Goblet Split Squat

HOW TO DO IT

1. 1Stand tall holding one dumbbell or kettlebell by the top handle with both hands, elbows tucked, weight against your chest just below the chin.
2. 2Step one foot forward and the other far back, feet roughly hip-width apart laterally.
3. 3Lower your hips by bending both knees until the rear knee nearly touches the floor and the front thigh is about parallel to the ground.
4. 4Keep the front heel flat, chest tall, and the weight pinned to your sternum throughout.
5. 5Push through the whole front foot to stand back up to the start, without letting the weight drift away from your body.
6. 6Complete all reps on one side, then switch legs.

COMMON MISTAKES

• Letting the front knee cave inward under load.
• Placing the feet too close together laterally, which makes balance hard and the weight wobble.
• Leaning the torso too far forward and turning the movement into a good morning.
• Bouncing the rear knee off the ground to rebound out of the bottom.
• Letting the dumbbell hang away from the chest or holding it by the bell rather than the handle.
• Rounding the upper back as the weight gets heavy.

TIPS

• Keep the weight glued to your chest; if it drifts forward, the set is over.
• Brace the abs as if about to be punched, and keep the ribcage stacked over the pelvis.
• Drive through the entire front foot, not just the toes.
• Keep your hips square to the front of the room.
• Use a slight forward lean from the hips, not from the lower back, to engage the glutes.

SAFETY

• Keep the rear knee from slamming into the floor.
• Stop the set if the lower back starts to round or the weight pulls you forward.
• Anyone with knee or lower back issues should build up load gradually and use a shorter range of motion first.

DETAILS

Muscles

GlutesQuadriceps

Equipment

DumbbellKettlebell

Type

Strength Training

Difficulty

Intermediate

Tracked as

Weight & Reps

TECHNIQUE

Load position

Goblet (at the chest)

Stance

Staggered / split