The overhead squat assessment (OHSA) is a movement screen where a client squats with both arms held overhead while you watch the feet, knees, hips, trunk and arms for compensations. It takes under a minute and shows mobility limits, weak links and side-to-side differences across the whole body in one movement, which is why NASM makes it the centerpiece of its movement assessment and many other programs teach a version of it.
This guide covers how to run it, the seven compensations to look for, what each one usually points to, and how to turn the results into a program.
What the overhead squat assessment tests
A squat with the arms overhead asks almost every joint to do its job at once. The ankles need enough dorsiflexion for the shins to travel forward. The hips need to flex and stay stable. The trunk has to stay upright, and the shoulders and upper back need enough range to keep the arms in line with the body.
When one link is short of range or control, the body borrows movement from somewhere else. Those borrowed movements are the compensations you are looking for. The test does not diagnose anything. It tells you where to look next.
How to run the overhead squat assessment
- Feet. Have the client stand barefoot or in flat shoes, feet shoulder-width apart, toes pointing straight ahead.
- Arms. Raise both arms overhead, elbows straight, so the upper arms sit beside the ears.
- The squat. Squat down at a controlled pace as deep as is comfortable, then stand back up. NASM's guideline is about chair-seat height. Do not coach depth or form. You want their natural pattern.
- Reps. Do five reps from the front, then five from the side. Add a view from behind if you can.
- Record it. Film each view on a phone. Compensations happen fast, and video lets you pause at the bottom of the rep.
What to look for
Front view
- Feet turn out. The toes rotate outward as the client descends.
- Knees cave in. The knees move inside the line of the second toe (knee valgus).
- Weight shifts to one side. The hips drift left or right, or one foot flattens more than the other. Visible from the front, and often clearer from behind.
Side view
- Excessive forward lean. The torso tips forward so it is no longer roughly parallel with the shins.
- Low back arches. The lower back extends and the pelvis tips forward at the bottom.
- Arms fall forward. The arms drift in front of the ears instead of staying in line with the torso.
- Heels lift. The weight shifts onto the toes.
What each compensation usually means
The table below follows NASM's overactive/underactive muscle model. It is a teaching model, not proven cause and effect, and research support for it is mixed. Use each row to choose a follow-up test (ankle dorsiflexion, hip rotation, shoulder flexion), not to label a muscle.
| Compensation | Often tight or overactive | Often weak or underactive |
|---|---|---|
| Feet turn out | Calves (soleus, lateral gastrocnemius), outer hamstring | Medial gastrocnemius, inner hamstrings, gracilis |
| Knees cave in | Adductors, TFL, outer quad | Glute medius, glute maximus, VMO |
| Excessive forward lean | Calves, hip flexors, abdominals | Anterior tibialis, glute maximus, spinal erectors |
| Low back arches | Hip flexors, spinal erectors, lats | Glute maximus, hamstrings, deep core |
| Arms fall forward | Lats, teres major, pecs | Mid and lower traps, rhomboids, rotator cuff |
| Heels lift | Calves (limited ankle dorsiflexion) | Anterior tibialis |
| Weight shifts to one side | Adductors and TFL on the shift side | Glute medius on the shift side |
Two follow-up tests narrow things down fast:
- Heels elevated. Repeat the squat with the heels on a small plate. If forward lean, heel lift, knees caving in or feet turning out improve, limited ankle dorsiflexion is the likely driver.
- Hands on hips. Repeat with the hands on the hips. If the low back arch or forward lean improves, the lats and shoulder mobility are contributing.
Turning the results into a program
Pick the one or two compensations that show up most consistently and build the warm-up and accessory work around them. A common sequence:
- Release the overactive tissue with foam rolling or soft tissue work.
- Lengthen it with mobility drills or stretches.
- Activate the underactive muscles with low-load, targeted exercises.
- Integrate the new range into a full movement, such as goblet squats to a box.
For example, a client whose knees cave in might roll the adductors and TFL, stretch the adductors, do banded glute bridges and lateral band walks, then finish with goblet squats cued to push the knees out.
Retest every four to six weeks under the same conditions. If the compensation has not changed, the program needs to change.
Why scoring it by eye falls short
The overhead squat is quick to run and hard to score consistently:
- Speed. The worst point of the rep lasts a fraction of a second.
- Camera angle. A few degrees off to one side can hide or exaggerate knee valgus.
- Coach-to-coach differences. Two coaches watching the same rep often score it differently, which makes retests hard to compare.
- No numbers. "Slight forward lean" in March and "slight forward lean" in May tell the client nothing about progress.
- Time. Five reps from two or three angles, then reviewing each video, adds up across a full client roster.
Measuring the overhead squat with a phone
Demotu runs the overhead squat assessment from a single phone camera, with no sensors or extra hardware. It needs one rep, filmed from the front. No side or back views, no five-rep sets. Because Demotu reconstructs the body in 3D from that one video, it picks up side-view compensations like forward lean, low back arching and arms falling forward without a second camera.
Set the phone 7 to 8 feet away facing the client, have them stand feet shoulder-width apart, press record, and have them squat as deep as they comfortably can with their hands overhead and stand back up. Results come back in seconds. If the rep looks unusual (a stumble or a hesitation), film it again. One measured rep is a more repeatable baseline than five reps scored by eye.
Each assessment breaks down into:
- Joints. A score for each hip, knee and ankle, with start angle, end angle and range of motion, so you can see which side and which joint is limiting the squat.
- Compensations. The compensations found in the rep, such as feet turning out, knees caving in, forward lean, low back arching and arms falling forward, plus an overall compensation score.
- Levels. Shoulder and hip tilt across the whole movement, not just one frame.
- Insights. Lateral sway, descent and ascent time, stance width and squat depth.
- Symmetry. Left-to-right differences side by side.
The app also flags areas of concern on a body map and suggests corrective exercises you can turn into a workout. Retests plot against the client's first assessment, so you can show them what changed in numbers instead of describing it.
Try it yourself: score your own overhead squat for free. On an iPhone it runs instantly with nothing to install.
Frequently asked questions
What depth is suggested for the overhead squat assessment?
As deep as the client can comfortably go, without forcing it. NASM's guideline is about chair-seat height. The test looks at how they move through their natural range, and pushing past what is comfortable changes the pattern you want to see.
How many reps should the client do?
Scored by eye, five reps from the front and five from the side is standard, because you need several looks to catch a compensation. More reps add fatigue without adding information. With Demotu, one rep filmed from the front is enough, because the app tracks every joint in 3D through the whole movement.
Is the overhead squat assessment part of NASM?
Yes. The OHSA is the main movement assessment in the NASM Certified Personal Trainer curriculum, and the compensation table above follows the same model. Other programs teach their own versions.
What's the difference between the overhead squat assessment and the FMS deep squat?
Both use a squat with the arms overhead. The FMS deep squat holds a dowel and is scored 0 to 3 as one of seven screens. The OHSA leads a short battery of NASM assessments and focuses on naming specific compensations and the muscles behind them.
How often should you retest?
Every four to six weeks, or at the start of each new training block. Use the same footwear, camera position and instructions each time so the results are comparable.