The Goblet Squat

There’s a secret exercise that many gyms don’t know about. They’re rarely seen in Planet Fitness and athletes everywhere scoff at the light load. The movement is a goblet squat. It’s the best tool in the toolbox when it comes to learning how to properly squat, i.e., squatting in a safe position without making your hips or knees or back mad at you.

By holding a weight, a kettlebell or dumbbell, in front of your chest you automatically “turn on” your trunk muscles that create stiffness. This does two things, it protects your spine when you move, and it allows you to keep your torso more upright than if you didn’t have the weight. 

This upright torso and automatically braced core cleans up a lot of peoples’ squat pattern. It lets you know what it feels like to “load” your hips, maintain a balanced foot and will transfer to other squatting and hinging variations.

Whether you have worn out knees, buggy hips or a nagging lower back injury, goblet squatting can be a safe way to load and train the lower body.

Justin Miner

@justinminergain