along with Arlecchino, if there is a reason to do them they are great. There is an obvious connection with the snatch for OL. In my sport they are helpful for stone presses, getting a stone to behave when it is over your head is a treat, plus you need to come out of press similar to a jerk but with odd hand placements so OH squats help. Some of the guys I throw with swear that they help with the Weight Over bar and caber because the last portion of the throw is somewhat similar, but I can't do enough to notice the help.

[bebeklein]

Originally Posted by McJimmie

He quoted a female canoeist weighing 40kg, who can overhead squat in excess of 100kg !

Dayuum that's impressive. Here's my favorite Crossfit girl Nicole rocking 150#s.

These are the two vids I used to learn form:

Ripptoe:

[snoack]

Originally Posted by Arlecchino

I like them, and do them all the time.


I have no idea why a bodybuilder would do them.

http://lukamar.ca/os/showthread.php?tid=190

Edit: in b4 gbg

I've done them before, haven't in a long time but may again after my current cycle is over.

Because you know your stuff as well as you do, let me ask you-

what kind of athletes would you recommend these for? Would they be a good piece of a strength training routine for somebody who was training for an endurance sport (like long distance running)

[Arlecchino]

Originally Posted by GnomusMaximus

I go along with Arlecchino, if there is a reason to do them they are great. There is an obvious connection with the snatch for OL. In my sport they are helpful for stone presses, getting a stone to behave when it is over your head is a treat, plus you need to come out of press similar to a jerk but with odd hand placements so OH squats help. Some of the guys I throw with swear that they help with the Weight Over bar and caber because the last portion of the throw is somewhat similar, but I can't do enough to notice the help.

The key points to stabilizing the damn bar overhead are really rotating the elbows forward/twisting the wrists outward, and trying to 'pull the bar apart' with your hands.

Assuming you know how to do them, you can get a lot out of them, but it really takes time to build up to an effective training weight.

[Arlecchino]

Originally Posted by snoack

I've done them before, haven't in a long time but may again after my current cycle is over.

Because you know your stuff as well as you do, let me ask you-

what kind of athletes would you recommend these for? Would they be a good piece of a strength training routine for somebody who was training for an endurance sport (like long distance running)

Hmm, they are a good exercise, don't get me wrong. If it sounds like I am bashing them, I do them one day a week, both as conditioning as well as to keep in practice since I need to teach the damn things.

For long distance running, assuming you are training with the ungodly volume most runners use, you need to carefully select your exercises to maximize performance without compromising your recovery ability. If you need to work on your abs or obliques (and yeah, runners need obliques) train them directly. If you need to work on your legs, squat and do other heavy compound exercises (odds are you need more hamstring and adductor work than anything, most runners are weaker in these areas with stronger quads/VL).

Depends on the individual. I dislike blanket recommendations.

I teach the exercise to OL'ers (obviously) and fighters, really, otherwise, if I can get by without it, I do.

[snoack]

Originally Posted by Arlecchino

Hmm, they are a good exercise, don't get me wrong. If it sounds like I am bashing them, I do them one day a week, both as conditioning as well as to keep in practice since I need to teach the damn things.

For long distance running, assuming you are training with the ungodly volume most runners use, you need to carefully select your exercises to maximize performance without compromising your recovery ability. If you need to work on your abs or obliques (and yeah, runners need obliques) train them directly. If you need to work on your legs, squat and do other heavy compound exercises (odds are you need more hamstring and adductor work than anything, most runners are weaker in these areas with stronger quads/VL).

Depends on the individual. I dislike blanket recommendations.

I teach the exercise to OL'ers (obviously) and fighters, really, otherwise, if I can get by without it, I do.

thanks Eric, appreciate the answer.

[Arlecchino]

Originally Posted by snoack

thanks Eric, appreciate the answer.

Sure.

One of the reasons I generally have runners do more hamstring work is the over-development of the quad in general and VL in particular, which can lead to issues with the patella (tracking-wise). The hamstrings help stabilize this, so become even more important given the volume and/or intensity of running.

[Centennial80015]

Originally Posted by Arlecchino

<sigh>

Another reason not to do them. If I pissed on someone, too bad.

Not a great warm-up exercise until you learn how to do them. Learning curve is too sharp. By the time you are reaping the benefits of them, you could have been spending your time far more productively. Yeah, they are cool, and I realize 'stabilizing the core' is all the rage in Europe, but there are easier ways to do it. And I say this as someone who spent the first eight years of his lifting career competing in OL'ing.

Warm up with whatever you are going to train. Do something to make sure the blood is flowing (light cardio if necessary), then if you are going to squat, warm up with squats. Really very simple.

Guys like Waterbury make everything too damn complicated. But it makes them sound cool online.

I haven't followed his warm-up routine. It is complex, and doesn't make intuitive sense.
I also don't want to spend half my time in the gym warming up and stretching.

I'm pretty much coming to that same conclusion about Waterbury. I made more progress on a 5x5 program than I have with his methods. I'll probably return to the 5x5 after I am done with this phase.

[snoack]

Originally Posted by Arlecchino

Sure.

One of the reasons I generally have runners do more hamstring work is the over-development of the quad in general and VL in particular, which can lead to issues with the patella (tracking-wise). The hamstrings help stabilize this, so become even more important given the volume and/or intensity of running.

hope you don't mind, but I sent you a PM to ask you a bit more specific of a question regarding this.

[Arlecchino]

Originally Posted by Centennial80015

I haven't followed his warm-up routine. It is complex, and doesn't make intuitive sense.
I also don't want to spend half my time in the gym warming up and stretching.

I'm pretty much coming to that same conclusion about Waterbury. I made more progress on a 5x5 program than I have with his methods. I'll probably return to the 5x5 after I am done with this phase.

A lot of what Chad says makes no sense.


Really, there is no point in your taking the time to learn them, at least at this point in your training. If you are still progressing on a simple and straightforward plan, stick with that.

If you are just dying to learn how to overhead squat, and do the pee-pee dance every time you think of it, practice at home with a broomstick.

And note: To get the bar into position, I just back out from the rack like it is a squat, and push press it into place. Bar should be inline with the back of your head.

[BuckSpin]

1st, these are brutal & very, very humbling.

I have done them with DBs. In that unilateral lifts typically dictate a fraction of their BB equivalent in weight, if you can clean/press 2 DBs into place overhead (and trust me, you will not need a lot of weight) you can do these.

Again, this is a brutal lift. Start light.....

[GuyJin]

I've done overhead squats in the past, and as BuckSpin said, they are brutal. While they are necessary for O lifting, if someone just can't get the hang of doing them, if one lacks the flexibility in the hip/lower back area, or if balance is a huge problem, then I'd dump them and do front squats instead. Watching that lady Nicole do the overheads with solid form made me want to melt my barbell set and never lift again; that's how humbled I felt watching her.

[gbg]

OH squats have been a big part of my routine since I started Olympic lifting they are now one of mt favorite exercises.
I started with a band to get my form down you need to have very good flexibility in the shoulders and pecs as well as your spine, start with getting your flexibility I do shoulder dislocations frequently so my ROM stays at peak.
http://weightliftingexchange.com/ind...=440&Itemid=60

[sytennison]

I tried OH squats for the 1st time a couple of weeks ago at a CrossFit workout and was surprised to have no trouble with them at all after a test set or two. I attribute this to A) being a decent ATG squatter in the 1st place and B) having done shoulder dislocates in the past to maintain upper body flexibility.

As far as warming up, I'm with Arlecchino. Go for a quick trot on the treadmill and then do light warmup sets of whatever it is you plan to do.

[gbg]

Originally Posted by sytennison

i tried oh squats for the 1st time a couple of weeks ago at a crossfit workout and was surprised to have no trouble with them at all after a test set or two. I attribute this to a) being a decent atg squatter in the 1st place and b) having done shoulder dislocates in the past to maintain upper body flexibility.

As far as warming up, i'm with arlecchino. Go for a quick trot on the treadmill and then do light warmup sets of whatever it is you plan to do.

overhead squats FTMFW!!!!

[BrotherWolf]

Originally Posted by GnomusMaximus

Ugh...Overhead squats....how to feel like an idiot in one step. I try, I try, I try, and I feel like an idiot....someday I will get these right, just probably not today.

I am exactly in your situation...
it's the hardest lift I "do" (attempt) and can only oh squat an empty bar and still look like an idiot.. but I keep trying

[gbg]

Originally Posted by BrotherWolf

I am exactly in your situation...
it's the hardest lift I "do" (attempt) and can only oh squat an empty bar and still look like an idiot.. but I keep trying

IMO once your able to get your back in full extension(meaning a large anterior tilt) and chest out as well as keep the bar placement which is as Eric described the rest is just practice.
Flexibilty is huge with OH squats, and it really works the upper back good.

Keep trying BW once you get it you'll be addicted!

[Centennial80015]

gbg -
Obviously, this is a squat so one might assume this works the legs, but the weight is limited to one's military press strength.

Since you perform these on a regular basis, what do you say is the main focus of this exercise, and why should we perform it instead of a more direct approach?
(Just to put you on the spot....)

[gbg]

Originally Posted by Centennial80015

gbg -
Obviously, this is a squat so one might assume this works the legs, but the weight is limited to one's military press strength.

Since you perform these on a regular basis, what do you say is the main focus of this exercise, and why should we perform it instead of a more direct approach?
(Just to put you on the spot....)

I perform them for sports specific reason's they are a necessary assistance exercise for the Snatch in Olympic lifting.
If your looking to train legs there are many other ways to do it a regular squat would suffice, I started them before the Oly lifting but for me it was just the challange so it's an individual thing.
Now that I have been doing them more often and with weight I can say that it's a great way to improve not just individual muscle groups such as the upper back legs and core but the body as a unit.

[BuckSpin]

Originally Posted by gbg

Now that I have been doing them more often and with weight I can say that it's a great way to improve not just individual muscle groups such as the upper back legs and core but the body as a unit.

x100. I will NEVER forget that "feeling" when I dropped into the hole the 1st time I ever tried these. I thought my eyes were gonna explodinate outta the sockets & *pop* across the room from the total posterior chain "explosion"

I don't wanna talk about coming out of the hole. Grateful there was no one else home, although the neighbors may have heard me.

Just try it with a broomstick. You'll see.....

[gbg]

Originally Posted by BuckSpin

x100. I will NEVER forget that "feeling" when I dropped into the hole the 1st time I ever tried these. I thought my eyes were gonna explodinate outta the sockets & *pop* across the room from the total posterior chain "explosion"

I don't wanna talk about coming out of the hole. Grateful there was no one else home, although the neighbors may have heard me.

Just try it with a broomstick. You'll see.....

True, I do a lot of posterior work and the oly lifting helps with strengthining the upper back plus assistance work like presses and push presses.
And again, flexability!