Dumbbell Overhead Squat

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A complex compound lift using dumbbells held overhead, targeting the quads, glutes, and shoulders. This movement demands high core stability and shoulder mobility for overall strength development.

About Exercise

Equipment

Dumbbells

Difficulty

4/5 • Advanced

Primary Muscle Groups

Quads, Glutes

Secondary Muscles

Lower Back, Abs, Traps

Popularity Score

4

Goals

Strength
Stability
Power
Mobility

Training Style

Functional Training
CrossFit

Setup Requirements

Requires Rack

No

Requires Bench

No

Requires Spotter

No

Space Needed

Medium

Noise Level

Moderate

Muscle Breakdown

Quads

9/10

Rectus Femoris, Vastus Lateralis, Vastus Medialis

Glutes

8/10

Glute Max

Shoulders

6/10

Anterior Delts, Medial Delts

Lower Back

5/10

Erector Spinae

Abs

4/10

Rectus Abdominis, Transverse Abdominis

Traps

3/10

Upper Traps

Programming

Typical Rep Range

6-12 reps

Rest Between Sets

90-180 seconds • Focus on stability and recovery between sets.

How to Perform

Stand tall holding a dumbbell in each hand pressed straight overhead, palms facing inward (neutral grip). Position feet slightly wider than shoulder-width with toes turned out slightly.

  1. Brace your core and keep your chest up, maintaining the dumbbells locked overhead throughout.
  2. Initiate the squat by pushing hips back and bending knees simultaneously.
  3. Descend slowly, ensuring the dumbbells remain directly over the middle of your feet.
  4. Lower until your thighs are parallel to the floor, maintaining a neutral spine.
  5. Drive through the mid-foot to forcefully stand back up, keeping arms extended and locked.

Coaching Tips

Form Cues

  • Dumbbells high and locked.
  • Brace the midline tight.
  • Knees track over toes.
  • Eyes straight ahead.

Breathing

Inhale deeply while lowering into the squat and hold your core brace; exhale as you stand to return to the starting position.

Tempo

3-0-1

Range of Motion

Lower the hips until the crease of the hip is parallel or slightly below the top of the knee, while keeping the overhead load stable.

Safety

Safety Notes

  • Requires excellent shoulder and thoracic mobility; do not force range if stability is lost.
  • Stop immediately if shoulder or lower back pain occurs.
  • Start with very light weight to practice stabilization.

Spotting

Not recommended; use light weight and safely dump the weights if stability is compromised.

Common Mistakes

  • Allowing the dumbbells to drift forward or collapse.
  • Excessive forward lean of the torso.
  • Losing core tension at the bottom.

When to Avoid

  • Acute shoulder pain or rotator cuff injury.
  • Limited thoracic spine extension.
  • Severe ankle or knee issues.

Flexibility Needed

  • Excellent shoulder flexion (arms straight overhead)
  • Good ankle dorsiflexion
  • Adequate thoracic mobility

Build Up First

  • Proficient bodyweight squat technique.
  • Demonstrated overhead pressing stability.

Also known as

Overhead Dumbbell Squat, DB Overhead Squat

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