Overhead squat like a pro with these 4 moves

Why are overhead squats so difficult? Lets start with optimal ankle, hip, and shoulder mobility. Oh ya i forgot we must also have optimal core strength and shoulder stability. Bottom line is overhead squats are very hard and not everyone is able to do them or should do them (with weight).

Lets start with the ankles. Do this simple test of going down to 1 knee and pushing your knee forward. If your knee doesn’t get past your toes without your heel coming up, you are lacking adequate ankle dorsiflexion. generally your overhead squat may look something like this:

This is obviously a slight exaggeration, however you see my knees stay about 90 degrees with the floor.

Lets look at the hips. Generally if you can do a really good air squat with your torso vertical your hips shouldnt be a big issue. If you lean forward or can’t get full depth in your front squat, it may be inadequate hip mobility.

Lets look at the shoulders. The overhead squat requires a lot of upper back mobility as well as shoulder rotation. Generally lacking upper back mobility or that slouched over posture (kyphosis) will lead to poor shoulder rotation. Try this quick test with a PVC. Start with your hands about the same position you would overhead squat. You should be able to pass the PVC over your head and touch your back without your elbows bending.

As you can see I am able to touch my back without bending my elbows.

If your overhead squat looks like these next two photos, I would guess its poor shoulder rotation or upper back mobility:

The ankle and hips look good, My elbows are bent probably due to a lack of shoulder rotation

In order for me to keep the bar stacked over my heels, my kneese come forward and Im squatting on my toes.

Try and find where your limited at and attack this with some mobility drills. Here is my 4 moves for overhead squats that works on all 3 joints to increase flexibility in these areas.

Good drills to improve overhead squats, plus comical music to go a long

3×5 Wall squats-Helps in keeping your torso vertical in your squat

:30 Foam roller upper back stretch– Helps improve that upper back and shoulder rotation we mentioned that is so vital for OHS. Be careful with this one start out with a mild stretch and gradual increase.

1:00 Banded ankle flexion– You can also do this without the band. If ankles are your limiting factor I highly recommend this.

1:00 Banded shoulder mobility– This is a great stretch to improve that shoulder rotation that is required for OHS.

Do these drills 3-4x per week at a minimum and see some big improvements in your overhead squats.

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