Overhead squats

[brikis98]

We have a tiny gym at work and when I'm bored, I sometimes head in there and do some extremely light weight exercises. Today, I decided to give overhead squats a shot. There are no Olympic bars, just some skinny standard-size bars, so I did them with the empty bar (~35lbs?) first. It was awkward, but not terribly hard. Then I added 25lbs on each side.

Woah.

That exercise is so much harder than it looks. I could not get nearly deep enough and my upper and lower back were working way more than expected. I did one more set, which went a bit better, but I am amazed at just how difficult this is.

I hear this is a great exercise to boost flexibility, core strength and help your squat depth, as well as the necessary precursor to doing the snatch, so I'm thinking of adding it somewhere in my routine... I'm basically doing a rippetoe starting strength program, so i'm not sure where it'll fit... But I am definitely impressed.

 

[HN]

definitely good times. take your time progressing with them, though; the weight may seem light but the work is definitely there.

here's nicole carroll (crossfit trainer) doing a few, very inspiring: http://youtube.com/watch?v=6DqCkqDr0Yw

 

[EvilYoda]

yeah, OH squats are great! Very very different feel and motion the first few times you do them. I actually just met a CFer at the new Lifetime Fitness gym I'm going to...I'm considering joining the local CF gym in a few months after I feel like I have the basics down and I'm not hemorrhaging money from moving.

 

[MegaVovaN]

They are epic...I do 5 with empty bar for my warmups. Much harder than regular empty bar squats.

 

[spamsk8r]

I'm a CFer, so I'm no stranger to OHS. They definitely kill, and take a lot of flexibility, core control, and technique to perform correctly.

 

[brikis98]

I did two more sets at the gym as a warmup before my workout today, one with the bare (45lbs) bar and a second one with two tens per side (85lbs). My form was definitely better, but I still couldn't get down low enough with 85lbs and my upper back was really feeling it. I'll keep at it as a warmup to build the necessary core strength and flexibility.

 

[skace]

Can you simply replace regular squats with these in your workout or is that not advised?

 

[Riverhound777]

Originally posted by: HN
definitely good times. take your time progressing with them, though; the weight may seem light but the work is definitely there.

here's nicole carroll (crossfit trainer) doing a few, very inspiring: http://youtube.com/watch?v=6DqCkqDr0Yw

Damn that chick is hardcore. For one she's going way below parallel and he's not even hitting parallel.

 

[Unmoosical]

Originally posted by: Riverhound777

Originally posted by: HN
definitely good times. take your time progressing with them, though; the weight may seem light but the work is definitely there.

here's nicole carroll (crossfit trainer) doing a few, very inspiring: http://youtube.com/watch?v=6DqCkqDr0Yw

Damn that chick is hardcore. For one she's going way below parallel and he's not even hitting parallel.

:thumbsup:
First thing I noticed also, she goes way deeper into the squat than he does. Also, he looks like he's on his toes more than he should be.

 

[Koing]

Originally posted by: Unmoosical

Originally posted by: Riverhound777

Originally posted by: HN
definitely good times. take your time progressing with them, though; the weight may seem light but the work is definitely there.

here's nicole carroll (crossfit trainer) doing a few, very inspiring: http://youtube.com/watch?v=6DqCkqDr0Yw

Damn that chick is hardcore. For one she's going way below parallel and he's not even hitting parallel.

:thumbsup:
First thing I noticed also, she goes way deeper into the squat than he does. Also, he looks like he's on his toes more than he should be.

Shes going a lot lower then he is. I didn't watch the full video so can't comment on his toes but your heels should be planted on the ground.

Originally posted by: skace
Can you simply replace regular squats with these in your workout or is that not advised?

Not really. It is a supplement. For most people they are not limited by leg strength but mobility and strength in the position to how much they can Over Head Squat. As you get better you can OHS a lot but it will never activate the muscles like regular front and back squats.

BUT for most people until you get to at least BW for say 3-5reps you could replace it, but I would recommend just alternating your squat with it. People should already be alternating front and back squats as it is!

The OHS will test your squat to see how 'true' your back and front squat is. You CAN NOT cheat an OHS. You can cheat a front squat less then a back squat, but the back squat youc ould good morning that sucka' up!

Koing

 

[EvilYoda]

Originally posted by: Koing

but the back squat youc ould good morning that sucka' up!

Koing

Great, I'll try that!

 

[skace]

Originally posted by: Koing
Not really. It is a supplement. For most people they are not limited by leg strength but mobility and strength in the position to how much they can Over Head Squat. As you get better you can OHS a lot but it will never activate the muscles like regular front and back squats.

BUT for most people until you get to at least BW for say 3-5reps you could replace it, but I would recommend just alternating your squat with it. People should already be alternating front and back squats as it is!

The OHS will test your squat to see how 'true' your back and front squat is. You CAN NOT cheat an OHS. You can cheat a front squat less then a back squat, but the back squat youc ould good morning that sucka' up!

Koing

Tried these last night, it felt like my shoulders or back were too weak for them. Does that sound right? Especially once you start getting low in the squat. I could feel it right in between my shoulder blades. Spent a ton of time trying to get the form down for the dumbbell version.

 

[gramboh]

I'm a total newb at these, just doing sets of 5 with the bar (45lbs) trying to learn them. A few comments:

#1) I feel it in my mid back as well, at first I thought I wasn't flexible enough to even get down with a broomstick above my head. I found a video on Google Video (Fit something, can't find it right now) which said the easiest way to learn OH squat is squat down to the bottom position with a broomstick infront of you on the ground, grab it off the ground in a snatch (wide) grip and put it above you (behind your head, over midfoot/shoulders).

#2) Take a really wide grip, like snatch grip, where your hands are almost at the end of the barbell, the wider the grip, the easier it will be to get the bar in the right position above you when you squat down.

Again I'm totally new to these, but they are awesome, I will be practicing them more and more and hopefully adding weight soon. I will continue to do backsquats a while more, then mix in front squats as well.

 

[HN]

grip position / ohs basics - http://youtube.com/watch?v=XIBnUGxpJQE
rippetoe on ohs - http://youtube.com/watch?v=PCWLs1jTOVE