OVERHEAD SQUATS

I started squatting with the bar overhead less than a month ago and my squat technique (both regular and front squats) have improved so much it's incredible. It's improved my balance by several hundred percent, brought my torso more upright - doesn't look like Dave's, no way, but better than it was before - and my squats deeper by several inches.

So.... I want everyone to try it! Duh.

In Olympic lifting, they consider this an "assistance" exercise. They use it to improve balance and strength coming out of the deep "snatch" position and actually as a beginning exercise to introduce the official "snatch" movement.

You'll be using a snatch grip, which is a wide grip on the bar that when pulled overhead becomes an elbows-locked position. You can start with a broomstick, an empty bar if you've got some strength going into it, or a lighter weight fixed bar. In fact, you can start with dumbbells, but your upper body balance from side to side might be an issue.

Position yourself behind the bar at the beginning of a deadlift position, knees bent, hips down, chest up. Grab the bar in a wide grip - for me it's a pretty wide space in order to get the elbows locked back behind the head. Bring the bar overhead not worrying for the moment how you get it there. We're working with a light weight to get familiar with the overhead squat and won't worry about cleaning the weight or jerking it overhead.

Stand with a fairly wide foot position, toes pointing slightly out. Lock your elbows out - you may need to push your hands out even further to do this - and bring your shoulder blades together. Pushing outward and back on the bar seems to make this happen almost automatically.

Once you've found this lockout position, find a visual focal point on the wall slightly overhead and squat down. If you're anything like me, your first rep will feel ridiculous, but by the end of the set, it starts feeling a little better. The first day I did 4 sets of 8 very partial reps and had no pleasure from it at all. But... a couple of days later I did it again. By my practice the first day, I'd "opened the neural pathways" I guess - whatever - because I was able to squat nearly to the floor on my second try.

Since then I've added 50 pounds to my overhead squat, too much actually because my form fell apart so I'm going to back off again tomorrow. My point being that the learning curve is swift on this one and the benefits great.

Click here to see a photo, if you have no idea what we're talking about

Actually, it's a photo from the front of Artie Drechsler's Weight Lifting Encyclopedia book, so it's probably the bottom part of a competition snatch, but that's the position you're looking for.

Laree

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I had an interesting evening tonight that ended up involving overhead squats. Wednesday night is our "family out for dinner night" and over dinner and playing pool my son was telling his mom about the overhead squats he had tried and how hard they were. He said that he had done 8 reps with 115# the first time he tried them. Of course dad says "no way" and he proceeds to tell me that he certainly had and felt he could do more weight - maybe 135 or 155. Now for the first time in 8 months I had treated myself to a burger with bun (first bread in 8 months) and had decided to go to the gym and do an hour on the treadmill as penance. So I said he should come to the gym with me and show me.

So at the gym he warms up, puts two 45's on the bar, presses it overhead and proceeds to go down. All the way down, way below parallel, probably butt six inches off the ground, and proceeds to come out of the hole and all the way up. He did two more reps and didn't loose it. He wanted to try 155 so he put two 10's on but couldn't press it overhead. Said it had been chest and shoulder day and he'd already done a good job of thrashing himself earlier. But he said if he was fresh.... Of course dad was thinking not bad for a 17 year old who hadn't even heard of the lift until a few days ago.

So he then says "You try it". I said OK but bar only with no weight. So I did 10 reps with the 45# bar overhead. And what pleased me is that I went all the way down, butt 6 inches of the floor, way below parallel. And I never lost balance once - though I came close a couple of times. These are fun. I think I'll make overhead squats my last set of squats on squat day.

Try them. You may like them.

Chuck

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As good ol' Charlie Brown would say: "Aaaaaaaagh!!!!"

This overhead squat thing is neato! I am such a wimp. I tried to do it with 60 pounds, and proceeded to fall over on my bumby (I almost lost my glasses, I would have been lost in my own garage)!

What a hoot! I managed to do five with 30 pounds, and I can tell you that it was great. My legs aren't tired at all, but my ego is whupped! I can not believe how difficult it was to do these things. I struggled to hold the weight over my head and perform a simple squat. I heartily recommend trying overhead squats, and if you like the challenge as much as I do, keep them as part of your routine for however long you continue to enjoy them. As for me, I will included (at least) one set of overhead squats in my routine from now on, it was such a pleasure to be challenged by such a "simple" movement.

I think I had better reduce the weight until I have mastered the movement. I have a bar that weighs about 15 pounds when empty, and that is what I shall use next time. I tried dumbbells, but it was even stranger feeling than with the bar. Perhaps I can graduate to doing both the bar and dumbbells.

This is a great exercise! While the weight I use is relatively puny, I will keep my own advice in mind: If it feels heavy to you, then it IS heavy.

Scott

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