Goblet Squat

How to perform

1. 1Hold one dumbbell at your chest and squat down between your knees.
2. 2Keep your elbows inside your knees and your chest tall.

Technique in detail

Hold one dumbbell vertically against your chest, cupping the top head with both hands, elbows tucked in. Stand with your feet a little wider than your hips. Brace, then sit down between your hips, keeping the dumbbell glued to your sternum throughout. The counterweight in front lets most people sit noticeably deeper and stay more upright than they can in a bodyweight squat, which is why it is the standard teaching squat. Drive up through the whole foot and stand fully tall before starting the next rep.

Common mistakes

• Letting the dumbbell drift away from the chest, which pulls you forward and turns the squat into a hinge. Keep the elbows tight to the ribs.
• Choosing a weight so heavy the upper back rounds. The goblet squat is limited by how much your torso can hold upright, not by your legs — that is the feature, not a flaw.
• Bouncing out of the bottom. Pause for a beat at the deepest point you control, then stand. It removes the momentum that hides weak positions.

Equipment

• Dumbbell