Kettlebell Goblet Squat

What you'll gain

• The front load makes a deep, upright squat available to most beginners.

• One kettlebell is enough, so it works in home and minimal equipment settings.

• It teaches the squat pattern before a barbell is introduced.

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. 1

   Stand with your feet about shoulder width and your toes turned out slightly.

2. 2

   Hold a kettlebell by the horns with both hands at chest height.

3. 3

   Keep the elbows tucked close to your ribs and brace your trunk.

4. 4

   Push the hips back and bend the knees together to descend.

5. 5

   Lower until your thighs are at least parallel to the floor.

6. 6

   Drive through the whole foot to stand and reset at the top.

Common Mistakes

• Letting the kettlebell drift away from the chest, which pulls the torso forward.

• Rounding the lower back at the bottom, which loads the spine rather than the legs.

• Lifting the heels to reach depth, which moves load onto the front of the knee.

• Letting the knees fall inside the toes, which cuts the force the quadriceps can produce.

About This Exercise

The goblet squat loads the front of the body with a single kettlebell held at the chest, gripping the horns of the handle. That counterweight lets most people sit into a deeper squat with a taller torso than they manage unloaded, which is why coaches use it to teach the pattern before adding a bar. The quadriceps drive knee extension, the glutes and hamstrings extend the hips, and the trunk works to stop the kettlebell pulling the chest down. The descent is normally taken to the point where the hips drop below the knees. For a catalog this is the kettlebell squat everyone looks for. It fills the kettlebell equipment filter, anchors home and minimal-equipment programs, and works as the teaching asset in squat technique content where depth and posture matter more than load.

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