Goblet Squat: Techniques, Benefits, Variations, and More

The goblet squat is a popular and effective exercise that is used to build strength and improve flexibility in the lower body. This exercise is often used as a warm-up before a workout or as a main exercise in a strength-training program. The goblet squat is performed by holding a weight, typically a dumbbell or kettlebell, at chest height and performing a squatting motion.

The technique for performing the goblet squat is relatively simple, but it is important to perform the exercise with proper form to avoid injury and to maximize the benefits. In this exercise, the feet are typically shoulder-width apart, with the weight held close to the chest. The athlete then lowers their body into a squatting position, keeping the chest lifted and the back straight. The athlete then returns to a standing position, using the strength of the legs and glutes to power the movement.

There are many benefits to incorporating goblet squats into a fitness routine. This exercise helps to improve leg and core strength, which can improve athletic performance and reduce the risk of injury. The goblet squat also improves hip mobility and flexibility, which can help to reduce the risk of lower back pain and improve overall movement quality.

There are also many variations of the goblet squat that can be used to target specific muscle groups or to add variety to a workout routine. Some common variations include the double goblet squat, the Bulgarian split squat, and the lateral goblet squat.

In this article, we will explore the technique for performing the goblet squat with proper form, discuss the benefits of this exercise, and provide examples of different variations that can be used to add variety and challenge to a workout routine. Whether you are a beginner or an experienced athlete, incorporating goblet squats into your fitness routine can help to improve your overall health and fitness.

Goblet Squat Benefits

Most people who perform goblet squats use the lift as a remedial exercise, to learn proper form and provide stability and balance in order to prepare the body for more challenging lifts such as back squats and front squats.

This exercise can also be used as a technique primer to help those with poor body awareness or faulty movement patterns achieve better mechanics in more complex movements.

Goblet squats can also provide some conditioning benefits and improve explosiveness (if they’re performed quickly), and are even used by some lifters as an assistance exercise to help them get more out of their back squats.

To do that, they’ll keep the weight the same for multiple sets but increase their repetitions (and thus perform velocity work).

Goblet Squat Execution

To perform a goblet squat, start by holding a kettlebell or dumbbell vertically at chest level with both hands, keeping your elbows close to your body. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and your toes pointing slightly outward. Brace your core and keep your chest up as you begin to lower yourself into a squat position, bending your knees and pushing your hips back as if you are sitting on a chair.

Make sure that your knees are in line with your toes and do not cave inward. Lower your body until your elbows touch your knees or your thighs are parallel to the ground. Then, drive through your heels and push your hips forward to stand up again.

Throughout the entire movement, keep your core engaged, your chest up, and your back straight. Avoid rounding your shoulders or letting your elbows flare out to the sides. It is also important to maintain a neutral spine and avoid excessive forward or backward leaning.

Perform 2-3 sets of 10-12 repetitions, gradually increasing the weight as you become more comfortable with the movement. Incorporating goblet squats into your workout routine can improve your lower body strength, flexibility, and mobility.

Goblet Squat: Techniques, Benefits, Variations, and More

Goblet Squat Technique

Now that we’ve gone over the basics, let’s get into the nitty-gritty.

I present 3 techniques to maximize your goblet squat practice: start position, descent, and lifting back up.

Start Position

From a standing position with feet, shoulder-width apart, gently squeeze your glutes while drawing in your belly button towards your spine to create a stable core. Then lift the kettlebell off the ground and hold it up in front of you with elbows tucked into your sides and pointed towards the floor.

The handle should be positioned just below your chin, with your forearms facing forward.

Descent

Keeping your torso upright throughout, begin your descent by breaking at the hips and sending your butt back until your thighs are parallel to the ground.

The upper body should remain as motionless as possible, with the only movement coming from the hips. Make sure not to round out or overextend your lower lumbar spine!

Ending a rep here is a good place to start if you’re just learning goblet squats, as it’s helpful to learn proper positioning and pelvic stabilization before moving on to the more intense variations.

Lifting Back Up

Once you’ve dropped down into a full squat position, it’s time to start pushing back up. While standing up, lead with your chest and drive through your heels.

Try to minimize the amount of knee bend here. You should finish your rep when your knees are nearly locked out and you’re standing tall with the weight in front of you.

Goblet Squat Variations.

Now that we’ve gone over proper execution, let’s get into some variations!

The first variation provides an additional challenge to the anterior core, as it requires extra stabilization of the spine to maintain a neutral position.

To perform the “tall” version, simply stand up straight with your feet together and hold the weight directly overhead with arms extended.

As you squat down, try to keep your arms pointing straight ahead at all times. This will force you to keep your chest up and prevent you from rounding at the lower back.

If that’s too difficult at first, you can perform the tall goblet squat with a staggered stance by having one leg in front of the other. This will help prevent excessive forward lean while also providing some extra stability for beginners trying to learn how to maintain proper spinal alignment.

The shortstop.

The next variety of goblet squats is the shortstop.

This can be performed with either a tall or regular stance, but instead of reaching the weight all the way down to the ground, you’ll stop when your elbows reach your knees. Then push yourself back up until you’re standing tall and repeat.

I like the shortstop squat because it provides extra stimulus to the quads and glutes, as you’ll need to push yourself back up from a dead stop instead of using momentum.

For this variation, start by standing with your feet together and holding onto the kettlebell handle so that it’s resting on the outside of your forearm.

As you squat down, allow the weight to roll onto your pinky finger and hook it underneath the handle.  This will put your elbow slightly in front of the knee instead of directly below, which will further increase quad activation and develop strength through a full range of motion.

Once you’ve mastered single-arm squats, you can progress to the double-arm version.  This is where it gets really fun!

To perform the double-arm goblet squat, hold one kettlebell up with both arms and walk your feet out so that they’re slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.  Then sit back and down into a full squat until your elbows touch your knees.  Try to keep your chest up and spine as neutral as possible throughout the movement.

From there, push yourself back up onto your feet and repeat for reps on both sides.

Similar to the single-arm goblet squat, you can also turn this into a double kettlebell front squat by holding both handles and pushing the weight out in front of your body.  Make sure to keep your chest up and core tight while performing this movement.

The overhead squat

The overhead squat is a great way to end our goblet squat variations because it helps build strength, flexibility, and core stability all at once!

To perform the overhead squat, start by standing with your feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart and holding one kettlebell overhead with both arms.  Then sit back like you’re performing a goblet squat while keeping your toes pointed forward.

Once you’ve reached the bottom position, push yourself back to standing by extending at your ankles, knees, and hips all at once while still maintaining control of the kettlebell.

Remember to keep your core tight and chest up throughout the entire movement, as this will help you maintain proper positioning with the weight overhead.  If that’s too difficult for you, place both kettlebells at shoulder height instead of one directly overhead.

The bottom line

If you don’t have access to a squat rack or safety pins, goblet squats are probably your safest bet for developing strength, power, and coordination while still allowing you to practice good technique.  By holding a weight out in front of your body or overhead, you’ll also increase the demand on your core and upper body to maintain proper positioning and stability.

Goblet squats are a great way to build a strong and muscular lower body while also helping to improve your flexibility and coordination. They’re not only great for beginners but they can also be used to increase the difficulty of your main compound movements by increasing strength and explosiveness.

The taller you stand with the weight, the more difficult the movement becomes.  If you notice that your form is suffering, simply shorten your stance to make it easier. And finally, try adding some of these variations to help increase strength, flexibility, and coordination all at once!

Do you want more awesome exercises?  Well then make sure to subscribe to our mailing list!

Leave A Comment

Subscribe to newsletter

Insider offers & flash sales in your inbox every week.