My Go-To Assessments, Part 1: Door Frame Overhead Squat

Hi everyone! Welcome to the More to Movement podcast, the show about why your movement matters and how to get optimal results through science-backed practical solutions.

If you want improved results from your efforts and if you want to manage those aches and pains you’ve been dealing with, you know the answer: move better, and correct the issues.  But how do you know what to fix?  That’s what we are going to start to tap into today.

Today I am talking about the first of my top 3, go-to movement assessments to pinpoint areas of improvement.  These can be done anywhere and can quickly be performed and evaluated so you can start fixing those movement issues.  Let’s get to work!

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Hey movers!  Welcome back to the show!

So you’re ready to start moving better, you have a goal, and you’re ready to get after it.  Awesome!  So the first step is to jump into a kick-butt training program, hitting the weights hard and pushing it to attain your goals. 

Well, not exactly.

I love the enthusiasm, I really do, and I would never negate someone’s effort to improve.  The scenario I mentioned is the common approach to exercise and fitness, because, well, it’s the apparent path to improvement.  I’m not challenging that.

I’m not saying don’t get after it.  Not at all.   What I am saying is let’s get after it efficiently. 

I suggest taking just a little time to make sure that the movement patterns you are loading are setting you up for success and not complications, imbalances, and possibly injury in the future.

You’ve heard me talk about imbalance in the body, and how it leads to muscular compensation that comes with a whole host of issues.  These compensations cause problems enough when we’re moving just our body around, but it takes it to another level when we start to reinforce that compensation with loaded patterns. 

If we start loading suboptimal patterns, we will get suboptimal results.

Does that mean that we can’t train hard until we fix all our movement flaws and imbalances? 

Of course not! 

The beauty of this is that we can integrate corrective modalities into our programs to improve the movement issues if we are mindful of our imbalances AND know how and when to implement training and corrective strategies. 

Movement correction is fluid; there is always something to improve, but if you know what you’re looking for and how to address it, you can implement the most appropriate strategies at any given moment.

Now, some may need more time to focus on correcting movement issues than others, and that is based on the degree of imbalance and compensation that exists.  I’ve trained intensely since I was 12 years old and have been doing this a long time, but there are times I have to pull the reigns and address issues. 

For example, when I sustain an injury, I know that if I continue to train the same way without making adjustments, my body will overcompensate and start developing inefficient movement patterns that will ultimately affect my improvements.  Let me tell you a story to paint this picture for you.

It was six years ago, and I was working with a client at my training studio.  I’m a demonstrator.  It’s how I teach, and I think there’s a lot of value in providing a visual of what I’m presenting. 

Some of my students may be shaking their heads right now because I am all over the classroom.  I wish you could see me behind the mic- I’m typically moving and demonstrating what I’m talking about with all of you.  That’s how animated I am.

I was working with a young athlete, and we were working on the plant phase of a cutting maneuver.  Well, in Pete-style, I jumped up and demonstrated the movement to help him visualize it. 

That wasn’t the problem- I demonstrated that fine. 

The problem was that I didn’t mind my surroundings afterward.  I began walking backward as I was talking to him and didn’t see a bench behind me.

I’m usually pretty agile and can quickly react to these things, but not this time.  I tripped on the bench, feet flew up in the air, and fell backward, directly on my sacrum (low back).

Naturally, I was in a lot of pain and couldn’t move at all for several days, but luckily nothing fractured.   However, I did have some soft tissue damage. 

Okay, so you know me, and I bet you’re thinking I started working on improving mobility once I recovered and fixed my movement issues, right? 

Wrong.

I know better, but once the pain went away, I stopped. 

I was just too busy with clients, and there was so much going on, and I’m young and can bounce back, and blah, blah, blah. 

Excuses. 

The thing is, it never really went away.  I noticed that my back wasn’t entirely functioning correctly, but at the time, it was easier to dismiss.

I continued to train, both myself and my clients, reinforcing obvious compensations.  My movements and mobility were just enough to be functional, but hey, I still saw gains, so big deal?

Fast forward two years.  I had been lifting, training, and feeling good when out nowhere, wham! My back started giving me major grief again.  Every squat, deadlift, or hinge pattern I did progressively worsened, and I had to adjust my training completely.  I knew right away what this was.  I failed to address the issues I knew were looming.  I put it off, because it was inconvenient, and now I’m paying the price.

Sometimes we need hard lessons to help us grow, and I sure did.  Upon assessing my movement, it was abundantly clear that I had been favoring one side of my body, and that my pelvis (hips) was twisted. 

It has gotten significantly better, but I am still working through this issue to this day.  And to think- this could have been avoided if I would have taken my advice and been mindful of my movement.

   The thing is, it doesn’t have to take an injury to cause these kinds of problems.  They can be caused by sitting too much, sedentary lifestyles, or just repeated, daily movements. 

What can we do?  Since we all inevitably will have movement flaws, do we just throw in the towel and give up?

Heck no!  We just need to make ourselves aware of significant imbalances and improve those areas as we train and develop.

And we can do that by continually performing assessments of our movement.

I call initial assessments “blueprints” because they provide a foundational strengths and weaknesses overview that you can use to improve.  Movement assessments can help predict likely muscle problems and imbalances, allowing us to be specific with our corrective strategies. 

As you continue to train, it’s a good idea to evaluate your movement quality consistently.  In a sense, you should be assessing yourself anytime you train.  If you’ve listened to me long enough, you know I harp on purpose behind everything.  Our time in the gym is no exception.  You have to frame your mind that you are getting vital information about your movement quality every time you train. 

Now, I’m not talking about exhaustive scrutiny that causes paralysis by analysis, where you become overwhelmed and pulled in so many directions that you feel like you’re too broken and dysfunctional to train.   I am suggesting that you are present in your session and be proactive about what you observe and what you experience.

Keep in mind that a movement assessment is only one aspect of a comprehensive assessment. In all honesty, some subtle yet monumental topics should be integrated first, such as proper breathing, bracing techniques, and aligning posture. I’ll get to those, but I like jumping into the movement assessment because it gives you a raw, unbiased look at your movement.  It’s an honest evaluation of your movement status, and from there, anything you learn and implement can be compared to this start.  The more you know about yourself, the better you can improve. 

Now, there are so many possible assessments you can do, and I would advise that you seek those out with qualified professionals if you are willing and able.  I will discuss some of those in future episodes. For now, the next three episodes will focus on quick, do anywhere, assessments that will provide you significant insight into your movement. 

There are many renditions of these assessments, but these are ones I’ve used and modified just a bit to provide quick feedback on movement quality.  These are my go-to exercises. 

All you need is you, a wall, and a door frame.  If someone can watch and provide feedback, even better, but you can do these on your own.  These assessments are best performed barefoot, with clothes that allow you to move freely.

Further, these are active assessments, meaning you are initiating movement through them.  Though passive assessments can be beneficial, I prefer assessments that are complex kinetic chain-based.  I prefer these because they are more functional and can provide you feedback on the system’s response, not just the local structures.

I’m going to discuss each of the assessments,  what to look for with each movement, and discuss some ways to improve.  I have graphics on the show notes page for each episode as well.  Today’s assessment is at moretomovement.com/episode11. 

For you movers out there that are really diving into this, I have a “correction cheat sheet” with common muscles that need addressing based on what discrepancy you notice.  This is in my Vault at moretomovement.com.  If this is something you want, sign up on the site to gain access to the Vault, where I have expert tips and resources for those who want to enhance their movement journey.  It’s all free, so join the community! 

Door Frame Overhead Squat

The overhead squat assessment is my absolute favorite assessment because, in one movement, it provides feedback for every major joint.  It is a closed-chain exercise and requires ankle dorsiflexion (meaning the toes can be pulled up toward the shin without difficulty), flexion of the knees and hips, extension of the thoracic spine, and mobility throughout the shoulder and scapulothoracic joint.  Since it is a bilateral movement, it also requires balance of muscle contribution for optimal force transfer. 

Some words of advice before you begin any of these assessments. 

First, listen to your body.  If any of these cause pain- I don’t mean mild discomfort, but pain, stop.  Don’t proceed until you speak with a physician, because injury may be present.

Secondly, don’t cheat yourself.  Be strict with these assessments so you can identify areas to improve. 

I cannot tell you how many clients and students I’ve worked with that adjust or fake their movements so they can say they don’t have any flaws.  If that’s your mindset, then these assessments, heck this podcast, isn’t for you.  Be conscious of your movement, stay strict, and be honest with yourself.  Remember, you’re doing these for a reason- get something out of your efforts to gain the efficiency you’re working to achieve.

Okay, here’s how to do it.

1. Find a normal-sized door frame (closet doors may be a bit narrow) and turn sideways, so you face the door frame.  Stand in the middle of the door frame, so you have equal distance to the door frame in front of you and behind you.  Look straight ahead- the door frame should be even with your nose.
2. Take a stance with approximately shoulder width, ideally, with your toes pointing forward.  Can you go wider with your stance, and can you point your toes out?  There is some research discussing an acceptable range of external rotation at the hip (toes flaring out) during the squat, but I’ll chat about that later.  For now and for the assessment, aim for shoulder-width stance, toes forward.
3. Put your arms up overhead, locking your elbows in a letter “Y” position.  Your arms should be at least even with your ears, if not slightly behind them.  If you look to your sides with your eyes, your arms should be the only thing you see.  Even better is they appear behind your ears.
4. When you are ready, slowly drop down into the deepest squat you can, try to reach a minimum of thighs parallel to the floor, and hold for 3-seconds before ascending.  The goal of the movement is:
   • Keep your arms in place by your ears the entire time
   • Maintain a neutral spine
   • Keep your heels on the ground
   • Don’t touch the door frame in front of you or behind you

Okay- what are we looking for? 

After you feel comfortable with the movement, perform it again, as naturally as possible, and see what you notice.  Don’t try to correct yourself.  Just move naturally.  Here is a checklist.

1. Do your heels come up, or do your feet rotate?
2. If you glance down, are your knees aligned with your feet, or do you feel your knees coming together?
3. Does your head or your glutes touch the door frame, because you feel yourself bending over at the trunk?
4. Do you notice your arms dropping down past the door frame in front of you?
5. As you drop down into the squat, does the door frame stay lined up with your nose the entire time, or do you notice yourself going to one side?

All of these are compensations, and if you are performing the assessments strictly as intended, you may see or feel something jump out.  Remember, assessments are designed to make discrepancies jump out, so if you feel tightness somewhere, or it’s challenging to move into a position, note it.  

Takeaways

Typically, movement discrepancies occur because some muscles are overactive (tight), and some are underactive (not engaged enough).  It’s good to start by releasing and stretching overactive tissue.

• So, if your heels come up, it’s usually indicative of overactive calf muscles.
• If your knees come together, overactive calf and inner thigh (adductors) can be to blame.
• If you’re bending over, typically its overactive hip flexors.
• If your arms drop, overactive latissimus dorsi can be a contributor.
• If you’re leaning to one side, called an asymmetrical shift, it’s typically two-sided.  The inner thigh muscles (adductors) of the same side you are shifting, and the gluteus medius of the opposite side of the shift can be causing some problems. 

There are many more aspects of the squat assessment you can dissect, but for most, this will bring out the major issues influencing their movement. 

Try it and let me know how it goes!  I’d love you to see what you found!  Try this- if you want a challenge and what accountability, take a picture of your squat assessment and post it to Instagram.  Tag me in the post @pete.rohleder with the hashtag #????? so I can comment on it. 

Yeah, it means being real and putting yourself out there, but isn’t that what the Movement Mindset is all about?

Next time, I’ll discuss the second assessment:  the Half-kneeling Wall Ankle Mobility assessment.  I hope you join me!

Thanks, everyone!  Stay healthy, stay safe, and be well, and remember, wherever you are, keep moving.