At this point, you know two important things: 

• Why the feet turn out during the Overhead Squat Assessment.
• Which muscles are typically overactive and underactive.

Now comes the final step.

How do you actually use that information?

Whether you're preparing for the NASM CPT exam or assessing your first client, the goal isn't simply recognizing that the feet turned out.

The goal is understanding what that movement is telling you.

Missed the First Two Articles?

Before continuing, make sure you've read:

• Part 1: Why Your Feet Turn Out During the Overhead Squat Assessment
• Part 2: Feet Turn Out: The Overactive and Underactive Muscles You Actually Need to Know

Together, those articles explain the mechanics and muscle imbalances that connect to this final step.

Watch the Video First

This article expands on the concepts taught in the accompanying video. Watching the movement in real time makes it much easier to recognize the compensation during both the NASM CPT exam and when assessing clients.

▶︎ Watch: Feet Turn Out During the Overhead Squat Assessment

Download the Free Muscle Compensation Chart

As you work through this series, keep the CPT Academy Muscle Compensation Chart nearby. It summarizes the primary overactive and underactive muscles for every major movement compensation and serves as a quick study reference.

⬇︎ Download the Free Muscle Compensation Chart

Remember What the Assessment Is Actually For

One of the easiest mistakes to make is treating the Overhead Squat Assessment like a pass-or-fail test.

It isn't.

The assessment isn't judging whether someone squats "correctly."

It's gathering information.

Every movement compensation tells you something about how that person's body is functioning.

When the feet turn out, your first thought shouldn't be:

"That's wrong."

Instead, think:

"Why did the body choose this movement?"

That single question changes everything.

Instead of chasing symptoms, you're beginning to identify the underlying cause.

Don't Memorize Tables During the Exam

Many students study corrective exercise like this:

Feet Turn Out →

Gastrocnemius

Soleus

Hamstrings

Anterior Tibialis

Posterior Tibialis

Glutes

The problem?

Stress (during the test) destroys memorization.

Instead, walk yourself through the story.

Ask yourself:

What compensation am I seeing?

Feet turn out.

Why?

The calves are too tight to lengthen normally.

What muscles become weak?

The muscles opposite the calves—the tibialis (shin) muscles—followed by weakened glutes up the kinetic chain.

By rebuilding the answer, you're far less likely to get stuck if you forget a specific muscle name.

One Compensation Usually Leads to Another

This is another important concept that students often overlook.

Movement doesn't occur at one joint.

The body works as an integrated kinetic chain.

A restriction at the ankle can influence what happens at the knee, hip, and even farther up the body.

That means feet turning out may not be the only compensation you observe during an assessment.

For example, a client may also demonstrate:

• Knees caving inward
• Excessive forward lean
• Reduced squat depth

That doesn't automatically mean every compensation has the same cause.

Instead, each observation gives you another clue.

As a trainer, your job is to gather those clues before deciding what the primary issue is.

Don't Jump Straight to Corrective Exercises

One of the biggest mistakes new trainers make is seeing one compensation and immediately prescribing stretches and strengthening exercises.

The assessment comes first.

Interpretation comes second.

Programming comes third.

That's why NASM emphasizes evaluating movement before building a corrective exercise program.

The more complete your assessment, the more likely you'll address the true cause instead of simply treating the visible compensation.

Think Like a Trainer, Not a Test-Taker

During the exam, you'll answer questions about muscle imbalances.

In real life, you'll be helping people move better.

That shift in perspective actually makes the exam easier.

Instead of asking:

"What's the correct answer?"

Ask:

"If this person were standing in front of me, what would this movement be telling me?"

That approach naturally guides you toward the correct reasoning process.

Study Strategy That Actually Works

Instead of rereading the muscle tables over and over, try this exercise.

Look at a picture or video of someone performing an overhead squat.

Cover the muscle chart.

Identify the compensation.

Then answer these questions from memory:

• Why is this happening?
• Which muscles are probably tight?
• Which muscles will those tight muscles cause to become weak (aka what are the opposing muscles)?
• What would I look for next?

Only after you've committed to an answer should you uncover the chart and check yourself.

This trains the same reasoning process you'll need on both the exam and with future clients.

Key Takeaways

• The Overhead Squat Assessment is an assessment, not a pass-or-fail movement test.
• Feet turning out is a clue—not a diagnosis.
• Always think about the movement before thinking about the muscle list.
• Build the answer logically instead of relying on memorization, especially with underactive muscles. Learn the overactives and just reason through their opposing muscles.
• Remember that movement compensations often occur together because the body functions as an integrated kinetic chain.

Continue the Series

Feet turning out is only one of the movement compensations you'll evaluate during the Overhead Squat Assessment.

Next, we'll look at another common compensation that often appears alongside it:

Knees Cave In

You'll see how the same reasoning process applies to an entirely different movement pattern, making each new compensation easier to learn than the last.

Previous Article, in case you missed the Overhead Squat Assessment walkthrough 

Want to review the whole "feet turn out" series?

• Part 1: Why does it happen?
• Part 2: Which muscles are involved?
• Part 3 (this article): How do I think through it as both a NASM student and a trainer?

Download Your Free Study Resources

📄 Download the FREE Muscle Compensation Chart to reinforce every movement compensation covered in this series.

🎥 Watch the Complete Muscle Imbalance Playlist for video demonstrations of each compensation.

📝 Continue to Knees Cave In - Part 1 to learn why this compensation occurs and how to recognize the associated muscle imbalance patterns.

🧪 Take the FREE NASM Practice Test to assess your understanding of corrective exercise and movement assessments.

🎓 Need More Help Preparing for the NASM CPT Exam? Explore the complete CPT Academy Prep Course for in-depth video instruction, quizzes, and guided study resources.