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Goblet squat

Also called goblet squats, dumbbell goblet squat, DB goblet squat, kettlebell goblet squat.

What is a goblet squat?

A goblet squat is a squat performed while holding one dumbbell vertically against the chest. The front-held load trains the quadriceps, gluteus maximus and adductor magnus while giving the arms a simple way to keep the weight close.

Anatomical illustration of a woman holding one dumbbell at her chest while performing a goblet squat, with the thighs and glutes highlighted.

How do you perform a goblet squat?

Set up

  1. Hold one dumbbell vertically against your chest, with both palms supporting the upper end and your elbows pointing down.
  2. Stand around shoulder width with your whole feet planted and your toes turned out only as much as feels natural.

Execution

  1. Brace, then bend your knees and hips together as you sit down between your feet.
  2. Keep the dumbbell close, your whole foot down and each knee following its toes. Descend to the deepest position you can control without those changing.
  3. Push the floor away and straighten your knees and hips to stand, keeping the dumbbell at your chest.

Common mistakes

  • Holding the dumbbell away from the body

    The longer lever makes the arms and upper back limit the set before the legs. Keep the weight against the chest.

  • Letting the heels lift

    The base shifts forward and becomes less stable. Adjust stance or depth so the whole foot stays down.

  • Letting the dumbbell decide the depth

    Elbows touching the thighs is not a universal endpoint. Use the deepest repeatable range that keeps your balance and knee path.

Where it fits in a session

Use it as the main squat in a dumbbell session, as practice before barbell squats or as additional leg work after heavier lifts.

The arms may limit how heavy one dumbbell can become. When holding the weight close is the bottleneck, another squat setup may be easier to progress.

Muscles worked

Front
Front — Schematic surface view. Some muscles are partly visible or not shown.
Back
Back — Schematic surface view. Some muscles are partly visible or not shown.

Primary

Secondary

Select a muscle name to locate it.

Schematic surface view. Some muscles are partly visible or not shown.

The quadriceps extend the knees; the gluteus maximus and adductor magnus help extend the hips, and the soleus assists at the ankle.

Variations

  • Two-frame anatomical illustration of a bodyweight squat on a white background. On the left, a man stands with his feet a little wider than his hips, toes turned slightly out and both arms extended forward at shoulder height. On the right, the same man is in a deep squat with his heels planted, knees bent outward over his feet, hips below his knees and torso leaning forward while his arms remain extended. No equipment or external weight is shown. The quadriceps, glute area, inner thighs and part of the lower legs are highlighted red.
    Bodyweight squatUses the same unloaded squat pattern without a weight held at the chest.
  • Two-frame anatomical illustration of a barbell back squat on a white background. On the left a muscular male figure stands upright, seen square from the front, with a loaded barbell across his upper back and both hands gripping it wide; from the front the bar's height on the back cannot be read. The fronts of both thighs are shaded red, as is a strip down the front of each shin. On the right the same figure is at the bottom of the rep, seen from the side and a little behind, hips at or below the knees in a deep squat with the feet flat and the toes turned out slightly; from this angle the red shading covers the fronts of the thighs and the inner thigh running up toward the groin. The buttock is in view in that frame and is not shaded, and nothing on the back of the thigh is shaded in either.
    Barbell back squatPlaces a bar across the upper back and requires a rack for heavier loading.
  • Two anatomical illustrations of a man performing a barbell front squat against a white background. In the left frame he stands upright with a loaded bar resting across the fronts of his shoulders, fingertips under the bar and elbows pointing forward. In the right frame he holds the same front-rack position at the bottom of a deep squat, with his heels down, knees following his slightly turned-out feet and hips below knee height. The quadriceps are highlighted bright red in both frames. The glute area, inner thighs and part of the lower legs are also shaded red in the bottom frame. No squat rack, safety arms or collars are shown.
    Front squatSupports a barbell across the front of the shoulders rather than holding one weight in the hands.
  • Kettlebell goblet squat — Holds the horns or sides of a kettlebell at the chest; the squat pattern stays the same.

Related tools

Frequently asked questions

What muscles does the goblet squat work?

The quadriceps are the main target. The gluteus maximus and adductor magnus help extend the hips, and the soleus assists at the ankle.

How do you hold a dumbbell for a goblet squat?

Hold it vertically at your chest with both palms under the upper end. Keep it close rather than reaching it forward.

How deep should a goblet squat be?

Use the deepest range in which your whole feet stay planted, your knees continue to follow your toes and you can reverse the movement under control.

Can you do goblet squats with a kettlebell?

Yes. Hold the kettlebell by its horns or sides at the chest. It is the same movement with a different implement.

Sources

  1. Anatomy, Bony Pelvis and Lower Limb: Thigh Quadriceps Muscle. StatPearls. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK513334/
  2. Anatomy, Bony Pelvis and Lower Limb, Gluteus Maximus Muscle. StatPearls. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK538193/
  3. Anatomy, Bony Pelvis and Lower Limb: Thigh Adductor Magnus Muscle. StatPearls. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK534842/

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