Overhead squats

[garrett]

Mark,
Thanks for all your work and great books. My question is about overhead squats. Could and should they be implemented into your program? If so, when and how should they be included? From my limited experience OHS seem to be a great full body strength exercise. Also do you have any advice on technique for performing this lift? How does it compare with the other lifts you have included in your books. Thanks

[Mark Rippetoe]

OHSs are a very good light-day intermediate exercise, and work well when following front squats on Wednesday's workout in the Texas method. They are performed with the bar balance over the mid-foot, and are kept directly above the scapulas just like a press. The arms attach to the scapulas and the traps support the scapulas, so the bar, scaps, and mid-foot are in a vertical line, with the back angle accommodating this configuration. They use much lighter weights, and therefore don't provide as much leg work, so we use them after front squats for this reason.

[dingas]

Are OH Squats doable without bumper plates?

[Mark Rippetoe]

As long as you don't drop the bar.

[r_graz]

Are OH Squats doable without bumper plates?

I've been doing them for a while now without bumper plates. I just stay inside the power rack, and set the pins so that they're maybe 6 inches lower than the bar when I'm at the bottom of the squat. What I've found is that if failure is going to happen, it's probably going to be when trying to come up out of the hole, so I just dump the bar forward and it falls to the saftey bars. Makes a lot of noise, but no one gets hurt.

Not an ideal situation, but I can't find a gym anywhere near me with bumper plates so I have to make do.