Goblet Squat
A squat holding one dumbbell or kettlebell against your chest: you sit down between your feet with an upright torso to at least parallel, then drive back up.
Equipment
- Primary muscles
- Quads, Glutes
- Secondary
- Adductors
- Difficulty
- Beginner
- Logged as
- Weight × reps
- Primary muscles
- Quads, Glutes
- Secondary
- Adductors
- Difficulty
- Beginner
- Logged as
- Weight × reps
Loads from YouTube only when you press play. The video is by an independent creator.
Why do it
The goblet squat is the usual first loaded squat, because the weight in front acts as a counterbalance and keeps you upright, so most people reach good depth right away. It works for beginners learning to squat, for home and hotel workouts, and as a warm-up or high-rep finisher for experienced lifters. A kettlebell held by the horns is easy to grip; a dumbbell held upright goes heavier. Eventually your arms limit the weight before your legs do.
How to do it (Dumbbell)
Hold a dumbbell upright against your chest with both hands under the top end, elbows tucked in.
Stand with your feet slightly wider than shoulder-width, toes turned out a little.
Push your hips back and squat down between your feet until your thighs are at least parallel to the floor.
Drive back up through your whole foot. Holding the weight in front keeps your torso upright, which usually lets people squat deeper than they can with a bar on their back.
Hold a kettlebell by the horns close to your chest with your elbows pointing down.
Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, toes turned out slightly.
Push your hips back and squat down between your feet until your thighs are at least parallel to the floor.
Drive back up through your whole foot. The weight in front keeps your torso upright, which is why most people hit better depth here than with a barbell.
Common mistakes
Holding the weight away from your body
Letting the weight drift off your chest pulls you forward and tires your arms first. Keep it tucked against your chest with your elbows pointing down.
Knees caving in
Knees collapsing inward at the bottom take your hips out of the squat. Push your knees out over your toes; your elbows can nudge the insides of your knees at the bottom.
Hips rising first
If your hips shoot up before your chest, the weight tips you forward. Drive up with your chest and hips rising together.
Heels lifting
Heels coming up usually means your weight has drifted onto your toes. Sit down between your feet and keep your whole foot planted; a slightly wider stance can help.
Sets, reps and progression
How many sets you do and how close to failure you take them depend on your goal and your week, not on the exercise. These guides cover it:
Alternatives that train the same thing
Same movement, a different angle or piece of equipment.
