Overhead Squat

This is mainly because the recovery from a snatch (standing up the lift, essentially an OHS) is very rarely the limiter for Weightlifters.  It is much more common for the pull, technique or balance to be limiters. For this reason, you see Weightlifters use Snatch Pulls, Hang Variations and Snatch Balances much more frequently than Overhead Squats.  

However, when CrossFit® climbed in popularity over a Century later, the OHS moved from an accessory to a tested movement.  This fundamentally changed things for the athletes who compete in the sport. When a movement is an accessory, it is only useful if it transfers to an improved performance in the tested lifts.  Now, that it is a tested movement, athletes who compete in the Sport of Fitness are highly incentivized to drive up their 1 Rep Max Overhead Squat, as well as their capacity to move moderate loads faster and more efficiently over the course of many reps.

I say this to create context: this guide will be geared towards improving the Overhead Squat as a testing metric, either strength for max lifts or efficiency for many.  It is not treating the movement as an accessory, although certainly OHS development will likely improve Weightlifting performance.

Mobility – Strength – Skill

To maximize your economy, capacity and efficiency for Overhead Squats you must master the movement’s specific mobility, strength and skill demands: the three-headed monster.  Let’s take on the monster one “head” at a time.

Mobility Requirements

The Overhead Squat is without a doubt one of the most challenging movements in CrossFit® from a mobility standpoint. 

The goal of this guide is to help you get into a better, safer, and more efficient position for Overhead Squats. 

I hope to achieve this by 1) examining common limitations in the movements so you can find which applies to you, and then 2) applying mobility techniques to your specific limiters. 

Often the mobility requirements are a small section of the guides in the Movement Library, but for Overhead Squats it will balloon to take up most of the text, largely because what holds most athletes back from better OHS performance is *surprise, surprise* mobility.

One of the reasons why the Overhead Squat is such a challenging movement is because it involves every system from the wrists to the ankles.  Other movements often involve one or multiple systems, where often you can manipulate a different system to create “slack” and get the movement done.  

A perfect example of this is arching the lower back when pressing overhead.  The system that is the shoulder can’t claim the full flexion (open armpit) it needs, so a different system must compensate to get the work done (the ribcage turns up extending the low back). 

Often the tissues in the lacking system -as well as the system that made up for it- become irritated or injured. Your wrists don’t hurt in the clean because they are inflexible, they are simply irritated because they are taking loading there that was meant for the shoulders. 

This is an extremely helpful principle because it helps us understand that just because a body segment is irritated or has pain that it’s a problem stemming from that body part.

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I’ll do my best in this Movement Breakdown to make complicated systems simply, but the bottom line is movement and your body are extremely complex.  This is why I highly recommend working with an experienced coach who has helped athletes similar to you. Learn more about my 1-on-1 Coaching service here.

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When compensations happen in the OHS, there are common threads in irritations and injuries.

1) The Wrist

There are two possible causes, not mutually exclusive. 1) The shoulders aren’t able to fully open (flexion) so the wrist bends backwards to create slack and keep the bar over the Center of Mass (CoM).  Or, 2) There is an issue with the lower body (hip, knee or ankle) that is causing an excessive forward torso inclination where -once again- the wrist has to bend backward and take additional stress to maintain the CoM.

You likely experience the Movement Mistakes (see below) of the Hips Not Offsetting because of the shoulders OR a Big Change in Torso Angle. 

Mobile Shoulders & Wrist Pain? 

If this is you, consider moving your hands narrower.  The angle (bar relative to forearm) is much less aggressive in a jerk grip than a snatch grip.  See the illustration to understand why this reduces stress on the wrist.

2) The Shoulder

Usually shoulder issues radiate to the body segments that attach to it.  Often the shoulder can’t be placed in the correct place because of tension or shortness (not the same thing) in the systems that manipulate that joint: Lats, Pecs, Traps, Biceps, Triceps.  If you have an issue with the shoulder -or neck- check those muscles first. Also, check the mechanics of your breathing. But for more on that, I suggest you read: Breath Work for the Sport of Fitness.

You likely experience a combination of some or all of the following Movement Mistakes (see below): Hips Not Offsetting (because of the shoulders), Bent Elbows, Knees Caving, or Hovering Heels. 

3) The Knees

The knees are usually irritated during overhead squats because they are forced to track way far forward (often will heels hovering) or they cave inward: that dreaded, infamous valgus force. Gasp.  The solution is “getting into the hips” more, which could be an issue with the hips themselves or the fact that tight shoulders are allowing them to sit back and use the ROM they do have. Or both.

You likely experience a combination of some or all of the following Movement Mistakes (see below): Hips Not Offsetting (because of the shoulders), Knees Caving, or Hovering Heels. 

Remember, just because your wrists, shoulders or knees hurt from Overhead Squatting doesn’t mean those tissues are to blame. 

Now, hopefully you have been able to at least start developing an understanding of what is actually limiting you in your overhead squat.  For most people most of the time, the majority of issues in the overhead squat stem from the muscle groups that manipulate the hips and shoulders.  

Next, we will breakdown common movement faults with the OHS and then address each with a mobility protocol.

Mobility causing Movement Mistakes

(1) Bent Elbows

This athlete has a noticeable bend in their elbow in their lockout position.  Often the athlete dealing with this problem has no idea what a lockout feels like.  Likely he can’t fully lockout -and stack his joints- doing jerks or ring dips either.  

The first thing this athlete needs to understand is that the lockout is NOT optional.  In other words, prioritize the lockout. I remember my good friend and coach Jeff Baltimore saying, “Be obnoxious with your lockout.”  Think about hyperextending your elbows (unless -of course- you actually can).  

Over months and years the positions will become stronger, more stable and efficient.

Use the following mobilization technique to help improve this fault:

• Elevated Cat Pose – targets the lats, teres major and long head of the triceps

• Kettlebell-Anchored T-Spine Opener – targets the Thoracic Spine, lats and teres major

• Banded Lat Stretch – targets the lats while biasing them into external rotation

• Elbows-in-Rings Stretch – targets the pecs (major and minor) and biceps

• Seated Biceps Stretch – targets the chest, biceps and forearms

(2) Hips Don’t Offset: Due to Tight Shoulders (or) Tight Hips

In this mistake the hips don’t hinge (down & back) like they should.  In a proper squat -regardless of back, front, overhead or other- the hips go back as the knees go forward.  These opposing actions help you maintain balance and with balance comes access to the musculature on both sides of the body: Anterior & Posterior.  Erectors, Glutes, hamstrings vs. abdominals, hip flexors and quads. You need access to both.  

When the hips go straight down, versus slightly back, the knees are forced way forward.  This makes the movement all anterior (quads) and puts way more pressure on the knees.   The heels will almost always be off the ground with this fault.  Ankle mobility can help, but it’s not going to solve the problem.  Address the origin of the problem.

This error could originate at one of two places: tight shoulders or tight hips.

Tight Shoulders: If the shoulders are maxed out (at end range) when standing with the bar overhead, as the athlete squats they simply can’t open any further.  The athlete is forced to compensate by pushing their hips and knees forward.

Use the following mobilization technique to help improve this fault:

• Kettlebell-Anchored T-Spine Opener – targets the Thoracic Spine, lats and teres major

• Banded Lat Stretch – targets the lats while biasing them into external rotation

• Elbows in Rings Chest Stretch – targets the pecs (major and minor) and biceps

• Seated Bicep Stretch – targets the chest, biceps and forearms

Note: You can also work on your lower body.  Having an upright torso squat lessens the mobility demands for the upper body.

Tight Hips: I’m using the terms “tight hips” as a catch-all here because the athlete could be lacking flexion, internal or external rotation, abduction or other ranges.  Regardless of the root cause the athlete simply can’t sit into a deep squat without compensations appearing. One implication is the hips will be unable to offset and the knees will push forward.  It could also be the athlete has a big change in torso angle (See 3), Knees Caving (See 4), Hovering Heels (See 5) or a combination of multiple errors (See 6).

Use the following mobilization technique to help improve this fault:

• Couch Stretch – targets the quads and hip flexors

• Kneeling Hip Flexor Stretch – targets the hips flexors

• Lizard Stretch – targets the glute, hip & hamstring of the front leg (and) targets the hips flexors and quads in the back leg

• Russian Baby Maker – targets the groin in deep hip flexion

Note: It’s important to note that athletes with tight hips can “make up ground” by having flexible ankles, or athletes with tight ankles can “make up ground” by having mobile hips.  

If curious about this idea, I suggest you watch this video

In addition to these stretches, I would add the Elevated Achilles Stretch for the ankle joint.  Having mobile ankles allows the knee to travel further forward while simultaneously keeping the heels grounded. 

(3) Big Change in Torso Angle

Athletes with mobile shoulders often experience this problem.  They squat like they are doing a low-bar back squat, sending the hips way back.  The shins will stay fairly vertical. While this is a strong position for the glutes to be able to work, it often leads to compromised positions for the shoulder and/or wrist.  This athlete usually lacks some hip motor control (often hip flexors) and either ankle or knee mobility (calves or quads). The ability to organize into a more upright torso will be key for this athlete in terms of strength, efficiency and longevity.  

The solution is nothing fancy, practice squatting more upright, keeping your hips underneath you.  Start with bodyweight and warm-up, and eventually you will be able to control it under the stressors of load, speed and fatigue.

Remember mobility does NOT equal Range of Motion (ROM).  Mobility is ROM plus torque: motor control. Therefore, this is what I recommend for motor control with torque.

• Goblet Squat Hold

• Air Squat Holding Rig

• Blocked Upright Squat

One of the issues might be that the knees can’t track forward (without the heels coming up) because of tight ankles.  In this scenario I recommend…

• Elevated Achilles Stretch – targets the calf and heel chords

• Squatting Ankle Mobility – targets the calf and heel chords

(4) Knees Caving In (Valgus Knee)

Dr. Quinn Henoch, DPT calls the valgus knee “kneebola.” Yes, he’s dramatizing the fact that a lot of ‘fitness professionals’ think your knees will explode if they go inside your toes. Okay, so your knees might not explode, but it’s not a great position to absorb or transmit force, especially over the course of your fitness career.  

There can be a few things going on as to why the knees are being pulled together.  It’s possible that it’s a strength issue. If your knees look like they are trying to kiss as you power out of the hole of your squat, then it may be a strength limiter.  Here’s what’s happening: the adductors (aka. Your Groin) assists in hip extension below parallel in your squat (Don’t believe me? Read this). 

If your abductors (the muscles that push your knees apart) aren’t strong enough to counter this movement, then you end up with your knees caving in.

However, if the positions happens while lowering in the squat and simply gets a bit worse at depth, then it’s likely a limiter in hip mobility.  Investigate the ability of the hips to internally and externally rotate, and the groin.

Use the following mobilization technique to help improve this fault:

• Elevated Pigeon Pose – targets the glutes & hip internal rotators

• Lizard Stretch – targets the glute, hip & hamstring of the front leg (and) targets the hips flexors and quads in the back leg

• Banded Hip Internal Rotation Stretch – targets the hip external rotators.  (no, that’s not a typo, putting a joint into internal rotation put the external rotators on stretch).

I also recommend adding some strengthening exercises for the hip abductors…

• Two-Way Banded Side Step

• Seated Banded Glute Activation

• Ice Skater Jumps

(5) Hovering Heels

Often the heels coming up are a result of a different error or limitation, not the ankle.  If you have any issues with items 1, 2, or 4 from above, then address those limiters first.  Likely, if you have highly functioning hips and shoulders, your heels will be grounded. If not, you’re in the 1%.  If you still think that’s you, then for goodness sake, mobilize those ankles.

• Elevated Achilles Stretch – targets the soleus and heel cords (lower calf)

• Calf Stair Stretch – targets the gastroc. (upper calf)

(6) The Train Wreck: Multiple Mistakes at Once

Don’t freak out.  This is normal. When you throw a rock in a pond, there are going to be multiple ripples.  Don’t expect everything to clear up at once.

I recommend starting with the hips, upper back and shoulders. 

Beyond that, I would pick one focal point every few weeks to address, starting with your biggest limiter. Don’t allow yourself to become overwhelmed.  After all, you are holding a piece of steel over your head and squatting…unless your pay relies on it…who cares? 

Strength Requirements

The most important thing when considering the strength you need for Overhead Squats is, “Why are you doing them in the first place?”

Are you someone looking to improve general fitness, health and body composition (GPP) through functional training?  Are you someone looking to complete your CrossFit Class programming “Rx” without pain? Are you a competitive athlete looking to perform at a high level?  

Each demographic will have a different strength requirement and potential level of sacrifice they should make or need to make in order to achieve their goals.  

In my opinion, recreational and GPP athletes should never sacrifice pain or position for a few extra pounds or reps on Overhead Squats.  If this is you, it may or may not be worth your time developing an OHS.  

If you are a competitive athlete, you don’t have a choice.  You picked a sport that requires you to be well-versed in a battery of movements, so you best get working on building your arsenal.  The goal should still be to move well and without pain, but the level of commitment you should be prepared to give in the name of movement prowess should be much higher.  

Elite athletes at the pinnacle of the Sport of Fitness have developed their strength and stability to the point where -for most- if they are able to jerk the weight over their head, there is a good chance they can overhead squat it.  This means the majority of CrossFit Games athletes can OHS in excess of 315/225lbs for M/F respectively.  

In rare cases, some elite athletes (the likes of Rich Froning and Jacob Heppner) can overhead squat more than they can front squat.  I explain more as to why here.

An old CrossFit standard is performing 15 unbroken overhead squat reps at your bodyweight.  Rich has done it at 1.25x: that’s close to 250lbs for 15 consecutive reps.

What this means is loads that we frequently see programmed for Online Qualifiers like the Open (95/65lbs) are around ~30% of a Games athletes 1 Rep Max.  With venous occlusion (read “Muscle Pump”) occurring above 25-40+% for most athletes, what this means is Games athletes make common Qualifier weights aerobic.  

To put it simply…

While you are burning, they are breathing.”

All this is yet another way to illustrate why you need to improve both your strength numbers and movement-specific capacity.  Good ‘ol Strength & Conditioning.

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The second thing we need to analyze when it comes to strength for the OHS is relative strength of the body segments.  In other words…

“In which key body areas do I need to be strong to be efficient at Overhead Squats?“

Core

Think of your core as all the musculature between your shoulders and hips that manipulate the pelvis, spine and ribcage.  You must have 360 degrees of strength in your core.

Think of your core as a sphere. That ball of muscle must be tight from all directions to maximize power transfer to the limbs. 

Your core certainly involves your abdominals, but it also includes a host of other muscles certainly not limited to your spine erectors, QL (Quadratus Lumborum), obliques, abdominals, intercostals, diaphragm and pelvic floor.  All movement is generated from the core, it is the most important area in all movement. 

If your core is not strong, your mobility will not improve and you will not be able to express your strength.

Read: Why Your Mobility Isn’t Improving
Listen: A Model for Functional Core / Midline Training

Overhead

The overhead head position involves the organization of the shoulders, elbows and wrists. 

Athletes who don’t have a strong and mobile core (and hips) will not have a strong overhead position.  Conversely almost all athletes with a strong, mobile core have a solid overhead position. 

There are two important aspects of the overhead position that allow for strength.

The first is stacked joints.  The bar needs to be centered over the athlete’s Center of Mass and the elbows need to be aggressively locked out straight.  If both these criteria are met then keeping a minimally viable amount of tension in the wrists will complete the position.

The second aspect allowing for strength is stability.  Often mobile athletes, who can get into the right position, struggle to maintain the correct amount of tension and centration when stabilizing overhead. They often feel unstable and occasionally visibly shake.  Does this look like you?

Time in positions and focused work will develop the athlete’s lacking core and shoulder strength.

Squat

With a strong core and stable overhead position, the athlete’s upper body does not move.  If you watched a talented athlete Overhead Squat from above the waist, you wouldn’t know if they are in the top or bottom of the rep.  This stable platform transfers all the movement to the legs. Often mobility limitations in the shoulders, t-spine, hips and ankles present themselves as squatting limitations.  Caving in the shoulders or knees are obvious signs that strength in the squat prime movers are not the limiter. With a stable position, the legs can cycle through reps much quicker and with less tension. 

Skill Requirements

(1) Back to Mobility

Truthfully, if you have all the range of motion you need for Overhead Squats, then the Overhead Squat becomes a simple movement.  You just lock out the bar and squat; it’s just that 95% of athletes aren’t there.

If you don’t have the mobility, your technique for Overhead Squats will be compromised and inefficient.  Continue to go back to basics, back to mobility. As you are continuing to the movement itself, focus on these other focal points.

(2) Getting the Bar Overhead

To perform Overhead Squats, you must first get the bar overhead.  There are two scenarios here:

Strength: The bar starts in the rack.

When the bar starts in the rack you will unrack the weight like a back squat, but wth the bar high on your traps.  Your hands will be in your OHS grip width and the elbows will be tucked (down). Take a few steps away from the rack and jerk the weight to the overhead position.  You can do a BTN (Behind-the-Neck) Push Press, BTN Push Jerk or BTN Split Jerk.  This will be determined by lifter preference and load.  

To rerack, you can catch the bar on your traps again, absorbing the shock with your legs.  If you are unable to safely or consistently do this, drop the weight and clean it to re-rack it.

Met-Cons: The bar starts on the floor.

You’ve got two options…

1) Snatch: Snatching the first rep of your OHS set is going to be the fastest way to get started.  You can either Squat Snatch the first rep or Power Snatch then squat. While the Squat Snatch is faster getting into that first rep, it is often a less consistent movement for athletes.  The last thing you want to do is miss a rep in the middle of a workout. Know yourself and your technique when deciding whether to start with a power or squat.

Also, consider moving your grip slightly narrower than your normal snatch.  This will take some of the pressure off your wrists and reduce how hard you need to grasp the bar, saving your grip.  The trade off is you need more shoulder Range of Motion.

2) Clean & Jerk: An athlete would use a C&J to enter an OHS set for one of two reasons.  

Near Max-Effort Loads: The first reason an athlete would use a Clean & Jerk is if the weight is heavier than they can snatch consistently.  In this example, the athlete will clean the weight, transfer the bar to the back rack, move their hands to their OHS grip and finally jerk the bar overhead before starting their set.  This is a time and energy expensive process, so I only recommend doing it as a last resort.  

Jerk Grip Overhead Squat: The second reason an athlete would use a Clean & Jerk is if the workout has a light to moderate weight, and they want a narrower grip for their Overhead Squats.  For athletes with mobile shoulders, using a Jerk Grip (width) for their OHS allows for a more comfortable and sustainable position. Laura Horvath shows a great hybrid position in her OHS at the 0:25 mark in this video. At 2:41:55 in this video, Rich Froning shows the versatility of having a jerk grip OHS.

(3) Maintaining Bar Centration

One of the challenges with the OHS is keeping the bar directly centered and balanced over your Center of Mass.  Any deviation, forward or backward, from that point will require work from the shoulders and core to correct. The goal is to maintain bar centration with as little muscular work as possible.  This is a blend of relaxation and tension. Enough tension where the bar stays where you want it, but not too much where it zaps your energy. 

The biggest thing that throws athletes off -in terms of bar centration- is a changing torso angle.  Watch a video of yourself back squatting from the side, and you will notice as you descend in your squat, the hips shift back and the angle of the back increases so you maintain your balance.  While this is fine for the back squat, when the bar is overhead it means your shoulder angle must also adjust. It will feel like you are pulling the bar back as you descend in your squat in order to maintain Bar Centration.  If your shoulder angle remains the same, the bar will dump out in front of you.

Note: Taking the time to build a more upright torso squat will have benefits, especially when cycling big sets of Overhead Squats in Met-Cons at lighter loads.  This way the shoulders do not have to move and you simply move straight up and straight back down.

TLDR | Here’s the Summary

Mobility Requirements

1) The Overhead Position: The organization of 3 body joints: the Shoulder, Elbow & Wrist
2) T-Spine Extension: The thoracic spine (mid/upper back) must be able to fully extend
3) An Upright-Torso Squat: An angled back will make an overhead squat / snatch more challenging

Poor Mobility causing Movement Mistakes

1. Bent Elbows
2. Hips Don’t Offset: Due to Tight Shoulders (or) Tight Hips
3. Big Change in Torso Angle
4. Knees Caving In (Valgus Knee)
5. Hovering Heels
6. The Train Wreck: Multiple Mistakes at Once

Strength Requirements

1) Core: It must be strong to prevent movement
2) Strong Lockout: Bar Centration over the Center of Mass (and) aggressive, straight elbows 
3) Squat: If everything above the waist is stable, it allows for fast, efficient movement

Skill Requirements

1) Back to Mobility: This movement isn’t super complex once you can hit the positions
2) Getting the Bar Overhead: In strength work, the bar will come from the rack.  Therefore, perform a Behind-the-Neck jerk from the back rack.  In Met-Cons, the bar will come from the floor. Therefore, you either can snatch or clean and jerk the weight overhead.  
3) Maintaining Bar Centration: As you squat, your torso angles increases. If you don’t (or can’t) pull your shoulders further open, the bar will move in front of your body and you’ll drop the weight.  Another option is a more upright squat.

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