Goblet SquatMuscles Worked
The goblet squat works your quads most, with the glutes and hamstrings helping you stand, your calves balancing you and your shoulders working to hold the kettlebell at your chest. The front-loaded weight acts as a counterbalance, making it easier to squat deep with an upright torso.
PrimaryQuads
- Equipment
- Kettlebell
- Level
- Beginner
- Type
- Compound
- Force
- Push
How to do it
- Hold a kettlebell by the sides of its handle, right against your chest, with your elbows pointing down.
- Stand with your feet about shoulder width apart and your toes turned slightly out.
- Brace your core and sit straight down between your knees, keeping your chest up and the bell against your body.
- At the bottom, let your elbows sit just inside your knees, press the knees gently apart and pause briefly.
- Drive through your feet to stand up tall, squeezing your glutes at the top.
Form tips
- Keep the kettlebell glued to your chest, because once it drifts away your back starts to round.
- Sit down between your heels rather than pushing your hips far back, since that is what keeps this squat upright.
- A dumbbell held vertically by one end works the same way if you don't have a kettlebell.
Why it made the list
No. 9 of 13
Best Quad Exercises
Kettlebell or dumbbell front-loaded squat. Perfect for beginners. Teaches proper squat mechanics naturally.
More quad exercises
See it on your own body map
Log your Goblet Squat sets in KasMaker and watch your quads, calves, glutes, hamstrings, and shoulders fill in on the map, weighted by how much you did. Logging and the body map are free on iPhone.
