Barbell Over Head Squat
The Most Complex yet beneficial exercise YET!!!!!
The Barbell Overhead Squat is a very complex and difficult exercise to perform however once you master proper form and technique it can be a major weapon in your workout arsenal.
Execution
To perform the Barbell Overhead squat, start out with a very light amount of weight or an empty barbell in the overhead position. You want to have your hands as wide as possible on the barbell. The wider the better depending on how long the barbell is. Once that you have positioned the barbell overhead make sure that you lock out your arms completely.
Do not bend your arms as this will only prohibit you from holding the barbell in place once you start the movement. Slowly squat down by shifting your hips back. As you descend down slowly, literally push the barbell back as far as you can behind your head keeping your arms locked out and straight. The reason you want to shift the barbell backwards is so that you can maintain the center of gravity and be able to lower down to a parallel position. Once you lower down keep the barbell in the same position and come back up to the starting position.
The Benefit
The benefit of the barbell overhead squat is that is places a completely different emphasis on the lower leg muscles because the position of the weight forces the body to lower down in a more erect position. Other benefits are that you force your body to work the major core stabilizer muscles in the body which in turn forces you to perform more work during the movement.
This is a tremendously beneficial exercise to help in upper body strength stability and will improve overall flexibility in the body. Because it can help you to develop a powerful upper back and a substantial amount of core strength you will increase your power and strength in many other exercises. Your shoulders and legs will be on fire when you perform a full set and you will notice how different this squat is when compared to other squatting movements.
