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Overhead Squat

Also written as HIIT Overhead Squats, OH squat

Advanced movement. Use appropriate equipment, safety pins or spotters, and a load you can control. If you are unfamiliar with the movement, learn the technique before attempting the programmed intensity.

What it trains

quadriceps, gluteus maximus, shoulders

Also: upper back, core

Equipment

barbell

Setup

  • Take a wide snatch grip and press or jerk the bar to a locked-out position overhead.
  • Set the feet slightly wider than shoulder width, toes turned out.
  • Pull the shoulder blades together and push up into the bar.

Execution

  1. 1.Brace, then squat down while keeping the bar directly over the mid-foot.
  2. 2.Descend as deep as you can while keeping the arms locked and the torso upright.
  3. 3.Stand back up without letting the bar drift forward.

Breathing

Breathe at the top between reps; hold the brace through each rep.

Form cues

  • Actively push up into the bar the whole time.
  • Keep the bar behind the ears, over the mid-foot.
  • Stay upright — any forward lean sends the bar forward.

Common mistakes

  • Letting the arms drift forward at the bottom.
  • Squatting with a torso angle borrowed from a back squat.
  • Using more load than your overhead position can hold.

Safety

  • Practise with an empty bar or dowel first. If the bar drifts forward, dump it forward and step back.

Technique written to align with

  • NSCA — Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning

Instructions and diagrams on this page are original to QuantumWorkout.