How much should I Overhead Squat?
Have you mastered the Overhead Squat yet? Learning the Overhead Squat is a challenge in itself and accompanied by frustrations, for the simple reason that it’s just difficult to execute if you have never done it before.
Now you have mastered the Overhead Squat and you ask yourself ‘How much should I Overhead Squat?’
Is Overhead Squatting an unloaded bar good?
This video answers the questions:
The Overhead Squat can effectively be used as a warm-up exercise or a training exercise.
How much should I Overhead Squat depending on my goal
The Overhead Squat can effectively be used as a warm-up exercise, a training exercise or as a screening tool.
In the following I discuss the use of the Overhead Squat as either a warm-up exercise or a training exercise.
I have discussed how to use the Overhead Squat as a screening tool in the article Why is the Overhead Squat so hard?
When to use the Overhead Squat as a warm-up exercise?
If our training is based around Back Squats or Front Squats we use the Overhead Squat as a warm-up exercise. As explained in the article 9 Benefits of the Overhead Squat and counting… the Overhead Squat helps to acquire and consolidate the movement pattern of the Squat. The Overhead Squat requires you to execute the squatting movement flawlessly, therefore it’s an ideal warm-up exercise if your session is based around squatting.
The Overhead Squat requires you to execute the squatting movement flawlessly, therefore it’s an ideal warm-up exercise if your session is based around squatting.
When the session is based around Power Snatches, we use the Overhead Squat to teach the catch position and receiving the bar. To learn and train the catch and receiving position we also use variations and progressions of the Overhead Squat, such as ‘pressing under’ or ‘dropping under’.
When the strength training session is based around Power Snatches, we use the Overhead Squat to teach the catch position and receiving the bar. To learn and train the catch and receiving position we also use variations and progressions of the Overhead Squat, such as ‘pressing under’ or ‘dropping under’.
Check out the different phases of the Power Snatch
When to use the Overhead Squat as a training exercise?
I see a lot of value using the Overhead Squat as a training exercise to train the squat pattern for younger athletes. The reason is, that the Overhead Squat ‘forces’ the athlete into a right squat pattern, while as an example the Back Squat allows for more compensatory movements.
With older athletes, I primarily use the Overhead Squat to consolidate the movement pattern of the squat, as I have outlined in the previous paragraph.
The drawback of the Overhead Squat as a strength training exercise is that the more advanced the athlete, the weakest link in the chain is the upper body, shoulder girdle. Which means the advanced athlete is able to squat more with the lower body than he or she is able to stabilize with the upper body.
I will get to the Overhead Squat Strength standards a bit further down, however, it’s worth mentioning that athletes can still lift solid Overhead Squat weights.
Check out Track Cyclist Steffie van der Peet with an Overhead Squat weight of 100 kg
https://www.instagram.com/p/BiCpWQfBowW/
And Track Cyclist Koen van der Wijst with an Overhead Squat weight of 110 kg
https://www.instagram.com/p/BNy2yGJjLAf/
How many repetitions should you do in the Overhead Squat?
Due to the upper body being the weakest link, as well as difficulties holding the bar with the hands and an uncomfortable feeling in the wrist associated with higher reps in the Overhead Squat, the Overhead Squat is not a good exercise for multiple repetitions.
The Overhead Squat is not a good exercise for multiple repetitions.
It is much more advisable to reduce repetitions to 3 or less and do more sets. For example you can do 4 sets of 3 reps Overhead Squats, you could do 5 sets of a combination 1 Power Snatch followed by 2 Overhead Squats, it all depends on your training goal and the goal of the session.
How many times in the week should I Overhead Squat?
This depends very much, whether you want to use the Overhead Squat as a warm-up exercise or a training exercise.
If you chose the Overhead Squat as a training exercise, I would recommend to do it once a week and chose for a different squat variation, such as a Back Squat or Front Squat for the other training sessions.
If you chose the Overhead Squat as a warm-up exercise with the intention the improve or consolidate the movement pattern of the squat for the Back Squat or the Front Squat you can do it more frequently (for example 2 or 3 times a week).
Check out this article on training frequencies, including case studies and different approaches to a strength training program.
How much should I Overhead Squat for my bodyweight?
Dominating the Overhead Squat technique is more important than moving a lot of weight. Once the Overhead Squat technique is mastered the weight will follow almost automatically as a result of the good execution.
In the first stage of learning the Overhead Squat technique and training the Overhead Squat not much focus should be placed on the load lifted.
Once the Overhead Squat technique is acquired and consolidated, you can place more emphasis on the load lifted.
Let me outline a few numbers, that I have found from working with my athletes.
Overhead Squat Strength standards
Further recommended reading and resources for Overhead Squat strength standards
- Overhead Squat standards from Strength Level
- An Overhead Squat strength calculator form Strength Standards
Further recommended reading Overhead Squat to Back Squat ratio and Overhead Squat to Front Squat ratio
- All The Squats from btwb
- Calculating Strength – How to Work Out Your Olympic Lifting Ratios from BoxRox
- Science Compares The Back Squat To The Overhead Squat from Breaking Muscle
Concluding How much should I Overhead Squat?
The Overhead Squat is one of the best strength training exercise to learn and teach proper squatting mechanics.
The Overhead Squat can be used as a warm-up exercise for strength training sessions based around squatting or strength training sessions based around Olympic Lifting, especially based around the Snatch or Power Snatch.
If you want to increase the weight you are able to Overhead Squat, focus on mastering the Overhead Squat technique and the weight will follow.