Overhead Squats

Hi guys. I want to open a thread dedicated to overhead squats.

I love overhead squats. Right now, they’re my third favorite exercise next to snatches and cleans. It’s a great whole body exercise, and I love the feeling whenever I’m able to complete each ATG rep. Sure, I could only handle a weight less than half my normal squat, but I don’t mind. I could still feel my quads working like hell as I try to keep my torso balanced, and all that balancing sure made my upper back sore. Talk about whole body.

I wonder what you guys have to say about overhead squats. Happy times, mishaps, success stories, advice, even rants against them. All your comments are appreciated.

I’ve always been pretty good at them. I have pretty good shoulder and hip flexibility and don’t have a problem stabilizing my torso. I like them a lot. I do them about twice a week. I always get funny looks doing them and jackasses like to walk behind me while doing them.

I love them too. Not been loading them too much just yet as I want to get the form spot on. I’ve been getting ATG on them, though you really have to watch your balance doing them I find, if the bar doesnt stay in a fixed position, I find myself want to fall forward/backward.

Why don’t we just make a blowjob thread?

I love overhead squats for building those core stabilizers and working on flexibility at the same time. The looks from other commercial gym-goers is pretty funny too.

I hate the fact that I lack shoulder flexibility to do good ATG overhead squats. I can only do power snatches, much because of these goddamn’ shoulders. Right now working with broomstick on the problem :slight_smile:
If I only can overhead squat the weights I jerk, I’d be pretty happy.

They are great for core strength, flexibility, and stabilization, but they won’t do anything for your legs or hips unless your back squat is seriously undertrained.

i just tried them a week or two ago… with maybe 60lbs it completely kicked my ass, between the flexibility and balance. It just makes me want to get alot better at em

what kinda percentages can you guys do compared to good old back squats?

[quote]mldj wrote:
I hate the fact that I lack shoulder flexibility to do good ATG overhead squats. I can only do power snatches, much because of these goddamn’ shoulders. Right now working with broomstick on the problem :slight_smile:
If I only can overhead squat the weights I jerk, I’d be pretty happy.[/quote]

I think it’s a lot harder to overhead squat with a jerk grip than with a snatch grip. Pretty sick if you could do that though.

[quote]lbh110 wrote:
what kinda percentages can you guys do compared to good old back squats?[/quote]

Mine’s around 42%. I got a 190 squat compared to an 80 overhead squat. How about the others?

I started doing them three weeks ago and I think I’m in love every rep feels like hell and my shoulder girdle is stiff like a motherfucker the next day!

Hit 60 x 5 (135LBS) this week would love to get up to half my back squat in a month or so.

I have a 180 back squat (405) so I’m currently at 33.3%.

[quote]undeadlift wrote:
mldj wrote:
I hate the fact that I lack shoulder flexibility to do good ATG overhead squats. I can only do power snatches, much because of these goddamn’ shoulders. Right now working with broomstick on the problem :slight_smile:
If I only can overhead squat the weights I jerk, I’d be pretty happy.

I think it’s a lot harder to overhead squat with a jerk grip than with a snatch grip. Pretty sick if you could do that though.[/quote]

Nah, I have difficulties with overhead squats with snatch grip, can’t even think about clean grip :slight_smile: Except with the broomstick…

undeadlift are you talking lbs or kgs? If i recall correctly you’re a newbie and trying to dunk right?

i’m back squatting 240 for 5 and my overhead is 70 for 8, not done any reps lower than that yet.

Overhead Squats are a great thing. Most I have done has been 270lbs. I just need to be able to snatch that weight now! I think I will add some overhead squats to my workout on Monday. FUN!

Great thread. OH squats for the win. My goal is to OH Sq 100 kg by this time next year for a triple.

Just made that goal now.

-chris

So the general consensus is that unless your squat is weak these aren’t gonna help the wheels very much? More of a stability/core exercise?

I was lookin at that Chinese O-Lifters thing and it was saying it’s not uncommon for Chinese lifters to overhead squat more than they can front squat. Crazy

I like overhead squats :slight_smile:

when I go heavy they start to hurt my wrist, definitely the hardest squatting motion. I like front squats the most though.