Goblet squat
A squat holding one weight at your chest. The fastest way to learn good squat form and add weight to it.
The movement
Stand tall
01 Stand tall
Hold the weight at your sternum, elbows tucked.
02 Bottom
Elbows travel inside the knees; torso stays tall.
How to do it
Setup
- Hold a dumbbell upright by one end, or a kettlebell by the handle, against your breastbone.
- Point your elbows down, feet shoulder-width apart, toes slightly out.
Execution
- Squat down between your heels, keeping the weight against your chest.
- At the bottom, let your elbows travel down inside your knees.
- Stand tall by driving your whole foot into the floor.
BreathingTake a big breath at the top, hold it, and exhale through the hardest part on the way up.
Form cues
- Let the weight at your chest balance you so you can stay upright.
- Use your elbows to push your knees outward at the bottom.
Common mistakes
- Letting the weight drift away from your chest, which tips you forward.
- Chasing depth before you can keep your heels down.
Worth knowing
- Lift the weight into position with two hands and a flat back. Getting it to your chest is part of the exercise.
General guidance, not medical advice. See how Setkit works.
Notes
The goblet squat teaches squatting better than anything else. Holding the weight in front of you forces your torso upright, the counterweight lets you reach real depth, and the load builds strength while you learn the movement. All of that comes from one dumbbell or kettlebell. Most people squat better the first time they hold a weight than they do with nothing in their hands.
It is more than a stepping stone. A heavy goblet squat for 8–12 reps is a hard lower-body exercise in its own right. Holding the weight in front works the upper back and trunk in a way a back squat does not, and it stays safe when you push it, because you can simply put the weight down.
Its limit is your grip and your arms. Eventually holding the weight becomes harder than moving it, and that is the signal to shift your heavy work to a barbell squat while keeping goblet squats for volume.