According to the creator of CrossFit, Californian Greg Glassman, squats with a barbell on outstretched arms are the most unique exercise of all, because its effectiveness is much higher than that of other tasks for muscle development. Glassman believes that this is the central task around which you need to build your training.
To perform an overhead squat properly, you need to be flexible, strong, and have good balance. This exercise miraculously develops the hidden ability in the human body to radiate incredible physical strength.
People who are close to CrossFit believe that such squats are like a pearl, the very essence of physical training. It transfers energy from large parts of the body to small ones in a completely unique way, and this is the essence of the sport.
Benefits and what muscles work
Let's look at what overhead squats do. The undeniable benefit of this exercise is that when performing it, almost all muscles and major muscle groups are involved. It is indispensable for strength and improving strength performance, but not only.
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Performing a complex movement like the overhead squat also develops coordination and flexibility, which is excellent preparation for all exercises that involve squats.
It’s hardly worth talking about which muscles work - almost everyone works to one degree or another: the muscles of the legs, arms, shoulder girdle, pelvis, spinal stabilizer muscles.
It is also necessary to note the effective training for ligaments and joints, especially the legs and shoulders.
Of particular note is the improvement of the squat technique: the athlete has to learn to stabilize the center line of the body in order to maintain balance and perform the exercise technically correctly.
Thus, he develops technical skills not only for classic squats, but also for other exercises.
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All athletes who learned to perform squats with a barbell overhead with precise adherence to all the nuances of the technique, after a few months, noted a significant improvement in strength indicators, which allowed them to increase the working weights in exercises for the legs and arms.
Overhead squat diagram
1) Position the bar exactly at the same level as when performing a classic barbell squat and sit under it to position the bar on the trapeze and remove the bar from the racks. 2) Squeeze the barbell upward so that it is positioned on outstretched arms; this will partly indicate that the selected weight is correct if you can independently squeeze it from a dead point on the trapezoid.
3) Your feet should be wider than your shoulders, and your toes should be turned slightly to the sides, the angle depends on your genetics, what position of your legs will be most comfortable for you when performing squats. 4) Sit down, holding the barbell up, while sitting down as deep as possible, moving your pelvis back and keeping the line of your knees behind the line of your toes, because otherwise you will simply fall. 5) Get into the starting position, but not too quickly, so as to maintain coordination of movements and not fall forward.
1) It's best to use a power rack when performing these squats so that if you don't hold the barbell, it will fall onto the rack railing, because the barbell is always above your head. 2) In this case, it is strictly forbidden to squat in slippers, only shoes with laces, preferably with a flat and hard sole.
3) The knee joint should look in the same direction as the toe, the eyes look forward, inhale in the negative phase, exhale with effort, however, you should already know this, but repetition is the mother of teaching. 4) The grip width is wider than the shoulders, approximately like a bench press, that is, when bending, the elbow should form an angle of 90°. 5) Squats with a barbell overhead should be performed in a large number of repetitions and in an already warmed up state.
Anatomy
When it comes to training your legs, there are two things to consider: your legs are the largest muscle group in the human body, and your legs are a must if you want to build more muscle mass. The legs consist of a large number of muscle groups, each of which is represented by a fairly large number of bundles, and, given the massiveness of the leg, almost every bundle deserves separate study
Of course, the most effective exercises are compound heavy movements that allow you to use heavy training weights to stimulate muscle hypertrophy. But, if you do not train other muscle groups, which are stabilizers in heavy exercises, then the chance of injury increases sharply. This is precisely the main point of formative exercises during leg training.
Squats with a barbell overhead are not an isolating exercise, but they help to “hook” those muscles that are usually left out, since the stronger leg muscles steal all the load from them. This exercise develops muscle coordination very well and stretches the chest. Experienced athletes should add snatch squats to their training program without fail.
Execution technique
The technique must be strictly followed to avoid injury, so it is advisable to first study photos and videos.
The sequence of actions is as follows:
- Install the bar into the frame.
- Sit under the bar so that it is located slightly below your neck.
- Grab the bar with a wide grip.
- Remove the projectile from the frame and step back.
- As you exhale, straighten your arms and forcefully squeeze the projectile up strictly vertically above your head. Hold the barbell at arm's length, slightly behind your head; the head is raised, the gaze is directed forward, the back is straight, slightly arched at the lower back - this is what the starting position looks like.
- While inhaling, slowly squat, slightly moving your pelvis back until your hips drop to a line parallel to the floor and even lower.
- Exhaling, straighten your legs and return to the starting position.
For athletes, the standards for performing this exercise are 8-12 repetitions per approach, and the number of approaches and the weight of the weight should gradually increase.
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Initial position
Take a long gymnastic stick, a barbell or a barbell with weights (depending on your level of training) in your hands and stand up straight. The grip width should be about 1 meter. Gently lift the bar into an overhead position (like a weightlifter lifting a weight in a snatch). A heavier barbell can be lifted from high racks or a real weightlifting snatch can be done, which is quite beneficial.
Place your feet wider than your shoulders, and point your toes slightly to the sides.
Overhead implementation options and basic mistakes
Overhead squats are not the only variation of squats with similar weights.
There are other options:
- With a barbell on your back.
- With a barbell on the chest (frontal).
- With pauses.
The last option is very difficult, but at the same time effective in terms of increasing explosive power and generally improving strength indicators.
It is recommended to reduce the weight of the projectile, which the athlete is able to lift no more than 3-4 times, by 10-15 percent. The difference is that the squats should be as deep as possible, and at the bottom point you should linger until the count of 4, and then rise sharply.
The main mistakes when performing this complex exercise:
- Lack of warm-up and, as a result, insufficient warming up of muscles and joints.
- The weight of the projectile is too high.
- The foot is not fully supported, which interferes with maintaining balance.
- Rounding the back - it should remain straight.
- Head down.
- Arms not straightened enough.
- Squat not deep enough.
- Bend your knees forward - they should remain at the level of your toes.
- Insufficient balance control and, as a result, insufficient stabilization of body position.
- Inability to fully concentrate on the correct technique.
- Insufficient flexibility of joints and muscles.
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Exercises with a barbell on the chest
It should be noted that front squats have a positive effect on pumping the quadriceps. At the same time, minimal load is placed on the hips and buttocks. Using the exercise, you can highlight and draw the lines of the quadriceps.
Before starting the workout, you need to approach the rack and sit under it so that your shoulders are level with the bar. Then cross your arms, firmly grasp the base of the bar, then remove the apparatus and take a few steps back.
Performing the exercise is no different from a simple squat; you need to keep your back straight and your head slightly raised. Now you can start squats, lower yourself so that your thighs are parallel to the floor or slightly higher and do smooth squats.
There is another way to squat called “Heavy Squats”. There are not very many other exercises with which you can give yourself the shape, relief and weight of your legs. Your best bet is the barbell squat, as shown in the video. The most famous bodybuilder Arnold Schwarzenegger advises: “If you want to have good legs, you need to pump them super hard, the intensity must be just killer.
But remember: under no circumstances should you press to failure during training. On the first day, do split training, after one day of rest. As a result, you will be mentally prepared for heavy loads, and during this time the muscles will be able to gain glycogen - so why not tackle the most difficult part of the body first, it is always lagging behind, therefore, you need to thoroughly pump everything.
Exercises for beginners
- Squats – works the entire lower part of the body with emphasis on the buttocks;
- The plank is a good exercise for the spine and strengthening the arms;
- Push-ups - upper body workout: arms, shoulders, chest;
- Burpee is a small set of exercises aimed at burning fat, includes squats, push-ups and jumping ups;
- Running is an effective endurance exercise;
- Jumping rope – double jumps are used more often, they develop coordination and speed;
- Thrusters – work with a barbell, overhead throw;
- Overhead - squats, done while holding a barbell above your head;
- Setup – various abdominal exercises;
- Farmer's walk - walking with weights.
In fact, there are much more exercises included in CrossFit programs, these are just the basic ones. You can do CrossFit at home on your own, but it is better to go to a specialized gym where there is competition, in which case the motivation for training will be much greater.
Every year, World CrossFit Games (Medial) are held, and since 2013, the Games have been held in Russia at the regional level.
- The first stage is held online, athletes from all over the world complete the programs declared by the organizers and send videos. Based on these applications, 48 participants are selected in each of 17 regions of the world.
- The second stage is a live competition, where all participants perform 3-6 CrossFit programs and only three athletes from each region make it to the finals.
- The third stage is the final, where there is only one winner, the best of the best.
Every year, CrossFit is gaining more and more popularity, hundreds of specialized gyms are opening all over the world, and new programs are constantly being developed. Thanks to the opportunity to develop in many physical directions, more and more people are choosing CrossFit.
Do squats using a barbell
Many people wonder what exercise can help the production of testosterone the most? You don’t even have to try to guess – these are squats!
Do not forget that if you have strong knee joints, constant exercise without warming up will provoke temporary and then permanent pain. Before you do squats with significant weight, you need to do a good warm-up. To train safely and progressively, you need to have special equipment: safety stands (if you cannot bear the weight and cannot stand up).
Squats using a barbell
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lOCVLE9HfyQ
The basic rule for back squats is that the more weight you have on the bar, the more leg mass you will have. Start with small weights and do not increase it for a long time, until you are confident that you have the correct technique and it will not cause you injuries in the future.
- Just for you, the administration of the Vtraining website has prepared the best articles on how to pump up your legs and buttocks at home!
If you decide to increase the mass and strength of the four quadriceps, the exercise is unparalleled in terms of effectiveness. During training, the gluteal and lumbar muscles will be involved in the work (much less compared to “Sumo”).
