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

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Certified personal trainer Francesco Zen told Fit&Well that shifting weight toward the outer edges of the feet and pushing the knees outward helped him engage his glutes during overhead squats. He recommends building the movement gradually, starting with mobility work and an exercise stick or pipe rather than a loaded barbell.

Certified personal trainer Francesco Zen says a small change in foot pressure and knee position helped him improve his overhead squat: shift weight toward the outer parts of the feet and push the knees outward while lowering. In a report for Fit&Well, Zen described the exercise as a full-body movement that calls for mobility, core control and stability, and advised beginners to learn it with a stick or plastic pipe before trying a barbell.

Zen, founder of ZLIFE, told Fit&Well that the glutes are central to keeping the overhead squat supported throughout its range. “The glutes support the whole movement, top to bottom,” he said. His cue is to direct pressure toward the outer part of the feet as the body descends and keep the knees moving outward over the feet. Zen said this adjustment to stance and movement can change how the squat feels and help activate the glutes.

An overhead squat involves squatting while holding a pipe or barbell above the head. The Fit&Well report describes it as an advanced variation, not a starting point for people who have not practiced the basic position. It recommends first developing mobility in the ankles, hips, spine and shoulders, then practicing a bodyweight squat with the arms raised. Wall-based squat and reach drills and wall-facing squats with raised arms are suggested as ways to work on positioning.

After that, the report recommends using a gym dowel, plastic pipe or broomstick to practice holding the arms and upper body in position. Zen also suggests a Frankenstein squat, in which the arms extend forward at shoulder height, as a simpler stability exercise. The report advises learning the movement in stages and suggests working with an exercise professional or spotter when progressing to the more advanced overhead squat.

A Cue for Better Squat Control

Zen’s advice offers readers a specific technique to try when practicing a demanding squat variation, while placing that tip within a broader progression rather than presenting it as a shortcut. The overhead position requires a person to control a load or implement above the body while bending and standing, so coordination and joint mobility matter alongside leg strength. Working first with a stick or pipe also lets a beginner practice the position without immediately adding a barbell.

The guidance may be useful even to people who do not plan to perform a loaded overhead squat. Fit&Well’s report says the preparatory work can help develop squat mechanics. That is a general training rationale, not evidence in the supplied material that the cue produces a measured improvement for everyone. Zen’s experience and coaching recommendation should be understood as advice, not a guarantee of results.

Building Toward the Overhead Position

The report frames Zen’s tip as part of a series asking certified personal trainers about exercises they once found difficult and what helped them improve. Zen identified the overhead squat as a movement whose technique depends on several capacities working together, including mobility, core activation and flexibility. The article does not provide a study or performance data; it reports his personal experience and coaching suggestions.

Its suggested sequence moves from bodyweight practice with the arms overhead to a dowel or pipe, then to more challenging versions. The Frankenstein squat keeps the arms forward at shoulder height, which Zen says is easier to stabilize while training similar core, glute and mobility foundations. The source advises that a barbell should come only after practice with an exercise stick or plastic pipe.

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

— Francesco Zen, speaking to Fit&Well

Limits of the Training Advice

The supplied report does not state when it was published, provide independent testing of Zen’s cue, or quantify how much it changed his performance. It also does not establish that the same adjustment will suit every person. The article offers general exercise instructions, but it does not assess readers’ mobility, injury history, technique or readiness to lift overhead. Anyone experiencing pain or unsure how to perform the movement can seek guidance from a qualified exercise professional before progressing.

Practice Before Adding Weight

The progression described by Zen and Fit&Well is to work on ankle, hip, spine and shoulder mobility, practice a bodyweight squat with arms raised, and then use a dowel or pipe to rehearse alignment. A Frankenstein squat is another suggested step before attempting the full overhead version. Readers who advance to a barbell should first be able to control the movement with a lighter implement and may work with a qualified professional or spotter. The source gives no schedule or fixed benchmark for moving between stages, so readiness depends on individual control and comfort.

Key Questions

What squat tip did Francesco Zen share?

Zen said to shift weight toward the outer parts of the feet and push the knees outward as you lower, cues he uses to help engage the glutes.

Should beginners start overhead squats with a barbell?

No. The Fit&Well report recommends learning the position with an exercise stick or plastic pipe before attempting a barbell.

What is a Frankenstein squat?

It is a squat with the arms held forward at shoulder height, or a bar balanced across the front of the shoulders. Zen describes this position as easier to stabilize than holding the arms overhead.

What should someone practice before an overhead squat?

The report recommends working on ankle, hip, spine and shoulder mobility, then practicing a bodyweight squat with raised arms and progressing to a dowel or pipe.

Source: rss