overhead squat

[morgan b]

Hey Ripp, I have been watching your video clips for months now and just bought starting strength, practical programming and strong enough. Your video clip on the snatch was great and I found corrections I needed to make immediately. I have not found anything on your perspective on the overhead squat. I have been playing with it for awhile now and I am interested in any thoughts you might have on the movement, is it closer to the back squat in nature or the front squat in its movement pattern. Does it engage the hamstrings like the back squat? Or is it an entirely different beast all together. thanx for putting out such quality products.

[Mark Rippetoe]

If you watch videos of heavy snatches, you'll see that the hips are always used to drive up from the bottom. Your abilities may allow the less-efficient front-squat style to be used.

[abenn]

I've thought about this from watching a lot of videos in my free time. Most lifters tend to look down as well, similar to how you would teach in the back squat.

[kel]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PCWLs1jTOVE

[Randle McMurphy]

Here is a nice thread that was made a while ago that may interest the original poster:

http://startingstrength.com/resource...7466#post77466

Quite a nice in depth discussion

[morgan b]

Thanx Ripp, your insight is unbeleivable i am truly in awe. Thanx Mr McMurphy that thread was exactly where i was coming from, perhaps i should have searched the forum a bit harder before posting what was in essence a repeat question .

[Mark Rippetoe]

I am in constant awe of myself too.

[NDG]

Just out of curiosity, would that variability in bar position also apply to squat jerks? Zhang Guozheng, for example, has interesting form for his jerks and I wonder how much (or how little) hip drive contributes to his jerks.

[Mark Rippetoe]

I guess that would depend on how deep he has to get to jerk the weight.