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How To Do Goblet Squats

What Is A Goblet Squat

How To Do A Goblet Squat

The goblet squat involves holding a kettlebell or dumbbell in front of the chest just below the chin, and it is a great squat variation for beginner and advanced lifters alike. At lower weights, it makes a great introduction to loading your squat and progressing from bodyweight squats, but it is also an effective movement that can be loaded heavily to work the glutes, hamstrings, calves, and quads.  

The front loading of the goblet squat typically allows people to squat deeper and have greater stability during the movement vs a back squat.

Commonly Asked Questions On Goblet Squats

  • Goblet squats primarily work the lower body muscles, including the glutes, hamstrings, calves, and quads. The front loading nature of the goblet squat places a slight additional focus on the quads vs other variations but this is not significantly different – if you’re goal is to work the quads more, try adding in quad focused exercises like leg extensions.

    The core is also worked during a goblet squat as it is required to stabilise the body and coordinate the movement, and the arm and back muscles work to keep the weight and chest upright.

  • The goblet squat is a great lower body exercise that lends itself to a well-rounded training programme. However, if your goal is to build muscle and strength, barbell squats may be more effective as they allow more weight to be lifted due to the load positioning.

    Having said this, both can be useful so if you prefer goblet squats you can replace barbell squats or include both in your regime.

  • Goblet squats can help to build muscle mass as long as you use a challenging weight, train within 3-4 reps of failure, and progressively overload either load or reps over time. You can make them more challenging by incorporate goblet squats into a superset or by pausing at the bottom or doing 1 and ¼ reps.

Goblet Squat Tips

When doing a goblet squat, it’s important to remain tall with your chest upright, weight held close to your ribs, and chin tucked into your chest.

If your range of movement is limited due to ankle mobility, place some plates under your feet to achieve more depth.

How To Do A Goblet Squat



  1. Hold the dumbbell or kettlebell in both hands just below your chin, close to your chest, and tuck your elbows into your sides.

  2. Plant both feet firmly on the floor in your preferred squat stance. Some people prefer a wider stance while narrow stance is more suited to others – play around to see which is most comfortable for you. Once you have found your foot position, slightly rotate your feet externally.

  3. Start to squat down by pushing your hips back and bending at the knee at the same time. Make sure to push your knees outwards as they bend to prevent them caving in.

  4. Squat down until you reach parallel or just below parallel with the floor.

  5. Return to standing by driving up through both feet, making sure to push through the whole foot and not just the heel. Keep a soft bend in the knees throughout.

  6. As you stand tall, lightly squeeze your glutes but avoid pushing your hips forward as this can strain the lower back.

If you’re not sure if any of the above exercises are suitable for you, please consult your doctor before you start it. Need guidance on how to perform the exercise? Ask a personal trainer at your gym.