Overhead Squat

General and Specifics

• warm-up well before you start
• prevent injuries by making sure to do controlled moves
• beginners should start with a broomstick or a barbell without weight
• nevertheless it is an excellent workout for the legs
• additionally, it improves your core stability, especially in the lower back area and it demands coordination and balance

Starting Position

• take a barbell wider than shoulder width
• bring it above your head or take it from your squat rack with stretched out arms and over your head already
• guide it behind the head a little bit
• the arms are stretched out, the palms point forward
• the arms are tensioned during the whole exercise, try to pull apart the ends of the barbell for a stable position
• the legs are opened wider than shoulder width, feet are turned out a little
• hold the back straight and the head up

Correct Execution

• guide the hip back and bend the knees until the thighs are parallel to the ground
• make a slight hollow-back
• concentrate on the weight and make sure that the arms are always vertical to the ground, they are not allowed to move forward
• hold the upper body as upright as possible, your chest points forward, not down
• if you tilt the upper body forward too much, the arms compensate this, it may cause a high strain for your shoulders
• the knees should not protrude the toes
• brace the bottom and bring yourself back into the starting position by putting pressure on your heels
• bring down the barbell controlled between the sets
• avoid rotating the shoulders to preserve the joints
• repeat this strength exercise several times