This is an exercise made popular by renowned strength coach Dan John. Some trainers will suggest that you should only back squat or you shouldn’t squat at all.
Well that’s just a load of crap! Squatting is a fundamental human movement that we sometimes just need to learn how to do better.
One of the ways to improve your squatting proficiency is to practice without a heavily loaded barbell on your back. That’s why the goblet squat is a great variation to implement.
This variation is great because by holding the kettlebell or dumbbell in the goblet position you turn on the anterior core. This is a big plus for those of us who tend to slip into anterior pelvic tilt.
Not only does it help with anterior core activation, it also helps us groove a good squat pattern by forcing us to sit back into the squat a bit more. You can’t really pitch forward too much while holding a weight in front of you.
Now this isn’t an exercise you’ll load way up, so I usually like to go high rep with it so 2 sets of 15 or so. I’ll usually add these to the middle or end of a leg workout, or start with these when I’m on a lower volume day.
Happy squatting!