Overhead Squat
- Main muscles
- Quads
- Also works
- Abs, Calves, Glutes, Hamstrings, Lower back, Shoulders, Triceps
- Equipment
- Barbell
- Level
- Expert
- Type
- Compound · Push
How to do it
- Start out by having a barbell in front of you on the floor. Your feet should be wider than shoulder width apart from each other.
- Bend the knees and use a pronated grip (palms facing you) to grab the barbell. Your hands should be at a wider than shoulder width apart from each other before lifting. Once you are positioned, lift the barbell up until you can rest it on your chest.
- Move the barbell over and slightly behind your head and make sure your arms are fully extended. Keep your head up at all times and also maintain a straight back. Retract your shoulder blades. This is your starting position.
- Slowly lower the weight by bending your knees until your thighs are parallel to the ground while inhaling. Tip: Keep your back straight while performing this exercise to avoid any injuries and your arms should remain extended and over your head at all times.
- Now use your feet and legs to help bring the weight back up to the starting position while exhaling.
- Repeat for the recommended amount of repetitions.
Quick answers
- What muscles does the Overhead Squat work?
- Mainly the quads, with help from the abs, calves, glutes, hamstrings, lower back, shoulders, triceps.
- What equipment do I need?
- Barbell.
- Is it good for beginners?
- It is rated expert level, so learn simpler versions first.
- How do I track progress on it?
- Log each set and beat the weight or reps from last time. Liftrung shows your last set beside the next one and estimates your one-rep max from your sets.
More quads exercises
- Barbell Full Squat
- Barbell Hack Squat
- Barbell Lunge
- Barbell Side Split Squat
- Barbell Squat
- Barbell Squat To A Bench
Exercise descriptions: free-exercise-db, public domain.