Overhead Squat

Start

Finish

How to do it

Hold the bar locked out overhead with a wide grip and the arms slightly behind the ears, then squat to full depth keeping the bar stacked over the mid-foot the whole way.

Muscles worked

Primary: quads · Also works: shoulders, core, upper back

Equipment

Barbell, Full gym

Common mistakes

• Letting the bar drift forward of the mid-foot, which is the single most common way the lift is lost
• Loading up before the shoulders and thoracic spine can hold the overhead position at depth
• Shrugging the shoulders down instead of actively pushing up into the bar throughout

Variations

• Empty bar or dowel for the first several sessions
• Overhead squat with two kettlebells

Can't do this one? Swap it for

• Front Squat
• Barbell Back Squat
• Goblet Squat
• Dumbbell Front Squat

Take care: ABROFIT automatically removes this movement for anyone who has flagged a shoulder or lower back problem. If that's you, use one of the swaps above and speak to a physio before loading it.

Related exercises

• Barbell Back Squatquads
• Goblet Squatquads
• Bodyweight Squatquads
• Leg Pressquads
• Bulgarian Split Squatquads
• Walking Lungequads