A Personal Trainer Shares The Squat Tip That Helped Him Perfect The Overhead Squat

TL;DR

Before you orderOffer from Amazon

Get workout gear delivered free with Prime

• Fast, free delivery on millions of items
• Prime Video, Amazon Music and more included
• Member-only deals all year

Start your free Prime trial →Free trial for eligible customers · Cancel anytime

As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.Hide

Certified personal trainer Francesco Zen told Fit&Well that shifting weight toward the outer feet and pushing the knees outward helped him engage his glutes during an overhead squat. He recommends building mobility and stability with bodyweight, dowel and Frankenstein squat progressions before using a barbell.

Certified personal trainer Francesco Zen says shifting his weight toward the outer edges of his feet and pushing his knees outward helped him engage his glutes during the overhead squat. In a Fit&Well report, Zen, founder of ZLIFE, described the cue as one that changed how he performed the advanced, full-body movement; he also advised learning it with a stick or plastic pipe before attempting a barbell.

Zen told Fit&Well that an overhead squat requires mobility, core activation and flexibility, alongside stability through the movement. In his account, the glutes play a central supporting role from the standing position through the squat and back up. His practical cue is to keep the knees moving outward while directing weight toward the outer parts of the feet as the body lowers.

The article presents this as Zen’s coaching tip and personal experience, not as a tested finding or a guarantee that the same cue will work for everyone. It also says regular practice is needed to develop the combination of mobility and stability involved. The movement can be practiced first without weight, with the arms raised, then with a gym dowel or plastic pipe to rehearse shoulder and spine alignment.

For people who are not ready to hold their arms overhead, Zen recommends a Frankenstein squat. In that variation, the arms stay extended at shoulder height, or a bar rests across the front of the shoulders. Zen said the position is easier to stabilize while still working on the core, glutes and mobility used in an overhead squat.

A Cue for Safer Skill Progression

The report matters to readers because an overhead squat combines several demands at once: a squat, an upright torso and a stable load held overhead. Zen’s cue offers a simple point of focus for practicing the movement, while the staged approach in the article gives readers alternatives before they attempt the more challenging version.

That progression is relevant because the article explicitly describes the overhead squat as an advanced variation. Beginning with bodyweight, then a dowel or pipe, makes it possible to practice the position without immediately adding a barbell. Zen also suggests working with an exercise professional or spotter for the full movement. The report does not establish that the cue prevents injury or suits every body; comfort, mobility and control remain individual considerations.

From Bodyweight to Overhead Load

Fit&Well framed Zen’s advice as part of a series asking certified trainers about movements they once found difficult and what helped them improve. The article identifies the overhead squat as a variation in which a person holds a stick or plastic pipe, or a barbell, overhead while squatting. Zen recommends practicing with a stick or plastic pipe before attempting a barbell.

Its suggested preparation starts with mobility in the ankles, hips, spine and shoulders. A bodyweight squat with the arms raised can help rehearse the position; the article also names a squat-and-reach against a wall and a wall-facing squat with raised arms. A dowel, plastic pipe or broomstick can then be used to practice alignment. The Frankenstein squat is offered as another intermediate step, not as a substitute that guarantees readiness for a loaded overhead squat.

“The glutes support the whole movement, top to bottom.”

— Francesco Zen, speaking to Fit&Well

What the Report Does Not Establish

The source gives Zen’s account of a technique cue, but does not provide research comparing it with other cues or establish that it will improve every person’s form. It also does not report measurements of Zen’s progress, a timeline for mastering the movement, or a formal assessment of the technique.

The article does not specify how readers should judge when they are ready to progress from a bodyweight squat to a dowel, or from a dowel to a loaded barbell. Individual mobility and control vary, and the supplied material does not address modifications for injuries or other health conditions. Zen suggests working with an exercise professional or spotter when attempting the full overhead squat.

Practice Before Adding a Barbell

Zen’s advice, as presented by Fit&Well, is to build the movement in stages: practice a bodyweight squat with the arms raised, use a dowel or similar implement to rehearse alignment, and try the Frankenstein squat as a stability progression. The article advises working with an exercise professional or spotter when attempting the full overhead squat.

Fit&Well’s report does not announce a follow-up test or provide a schedule for further guidance. For readers, the immediate takeaway is to treat the outer-foot and knees-out cue as a coaching prompt and practice without weight first.

Key Questions

What squat cue did Francesco Zen share?

Zen told Fit&Well to shift weight toward the outer parts of the feet and push the knees outward while lowering. He said this helped him engage his glutes during the overhead squat.

Should beginners start with a barbell overhead?

No. The report recommends learning the movement first with bodyweight and raised arms, then practicing alignment with a dowel, plastic pipe or similar light implement. Zen describes the overhead squat as an advanced variation.

What is a Frankenstein squat?

It is a squat performed with the arms extended forward at shoulder height, or with a bar balanced across the front of the shoulders. Zen says the position is easier to stabilize than holding a load overhead while still practicing related core, glute and mobility demands.

Does this cue work for everyone?

The report shares Zen’s personal experience and coaching advice; it does not establish that the cue works for everyone. People who have pain, a pre-existing condition or trouble maintaining control should consult a qualified exercise professional before attempting the movement with weight.

Source: rss