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

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Certified personal trainer Francesco Zen shared a squat cue he says helped him improve his overhead squat: shift weight toward the outer edges of the feet and press the knees outward to engage the glutes. The exercise requires mobility and stability, and the source recommends learning it first with a dowel or plastic pipe rather than a loaded barbell.

Certified personal trainer Francesco Zen says a small adjustment to foot pressure and knee position helped him improve his overhead squat: shift weight toward the outer parts of the feet and press the knees outward. Fit&Well reported the cue as part of advice on the advanced exercise, which requires mobility and stability as well as strength.

Zen, founder of ZLIFE, told Fit&Well that the overhead squat depends on stable movement and activation through the quadriceps, core and glutes. He described the glutes as supporting the movement from beginning to end. His cue is to keep the knees tracking outward while directing pressure toward the outer edges of the feet during the descent.

The overhead squat is performed with a pipe, dowel or barbell held overhead as the lifter lowers into a squat. Fit&Well’s report advises people to learn the movement with an exercise stick or plastic pipe before attempting it with a barbell. The source also recommends working with an exercise professional or spotter when progressing to the more advanced version.

For a less challenging progression, Zen suggested the Frankenstein squat, in which the arms extend forward at shoulder height rather than overhead. He said that position is easier to stabilize while working on similar core, glute and mobility foundations. The report also describes practicing bodyweight squats with the arms raised and using wall-based squat exercises to prepare shoulder and spinal positioning.

A Cue for Better Squat Control

Zen’s advice gives readers a specific technique cue to try while practicing the movement: keep the knees directed over the feet and use pressure through the outer feet to help engage the glutes. The report presents this as his personal experience and coaching guidance, not as a guarantee that the adjustment will improve everyone’s form or performance.

The broader point is that an overhead squat asks the body to maintain an upright position while the arms stay overhead. That combination can make it harder to balance and control the movement than a standard squat. Gradual practice with a lighter implement can help people work on positioning before adding the extra demands of a loaded barbell.

The advice may also interest people who do not plan to perform a weighted overhead squat. Fit&Well notes that preparatory work can develop squat mechanics, although the source does not provide research findings or quantify benefits from the suggested progressions.

Building Toward the Overhead Position

Fit&Well’s report places Zen’s cue within a staged approach rather than presenting the overhead squat as a move to attempt immediately. It says the exercise calls for mobility in the ankles, hips, spine and shoulders, alongside core control and stability. The report suggests starting with a bodyweight squat while reaching the arms overhead, including wall-based variations to practice the position.

After that, the source recommends using a gym dowel, plastic pipe or broom handle to rehearse shoulder and spinal alignment. Zen also suggested Frankenstein squats, which use a forward arm position and can be done with or without weight. These are progressions described in the Fit&Well article; it does not specify a standard timetable or number of repetitions for moving between stages.

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

— Francesco Zen, speaking to Fit&Well

Limits of the Reported Advice

The source presents the outer-foot and knees-out cue as advice based on Zen’s experience. It does not cite a study comparing that cue with other techniques, nor does it establish that the adjustment suits every person or resolves mobility restrictions. The report also gives no information about Zen’s training history or how long it took him to improve the movement.

There is no individualized assessment in the article, and the source does not provide medical guidance for readers with pain, injuries or movement limitations. It does not set out objective criteria for deciding when a person is ready to add weight. Those details remain unspecified.

Practice Before Adding Weight

The practical next step described in the report is to build the movement in stages: practice a bodyweight squat with the arms raised, use a dowel or pipe to rehearse the overhead position, and try a Frankenstein squat before attempting a full overhead squat. Zen’s cue can be applied during these practice repetitions, with attention to keeping the knees aligned over the feet and the implement steady.

Fit&Well recommends using an exercise professional or spotter if possible for the advanced version. The report does not announce a follow-up test, training plan or additional findings, so any broader claims about how well the cue works remain unverified in the material provided.

Key Questions

What squat cue did Francesco Zen recommend?

Zen advised shifting weight toward the outer parts of the feet and pressing the knees outward while lowering into the squat, to help engage the glutes.

What is an overhead squat?

It is a squat performed while holding a pipe, dowel or barbell overhead. The position calls for control and mobility as the person lowers and rises.

What is a Frankenstein squat?

It is a squat variation with the arms extended forward at shoulder height, or a bar balanced across the front of the shoulders. Zen described it as easier to stabilize than holding the implement overhead.

Should beginners start with a barbell?

No. The Fit&Well report recommends learning the movement with an exercise stick or plastic pipe before trying a barbell. It also suggests progressing through bodyweight and forward-arm variations.

Does the cue work for everyone?

The report shares Zen’s coaching advice and personal experience but does not cite research showing that the cue works for everyone. It provides no individualized assessment or readiness test.

Source: rss