Empty Bar Overhead Squat

The empty bar overhead squat is a warmup movement where you hold a barbell overhead while you squat down and stand back up. It trains shoulder stability, overhead position, and the squat pattern with the bar locked out above you.

Set up with your feet about shoulder-width apart, or wherever you normally squat from. Grip the bar with a wide snatch-style grip, elbows locked straight, armpits facing forward, and the bar stacked over the middle of your feet. Pull your ribs down and brace your midsection so your lower back does not arch.

Push the bar up actively as if you are trying to split the floor apart with your hands. Sit back and down into a squat while keeping the bar directly over your head. Keep your heels down, drive your knees out, and squat only as low as you can control. Stand back up by driving through your whole foot and keeping the bar stacked over your center of balance.

Breathe in and brace before you descend, hold that pressure through the bottom, then breathe out at the top. If you need an easier option, squat to a box or bench so you control the depth. For a harder option, pause in the bottom position while keeping the bar still.

Fault: The elbows bend or the bar drifts forward during the squat. Fix: Lock the elbows hard and think about showing your armpits forward; the bar should stay over the middle of your feet.

Fault: The lower back arches and the ribs flare up. Fix: Pull your ribs down and brace your abs before you squat; keep that same torso shape from top to bottom.

Fault: The heels lift off the floor or the chest falls forward. Fix: Slow the squat down, keep your weight over the middle of your foot, and only go as low as you can control.

Fault: The knees cave inward. Fix: Spread the floor apart with your feet and actively push your knees out in line with your toes as you squat down and stand up.