12.17.18

On Monday’s we crush it!

Overhead Squat 3-3-3-3-3

Handstand Walk Course/Progressions

Strict Diane with a “Rocky Twist”

21-15-9

Deadlift 225/155

Hollow Rocks (tuck position for scaled)

Strict HSPU

Teaching Points Today:  Let’s talk about overhead squats!

Overhead squats are a phenomenal tool for correcting the imbalances that lie among the hips, glutes, and lower back.

They have a threefold benefit. First, the overhead position of the bar makes much of the stability work go to the core, most predominately the lower back. Since the bar is held overhead, for most lifters, it will severely limit the depth achieved in the reps, and rounding of the lumbar spine will happen earlier in the rep.

Having this weakness exposed can tell you just how much stiffening/strengthening the lower back may need, and on the other side of the body, it’ll tell you how much blockage your tight hip flexors have over your hamstrings and glutes, limiting their flexibility.

The Execution
To perform the overhead squat, hold a barbell overhead with your arms the same width as you’d keep them in your standard bench press. In other words, if you were to bend your elbows so that your upper arms were parallel to the floor, they’d make a 90-degree angle at the elbow joint. With the bar overhead, make sure the elbows are locked out. The last thing you want to happen is for the bar to collapse downwards as the body descends in the rep.

With the arms locked out, it’s important to make sure that you stabilize your shoulder capsule. The best way to do this is to simply apply outward tension on the barbell while it’s overhead. In other words, with tension outwards, try to pull the bar apart with your hands and maintain this isometric force throughout your entire set. Doing so will activate the mid traps and provide tightness and stability between your scapulae, putting you in a safer position to bear the load over your spine.

Attempt to follow the same body mechanics as you would in a back squat, initiating the movement from the hips being drawn back first, and make sure the bar stays over the ankles. Don’t let it fall too far forward or backward. Press through the heel and middle of the foot, and be sure to squeeze the glutes on the way up.