The Dumbbell Overhead Squat is a expert-friendly dumbbell strength exercise that targets the quadriceps and glutes, with the shoulders, abdominals, hamstrings and traps working alongside. Here's how to do it right — and what to stop doing.
Press a dumbbell overhead in each hand and lock the elbows straight.
Set your feet at about shoulder width with the toes turned out slightly.
Stack the dumbbells over your midfoot and brace your abdominals.
Push your hips back and bend your knees, keeping the weights overhead.
Lower until your thighs reach parallel with the floor without the chest dropping.
Drive through your whole foot to stand tall and repeat.
02 The payoff
Why it earns its spot
Trains squat mechanics and overhead shoulder stability in one movement.
Exposes limits in shoulder, hip and ankle range that heavier squats hide.
Two independent dumbbells reveal left to right differences a bar can mask.
03 Don't do this
Common mistakes
Letting the dumbbells drift forward, which pulls the torso down and stalls the squat.
Flaring the ribs to reach the overhead position, which extends the lower back under load.
Bending the elbows during the descent, which loses the lockout the lift depends on.
Loading it before shoulder range allows, which forces every other compensation on the list.
EGON Put it on record
Track it in EGON.
Log every set of the Dumbbell Overhead Squat, get your PRs detected automatically, earn aura for the work — and climb five leagues of statues, from Stone to Ego.
