Goblet Squat: Muscles Worked and How to Do It
TL;DR
The goblet squat works your quads as the prime mover, straightening your knees to stand up from the bottom. Your glutes and hamstrings extend your hips alongside them, your calves stabilize your ankles, and your shoulders hold the weight steady at your chest throughout the set.
- Primary muscle:
- Quadriceps
- Secondary muscles:
- Calves, Glutes, Hamstrings, Shoulders
Muscles worked
Your quads are the main driver in a goblet squat, extending your knees to lift you out of the bottom position. Holding the weight in front of your chest, rather than on your back, tends to keep your torso more upright, which puts extra emphasis on the front of your legs.
Your glutes and hamstrings work together to extend your hips as you stand, and your calves make small adjustments to keep you balanced through the movement. Your shoulders don't drive the squat itself, but they work hard isometrically to keep the weight pinned to your chest for the whole set.
Log Goblet Squat in PR Streak
PR Streak's library has 873 exercises, each with photos and step-by-step instructions like this one. Log this move and see what you lifted last time right next to every set, with every PR caught automatically and a chart for every exercise.
How to do it
- Stand holding a light kettlebell by the horns close to your chest. This will be your starting position.
- Squat down between your legs until your hamstrings are on your calves. Keep your chest and head up and your back straight.
- At the bottom position, pause and use your elbows to push your knees out. Return to the starting position, and repeat for 10-20 repetitions.
Form tips
- Hold the weight close to your chest, elbows pointing down, not out to the sides.
- Sit your hips down and back between your knees rather than straight down.
- Keep your knees tracking over your toes as you descend.
- Aim for your elbows to brush the inside of your knees at the bottom.
- Drive through your whole foot, not just your toes, to stand back up.
Exercise details
| Equipment | Kettlebell |
|---|---|
| Level | Beginner |
| Mechanic | Compound |
Used by lifters following PPL, 5x5, upper/lower, and more.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the goblet squat good for beginners?
Yes. Holding the weight in front counterbalances your torso, which makes it easier to squat deep with good form than a barbell back squat, and the front-loaded position naturally limits how much weight you can use, which keeps the exercise manageable while you build technique.
How deep should you go in a goblet squat?
Squat as low as you can while keeping your heels down and your lower back from rounding, which for most lifters is at or below parallel. If you can't reach that depth without your back rounding, work on ankle and hip mobility rather than forcing the range.
How many reps should I do for goblet squats?
For muscle size, work in the 6-12 rep range at 67-85% of your one-rep max. Because the front-held weight limits how heavy you can go, many lifters use higher reps of 12 or more, then move to a hack squat or barbell squat once they need heavier loading.
More quadriceps exercises
Exercise instructions and photos come from the free-exercise-db library, public domain, the same library used inside the PR Streak app.
