How To Do

1. With a pair of dumbbells by your sides, assume a shoulder-width stance. Lift both dumbbells to shoulder height, ensuring your elbows are tucked into your body in front of you.
2. Ensure both palms are facing inward with the dumbbell heads pointing in front of you. This is the correct starting position.
3. Take a deep breath through your nose and engage your core. Perform a hip hinge by bending your knees until your thighs are parallel to the floor. Keep a neutral back position with your chest up and head facing forward.
4. Pause briefly at the bottom position. Drive through the floor using your legs to stand back up, keeping your elbows tucked in.
5. Once your knees and hips are extended past 90 degrees, press both dumbbells overhead until both elbows are fully extended.
6. As you press overhead, rotate your palms forward. Breathe out through the entire pushing motion.
7. Bring the dumbbells back to the starting position under control, rotating your palms so they are facing inwards again.

Tips From Expert

• Ensure you follow the technique cues stated above. If you notice any deviations in your form, reduce the weight and reassess. 
• To check your form, you can use a nearby mirror or enlist the help of a friend. They will be able to get a better overall picture of the things you may need to improve on.
• Make sure you pause briefly at the bottom before using your quadriceps to power back up. You should be using your muscles rather than momentum.
• Start to drive your elbows upward once your knees come past 90 degrees. The squat to overhead press should be performed using one fluid movement pattern.

Optimal Sets and Reps

When programming the squat to overhead press, use the table below as a general guide. The most suitable repetitions and set ranges should be based on your training goals.

How to Put in Your Workout Split

The squat to overhead press is a functional compound exercise. This means that it works a large number of muscle groups and helps to develop functional movement patterns. Because of this, it offers several useful applications when programmed correctly.

As a beginner lifter, your sets and repetitions should remain consistent whilst you change the load as you progress. This is known as linear periodization. It gives you a simple progression method and provides a training structure

The table above can be used to find the correct numbers according to your training goal.

As an intermediate or advanced lifter, the squat to overhead press may be programmed slightly differently. At this phase of training, you'll likely need to also adjust the sets and repetitions. A good example would be to use the block periodization lifting model. 

During block periodization, you dedicate training blocks to certain training phases. Typically, you perform a high volume phase, high-intensity phase, then reduce your volume before the performance. Each of these phases may last for three to four weeks before reducing your volume for a week. 

As a full body exercise, the squat to overhead press should be programmed towards the start of your workout. This is before isolation-type exercises when your energy levels are still high. They can be part of a full-body workout, push day, or lower-body day as needed. 

If you're a strength and power athlete working towards better performance on specific lifts, this will be performed after them. Allow at least two to five minutes of rest intervals between sets.

In terms of frequency, performing them one to two times weekly with 48 hours of rest in between is suitable.