Everything You Need to Know about the Kettlebell Goblet Squat
The Benefits, Mistakes to Avoid, and How-To of Kettlebell Goblet Squat
The Kettlebell Goblet Squat ( KB Goblet Squat) is an excellent exercise for the lower body. It’s an efficient and effective way to open up your back and teach good body alignment while building strength. It will help you build muscle and lose fat, and is a great workout for your cardiovascular system.
Benefits of Kettlebell Goblet Squat
The Russian KB Swing is one of those exercises that you’ll love immediately. Not only because it’s fun to do and easy to execute, but because it reaches so many muscle groups in a full-body workout that:
Builds strength
Is functional training - translates to many daily movement patters we use (the biggest one being sitting down and standing up)
Strengthens the quads which can help take stress off the knee joint
If you hold the bell up, it encourages a tall chest, which helps strengthen the thoracic spine and core
On top of this, kettlebell goblet squats can be done anywhere, and you don’t need a ton of equipment or the space to store and use it. Kettlebells are versatile and portable, and you only need a few to do many different exercises.
And, of course, a kettlebell workout can be low-impact but high-intensity.
What muscles does the Kettlebell Goblet Squat work out?
The squat primarily works out the quads, gluteus, and core. However, the globe squat is one of many squat variations. Although the main focus of the squat are quads and gluteus, squares are really a full body movement that works everything from the feet up.
How to perform a perfect Kettlebell Goblet Squat
The kettlebell globlet squat is a ballistic exercise that trains the entire body explosively. Here’s how to perform a perfect goblet squat step by step.
Stand directly over the kettlebell, feet apart and the kettlebell between your heels.
Bring up the goblet rack the bell to chest
Taking a big breath at the top, pull yourself down bending knees and sending hips down and back keeping chest tall
Drive your feet through the floor to stand back up into a standing plank position
Watch our Kettlebell goblet squat video tutorial here:
Common kettlebell mistakes to avoid
One of the best things about exercising with kettlebells is that the exercises are easy to master. However, it’s also easy to make mistakes that could either lead to less-than-optimal results or, worse, cause you injury. Here are the main mistakes to avoid when performing the goblet squat.
Letting toes come up as you sit back.
You want to drive your full foot into floor to stand. If your foot and ankle can’t stabilize, your body will look for somewhere else up the chain to stabilize
Losing tension at the bottom of your squat aka bouncing out of the bottom position
Keep the tension the entire time so you can use power to drive up from the bottom of the squat
Dropping your chest/rounding your back.
Your upper back should feel work in a squat as well
Choosing a weight (load) that you aren’t prepared for.
When people get injured with squats, it’s usually because the squat was loaded prematurely or load was addd to a dysfunctional squat pattern before proper technique was achieved
Other Kettlebell Goblet Squat Tips
Looking to make your squats a little more spicy, but don’t have heavier weights? Try changing the tempo with triphasic squats:
3 counts down, 1 count up
1 count down, 3s hold, 1 count up
1 count down, 1 count up
Drive through your feet! Your feet are the first point of contact with the floor and should feel rooted throughout the squat. Push down to come up.
Keep your chest and eyes up to avoid letting the kettlebell drag your upper body down. Think about showing off a logo that’s on your shirt to someone in front of you, not the floor.
Keep your elbows in with a tight grip the bell so there is tension throughout chain as you squat
Don’t forget to breathe!!
Common Misconceptions about Squats
“Squats are bad for your knees” This is not true. In fact, strengthening your quads can help take stress off of your knee joint and can help alleviate pain. So often, people are told or think they shouldn’t be squatting if they have knee pain. The biggest indicator of an elderly person having to transfer into a nursing facility is when they cannot sit and get off the toilet by themselves. Sitting on and getting off the toilet is a SQUAT! To maintain healthy longevity, you must be able to squat, so they should not be avoided. If you are having knee pain, seek a trusted physical therapist, so they can assess how best to address the knee pain in a safe way, while continuing to train for longevity
“You must keep your feet parallel, hips width.” There is no “right” foot position when squatting. Everyone is different. It’s okay to turn your feet out and it’s okay if one foot is turned out more than the other. Fighting for a parallel position in a goblet squat can actually cause problems if you can’t optimally use your feet to push.
“Don’t let your knees go over your toes.” Squats are not good mornings or RDL’s. Your knees need to bend as you send your butt down. Ideally, we want to get into a position where your spine is more upright and stacked so you can drive in a more vertical position from the bottom for max power.
“The butt wink.” In fact, we often coach a full exhale at the bottom of the squat to fully sink into deepest range of motion (with a lighter weight). It’s a method taught by Marty Gallagher and is very successful in helping people achieve even better max back squats. If you can practice pushing to your full end range with lighter weight, going heavier at a lesser range will feel easier. If the butt wink is caused because you lose tension at the bottom of the squat, and are simply rebounding back up, that’s a different story.
“Back squats are bad and you should never do them.” This just isn’t true. As Tim Gabbott says: “it’s not the load that breaks you, it’s the load you’re not prepared for.” Mastering the goblet squat is actually a great way to prep for the back squat.
Are there kettlebell squat variations to use?
There is always a kettlebell squat alternative, and some common variations include:
2-handRacked squat
Double racked squat
Bottoms up squat
Double bottoms up squat
Prying goblet squat
Back squat
Front squat
Overhead squat
Single leg squat
Pistol squat
Skater squat
TRX squat
Split squat
Sumo squat
Narrow squat
However, once more we recommend that you take professional advice before considering alternatives.
It’s important that you perform kettlebell exercises that are designed to target the specific muscle groups you need to strengthen, and that you perform them with the correct weight and intensity to achieve your personal fitness goals.
Where should you start if you are looking to improve upon your kettlebell skills? Book a free complimentary 90 minute fitness assessment with one of our certified kettlebell coaches! ,
