Just wanted to relay a go-nowhere story that I was a part of that may make the older crowd (of which I am one) smile.
I just started training two 18 year-old female soccer players.
I had them Box Squat, Bulgarian Squat, Chin-up, Military Press and Romanian Deadlift.
Near the end, I demonstrated the Overhead Squat and told them that we’d be doing those, Front Squats, dips, sled-dragging etc. on Thursday.
Both girls looked scared to death to even ATTEMPT an overhead squat until I told them the best OHS I’ve seen in person was my 52 year-old female client who does them every session as a warm-up and sometimes as part of the workout.
Needless to say, they were incredulous at the thought of an “old lady” doing them, let alone they themselves at 18 getting under the bar.
Age is but a number, right?
Anyway, sorry for the drawn-out story. I thought it was cool!
Thanks for sharing. I love/hate OHS but I am going to keep at them until I can do some respectable numbers. What do you think a respectable number is phil? Bodyweight? I’m nowhere near there. I’ve just recently gotten myself limber enough to do them without standing on plates.
[quote]derek wrote:
52 year old female… Having NEVER trained before she met me that is!
85x5, maybe 95-100x1?
We don’t work it very hard that often. Perhaps we’ll get more into it now that I’ve written about her.[/quote]
I’ve seen the women Derek trains, and they work as hard as the guys he trains. Harder than some of the guys I see at my gym, for sure.
Derek, you still doing the outdoor stuff this year I trust? Drop me a PM and let me know, I want to get my ass out there again! I’ve had it on the brain.
[quote]Norwell Bob wrote:
derek wrote:
52 year old female… Having NEVER trained before she met me that is!
85x5, maybe 95-100x1?
We don’t work it very hard that often. Perhaps we’ll get more into it now that I’ve written about her.
I’ve seen the women Derek trains, and they work as hard as the guys he trains. Harder than some of the guys I see at my gym, for sure.
Derek, you still doing the outdoor stuff this year I trust? Drop me a PM and let me know, I want to get my ass out there again! I’ve had it on the brain.
Later,
Bob[/quote]
Hey, thanks for the back-up! I know the ladies will appreciate your sentiments. And you’re right about them training hard. They get into the strongman stuff more than the guys!
I had to look up a video clip of what an Overhead Squat looks like. It’s obvious that only a fraction of what you can do with a regular squat can be done with one of these. But what is the advantage to these?
Overhead squats use more muscles than a regular squat because you’re throwing in the upper body part, and they use the muscles of the trunk and lower body a little differently than a regular squat due to the different posture.
They teach balance, coordination, stability and flexibility as well as strength and endurance.
They aren’t a replacement for back squats - they’re more of a variety or supplement. They are used heavily by olympic lifters, especially as a training tool for the snatch and other lifts. For the rest of us, it’s just a great, all around, total body exercise.
For some people (like me) they are damn hard to do and it serves as a challenge more than anything else. I personally think overhead squats are a great measure of someone’s overall fitness level.
[quote]GoOrange wrote:
Overhead squats use more muscles than a regular squat because you’re throwing in the upper body part, and they use the muscles of the trunk and lower body a little differently than a regular squat due to the different posture.
They teach balance, coordination, stability and flexibility as well as strength and endurance.
They aren’t a replacement for back squats - they’re more of a variety or supplement. They are used heavily by olympic lifters, especially as a training tool for the snatch and other lifts. For the rest of us, it’s just a great, all around, total body exercise.
For some people (like me) they are damn hard to do and it serves as a challenge more than anything else. I personally think overhead squats are a great measure of someone’s overall fitness level.[/quote]
Right on. I tried them at first with just broomstick, then with the bar. I can do about 75 to 90lbs. now. Thye’re tough.
Matt
[quote]Jetboy1 wrote:
I had to look up a video clip of what an Overhead Squat looks like. It’s obvious that only a fraction of what you can do with a regular squat can be done with one of these. But what is the advantage to these? [/quote]
I use them mainly as an upper body exercise. They are a tremendous upper back and shoulder builder. They will also make your abds bullet proof. Someone just posted and article on here about overhead shrugs and their benefits. OHS are like a static overhead shrug.
Good job getting your young female athletes to try these out. It is a very intimidating but rewarding lift.