How many sets and reps of the medicine ball overhead squat should you do when you are new to the exercise?

Three sets of 10 with a 6 to 10 pound ball is a good working range, and it doubles as a preparation set before heavier squatting. Keep the tempo controlled instead of bouncing out of the bottom. Progress by squatting deeper with the same ball before you pick up a heavier one, because the drill is about position rather than load.

What can I use instead of a medicine ball for the overhead squat?

A light weight plate held by the edges gives the same both-hands-overhead position. Two light dumbbells, a single kettlebell held by the horns, or a loaded backpack pressed overhead all substitute cleanly. If you only want the shape, a basketball or a broomstick works with no load at all.

Who is the medicine ball overhead squat for?

It is a teaching tool: the ball is easy to hold, easy to drop safely, and it tells you immediately when your arms drift, which makes it a favorite for beginners, group classes and preparation before barbell squatting. It is a poor choice once you want a real strength stimulus, since a ball light enough to hold overhead is far too light for your legs, and a poor choice if reaching overhead makes your back arch.

Intermediate

Medicine Ball Overhead Squat

Holding the ball overhead turns the squat into a whole-body stability test, since the shoulders and core must keep the load stacked over the mid-foot while the legs do the squatting. It exposes tight ankles, hips, and shoulders and rewards an upright torso, making it a useful teaching tool as well as a quad and glute builder. Keep the ball directly over the crown of the head and only squat as deep as you can while holding that line.

Equipment: Medicine Ball
Body part: Glutes, Quads
Type: Balance, Strength
Browse by muscle: Rectus Femoris, Vastus Lateralis, Gluteus Maximus
Browse by movement: Squat

How to do it

1
Stand with feet shoulder-width and press the ball overhead with the arms locked out.
2
Set the ball over the crown of the head and brace the trunk.
3
Sit the hips back and down, keeping the ball stacked over the mid-foot.
4
Descend until the thighs reach at least parallel while the torso stays tall.
5
Drive through the whole foot to stand back up, keeping the arms locked overhead.
6
Reset the overhead position and repeat for the set.

Tips

Keep the arms actively pressing up so the ball never drifts forward.
Let the knees track over the toes and keep the chest proud through the bottom.
Shorten the depth if the ball pulls forward or the heels lift, then rebuild range over time.

Variations

Common mistakes

The ball ends up resting on top of the head with the elbows bent, which gives the shoulders a rest and takes all the honesty out of the drill; hold it above the crown with locked arms.
Squeezing the ball hard from the sides shrugs the shoulders up to the ears; carry it with the arms long and the hands under the sides so the traps are not doing the holding.
A ball too light to feel defeats the point, since the feedback is what you came for; something in the 6 to 12 pound range tells you the moment your arms drift.
The ribs flare and the lower back arches to keep the ball back, which looks like a good overhead position from the front and is really a lumbar compensation. Drop the ribs and accept less range.
Reaching the ball behind the head at the bottom feels like more depth but only moves the load off your base; the ball, the crown of your head and your mid-foot want to line up.

Frequently asked

How many sets and reps of the medicine ball overhead squat should you do when you are new to the exercise?: Three sets of 10 with a 6 to 10 pound ball is a good working range, and it doubles as a preparation set before heavier squatting. Keep the tempo controlled instead of bouncing out of the bottom. Progress by squatting deeper with the same ball before you pick up a heavier one, because the drill is about position rather than load.
What can I use instead of a medicine ball for the overhead squat?: A light weight plate held by the edges gives the same both-hands-overhead position. Two light dumbbells, a single kettlebell held by the horns, or a loaded backpack pressed overhead all substitute cleanly. If you only want the shape, a basketball or a broomstick works with no load at all.
Who is the medicine ball overhead squat for?: It is a teaching tool: the ball is easy to hold, easy to drop safely, and it tells you immediately when your arms drift, which makes it a favorite for beginners, group classes and preparation before barbell squatting. It is a poor choice once you want a real strength stimulus, since a ball light enough to hold overhead is far too light for your legs, and a poor choice if reaching overhead makes your back arch.

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