What is the overhead squat?

The overhead squat is a deep squat performed while holding a barbell over your head with straight arms. It actually feels more like a snatch (one of the Olympic lifts) than a back squat. The fact that the bar is overhead rather than across your back changes the nature of the move significantly. For this reason, I prefer the term ‘snatch squat’ as I feel it is more descriptive, but ‘overhead squat’ is the more commonly-used name.

Why is it such a great exercise?

The overhead squat is a great assistance exercise for the Olympic lifts. In particular it teaches the correct position of the lower back for Olympic weightlifting. The move also works legs, hips and core very intensely so is effective both as an assistance exercise for the powerlifting squat and as a whole body exercise in its own right. It is quite a challenging exercise for someone who is used to more conventional, bodybuilding-style training, and so acts as a good introduction to the rigours of Olympic weightlifting.

How to perform the overhead squat

Whatever your strength level, it is advisable to practise this exercise without weight first, or with a very light weight – trust me! If you don’t know what to expect it is possible to overbalance when doing this exercise for the first time. However, if you take it slow and practice with a wooden stick or light bar, you will be fine.

Step 1: Starting position – bar overhead with arms locked out in snatch grip

The overhead squat is performed using a snatch grip. This is a wide grip on the bar. Finding the ideal width grip is a process of trial and error. Those with long arms will have their hands right up against the ends of the bar. I am a not-particularly-tall female and I grip the bar just outside the smooth rings.

There is more than one way to get into the start position. The easiest way is to get the bar across your shoulders (i.e. in the position you would use for a back squat) using a rack and then perform a push press to get the bar up into position. Don’t forget to adopt the snatch grip before you press up! You can also snatch the bar into position – although of course you need to be competent at snatching in order to do this.

You should be standing with feet shoulder width – or even slightly wider – apart, toes turned out slightly. In other words, in your normal position for squatting. With the bar locked out overhead, you are ready to begin the squat.

Step 2: Squat down as far as you can, holding the bar steady overhead

Push back from the hips, keeping your back slightly arched. Look straight ahead with chest up and out – this helps to keep the arch in the lower back. Keep your weight on your heels and descend as far as your flexibility will allow. If your back starts to round, this is as low as you can go. Keep your knees directly over your feet, not collapsing inward or bending outward.

As you descend, keep your arms locked out overhead. The bar should be held so that the weight is above your hips, either just behind your ears or even just behind your head. You should be able to feel when the bar is in the right position as it will feel balanced. It is important never to let the bar come forwards as it will pull you forwards and you will have to drop it! Also, if you have very flexible shoulders, you might need to watch that you don’t over-extend backwards and have the bar too far behind you.

To keep the bar in place, think about pulling your hands outwards. Imagine you are trying to stretch the bar or pull it in half.

Step 3: Reach squat depth

The aim is to go as low as possible but your squat depth will be limited by your back flexibility. This will improve as you practise the overhead squat.

As with any kind of squat, your knees should remain over your feet and not collapse in.

If you are not used to squatting to this depth, think about letting your body hang between your legs, not behind them. Often the squat is taught with a narrow stance and only to a parallel position, but it is difficult to hit a deep position with a narrow stance so if you have been taught this way, experiment with a wider position. Also if you need to turn your toes out a bit more in order to sink your hips lower, this is not a problem.

Step 4: Push out of the bottom and return to a standing position, maintaining the bar overhead

Press your heels into the floor and use your hips and glutes to push up out of the deep squat position and back to a standing position. Keep your core strong, holding your upper body in position. Continue trying to pull the bar apart to maintain its position securely above your head.

How to use the overhead squat in your training

There are a number of ways you can use the overhead squat in your training:

• As a warm up for Olympic lifts
• As an assistance exercise for the Olympic lifts and the squat
• As a core strengthening exercise
• As a tough workout in its own right (e.g. 15 bodyweight overhead squats) or combining it with other exercises in a circuit

The overhead squat has been growing in popularity, due in particular to its adoption by Crossfit as a key exercise. It is a very versatile move to master.

What is the handstand push-up?

A handstand push-up is performed against a wall in the handstand position. You slowly lower your head to the ground and push back up again. The legs are not used in this exercise, it entails purely shoulder and arm strength with a bit of core for stability and balance.

Why is it such a great exercise?

The handstand push-up is a genuinely challenging bodyweight exercise, even for the very strong, because it is so difficult to shift one’s own bodyweight directly against gravity using only arms and shoulders.

It is also very versatile as you need no equipment and everyone can get a lot of mileage out of this exercise. If you ever get to the point where this exercise or its variations no longer does anything for you, you will indeed be ninja!

How to perform the handstand push-up

Because it is so difficult, most people will not be able to do many (or even any) full handstand push-ups at first. But that’s not a problem because there are many ways to work up to it.

The rule is that the lower your legs are, the easier it is. If you are new to training, I would suggest starting with your legs on the floor, so that your body forms a triangle. However, most people who have been training for a while can manage starting with their legs at 90 degrees. You can use a chair, a low wall, anything you can rest your feet on that is reasonably secure.

Step 1: Starting position

Get into position by placing your hands on the floor and springing up into the handstand or stepping up into it if you are using a chair. If you are doing the 90 degree version, walk your hands back towards your feet until your body is at right angles to your legs.

Step 2: Bend arms, then straighten

Start with straight arms. Slowly bend your arms and lower your head towards the ground, then push upwards and straighten your arms. It helps to look through your arms, not down at the ground.

Step 3: Full range of motion

Make sure you are doing the full range of motion. There is a sticking point at the bottom of the move and it is easy to try to avoid this by stopping short. If you are worried about hitting your head on the ground, put a folded-up towel underneath it. You can also slowly work up to the full range of motion by putting a stack of thick books (such as phone books) underneath your head and removing one after each rep.

If you can crank out plenty of full handstand push-ups, increase the range of motion by putting your hands on bricks or parallel bars, so that you can lower your head even further.

How to use the handstand push-up in your training

The handstand push-up can be used as part of a strength or bodybuilding routine as the compound shoulder exercise, either in addition to or replacing shoulder press.

It is also a great core exercise if performed without using the wall for balance. This is most useful for those who do martial arts or breakdancing, where balance and core strength is key. Having your legs wider apart makes it easier to balance when trying free handstand push-ups for the first time.

Video clips

Handstand push-up variations from Crossfit – shows lots of variations from quite easy to very difficult!

Freestanding handstand push-ups with good range of motion. And from a heavy guy, too! Note how spread out his fingers are – this makes it easier to balance.

My full body no-equipment routine incorporating 90-degree handstand push-ups.

Related posts

Bodyweight or bust – article describing full body routine with handstand push-ups

So what are these better exercises? Well, anything that involves working to maintain your balance is brilliant for training your whole core, not just the abs. Personal Trainers in gyms might give you some balances to do on a wobbly board or a swiss ball, which do the trick, but my favourite exercise is handstands.

Much more fun than a wobbly board and can be done anywhere – in the garden, on the beach, in the lounge. I discovered how effective they were when I took up breakdancing in my late twenties and spent a lot of time balancing upside down on my hands in various funky shapes. My core became extremely strong!

And if you are really tough, you can work up to handstand push-ups, which works core and shoulders very well. The Crossfit London site has a guide on how to master the handstand push-up showing the different stages of progression.

Another very effective exercise is plank. Plank comes from yoga and is very popular. Most people do it for 30 seconds or 1 minute.

This is fine when you first start, but to get greater benefits from it you need to do it for as long as possible. Once you get past the two minute-mark, your core really starts to get strong.

My record is 4 mins 10 seconds, but it took me a while to work up to that. When I was at 2 minutes, it just didn’t seem possible to get to 3 or 4 minutes. But you add a few seconds every time you try it and it soon adds up. Some of the guys over at Warrior Training and Ross Training have reached 5 minutes or above! It’s hard work – your limbs are shaking and the sweat is pouring off you. But it is really effective.

What’s your favourite core exercise?