Squats come in many varieties: front squats, back squats, deep squats, half squats, pistol squats, and more. But there’s one squat type of squat that’s ideal for beginners. Yet this move is effective enough that you can benefit from it even if you’re advanced. It’s the goblet squat.
Goblet squat? It’s a strange name for a relatively simple movement. The name comes from the fact that you grip the weight in front of you in a way that you would hold a drinking goblet. This squat variation was developed by a coach named Dan John, who struggled to teach his trainees how to squat using good form. After he introduced the goblet squat, his job got easier!
The goblet squat is a good movement for beginners who haven’t mastered the basics of squatting yet and need a simple approach to getting the form right. Rather than placing a barbell on your shoulders or holding a pair of dumbbells in each hand, you grip your chosen resistance in front of you when you squat. Some people use a kettlebell but you can also use a single dumbbell or even a medicine ball.
Here’s how to do a goblet squat:
Grab a weight, either a kettlebell or a dumbbell.
· If you’re using a dumbbell, place one of the ends of the dumbbell between your palms so that the dumbbell is perpendicular to the floor. If you’re using a kettlebell, hold it by the ball, one hand on each side with your elbows tucked in. The weight should be positioned against your chest.
· Place your feet a little further than shoulder-width apart while holding the weight against your chest at the level of the collar bone.
· Brace your core and slowly lower your body down toward the floor while holding the weight in position. Keep your heels firmly on the floor and your weight on your heels.
· Try to get your glutes as close to the floor as possible while keeping your feet flat. If possible, go just below parallel, but focus on form initially rather than how deep you go. The deeper you go, the more you target your glutes.
· Hold at the bottom for 2 seconds. Your elbows should be between your knees at the bottom of the movement.
· Rise back up to the starting position. Squeeze your glutes at the top before repeating.
Why You Should Do Goblet Squats
What’s so special about the goblet squat? The goblet squat is ideal for learning and mastering proper squat form. Beginners have the tendency to lean too far forward when squatting rather than maintaining a straight spine. No wonder! When you perform a front squat, your center-of-gravity shifts forward slightly and this makes it hard to keep your spine straight.
Performing goblet squats helps you perfect your form before you try harder squat versions such as a front squat or back squat. For this reason, goblet squats are also a more back-friendly squat variation. They’re also a total body movement. When you do a goblet squat, you work your quads, hamstrings, glutes, calves, and the muscles that make up your core. In fact, goblet squats are an excellent movement for core engagement.
When Should You Do Them?
You can use goblet squats to get up to speed before tackling more challenging squat variations that require good form to avoid injury. Goblet squats are also a good warm-up to get your body prepped for more advanced squat variations. Before doing front or back squats, grab a light kettlebell or dumbbell and do a set or two of 12 to 20 reps before tackling front or back squats. Goblet squats are also a good finisher to a squat session.
If you’re doing all goblet squats during a given workout, start with a lighter dumbbell or kettlebell and perform a few sets using 10 to 12 reps. Then, switch to a heavier resistance and complete another few sets of eight or so reps.
What if you have a lower-body injury and had to quit doing squats for a while? The goblet squat is an ideal movement for reintroducing the squat once you’ve healed. Use this movement to gradually condition your body before you ease back into front or back squats using a barbell or a set of dumbbells.
Get More Out of Goblet Squats
To make the goblet squat a real lower body scorcher, pause and hold at the bottom of the movement for five or six seconds. Doing so will increase the time your muscles are under tension. Increasing time under tension helps to stimulate muscle growth. As you master the move, choose a heavier kettlebell or dumbbell for progressive overload.
Can you depend on goblet squats alone to keep your lower body strong and shapely? One drawback is that you can’t handle as much resistance with a goblet squat as you using a loaded barbell. So, if you’re serious about maximizing hypertrophy of your quads, you’ll want to progress to front and back squats too.
Don’t think of goblet squats as a substitute for front or back squats but as a squat, you can use to perfect your squat form. It’s also an excellent move for enhancing hip mobility. To get the full benefits that goblet squats offer for hip mobility, move slowly through the eccentric phase of the movement. For a squat, that’s where you descend or lower your body. The concentric portion is when you rise back to the starting position. At the bottom of the movement hold for five seconds before coming back up.
The Bottom Line
Goblet squats are a good squat variation for beginners and for perfecting your squat form when it can use a tune-up. They’re also an excellent hip mobility movement that targets all the muscles in your lower body and core. Use them as a warm-up move before doing other squat variations or any time you think your form can use a little work. To make the move harder, grab a heavier resistance or slow down the movement to emphasize the eccentric or lower portion of the squat more. Don’t give up back or front squats, but don’t ignore the goblet squat either. They’re another way to add variety to your lower body workout and become a squat master at the same time!
References:
Physical Culture Study. “The History of the Goblet Squat”
American Council on Exercise. “Goblet Squat”
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Are Ankle and Hip Mobility Issues Making It Harder for You to Squat?
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