The overhead squat is the ultimate core exercise, the heart of the snatch, and peerless in developing effective athletic movement.” - Greg Glassman The overhead squat tends to be a difficult and frustrating exercise for many, primarily because of the tremendous amount of mobility and core strength that is required. It also requires an understanding of overhead position, where the bar should be located throughout the movement and what the shoulders should be doing. Here are a few cues that might be helpful. 1⃣“Ponytail.” The bar should always remind where the ponytail would be located, right over the back of the head, and should never move behind or in front of this point. 2⃣“Wrists back.” Palms should be towards the sky like you are preforming a push-up on the ceiling. This will prevent the bar from coming forward. 3⃣“Stretch the bar.” Act like you are trying to pull the bar apart like a slingshot. This will force your elbows to lock out and help the upper back remain tight. 4⃣“Show your armpits.” This keeps the shoulders externally rotated and enables you to support a large amount of weight overhead. Finally, it’s important to get comfortable in the bottom position, as this translates over to the snatch and being able to catch and stand up with a significant amount of weight overhead. Hang out in the bottom for a few seconds and make sure everything is in check: you’re pulling the bar apart, wrists are back, shoulders are externally rotated, armpits are showing, and knees are out.
Posted on: Thu, 14 Aug 2014 23:03:42 +0000
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