PVC Overhead Squat
The PVC Overhead Squat is a fundamental mobility exercise used to assess and improve total body flexibility, specifically targeting the hips, ankles, and thoracic spine. It reinforces proper squat mechanics and overhead stability using a lightweight PVC pipe before progressing to weighted variations.
Because the PVC Overhead Squat is a technical movement rather than a strength builder, the AI focuses on your subjective feedback (RPE) and consistency rather than load. If you rate this exercise as highly difficult despite the light weight, the AI infers mobility limitations in the shoulders or hips and can automatically schedule complementary recovery sessions with exercises like thoracic extensions. Additionally, by monitoring your daily recovery metrics via HealthKit, the AI may prescribe this low-intensity movement as an active recovery tool on days when your HRV is low or you are in a high-fatigue state.
Form Cues
- Lock your elbows completely and actively push up against the pipe
- Keep your chest tall and armpits facing forward
- Drive your knees out over your toes as you descend
- Maintain a neutral spine with your core braced
- Keep your weight balanced over your midfoot
- Don't let your elbows bend or the bar drift forward
- Don't allow your heels to lift off the ground
- Don't let your knees collapse inward
- Don't round your lower back at the bottom of the squat
- Don't look down at the floor
Common Mistakes
- Bar drifting forward of the toes
- Bending elbows due to lack of shoulder mobility
- Excessive forward torso lean
- Heels rising off the floor
- Lumbar hyperextension (arching lower back)
Muscles Worked
This exercise primarily targets the quadriceps and glutes to perform the squatting action. Uniquely, it heavily engages the upper back stabilizers, posterior deltoids, and core musculature isometrically to maintain the upright torso position and keep the bar locked out overhead.
Primary
Secondary
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