7 Amazing Goblet Squat Benefits That Will Safely Strengthen Your Body
Squats are one of the most common exercises that gym goers engage in on a regular basis. However, so many of these athletes are actually performing the typical back or front squat incorrectly, which can lead to serious injury.
In this article, we’ll show you some of the amazing goblet squat benefits.
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The goblet squat is one of the best squat techniques out there for these reasons.It is a great tool for those just getting in to working out and learning proper squatting formation, as well as for those who have been lifting weights and squatting for years who may have developed some bad habits.
Squatting is meant to be a natural movement that the human body can easily perform. However, because so many people now live a sedentary lifestyle with limited movement, the accurate technique has become a lot less natural than it once was.
Adding heavy weights to your back and repeating the exercise in the wrong form is not going to help. The goblet squat, however, will help!
Created and popularized by the strength coach Dan John, the goblet squat is a great learning tool that is safe to practice regularly and helps you understand your core engagement, lets you feel the motion and tightness in your back and helps you to resist against tilting forward and injuring yourself. These are only some of the great things about this exercise and in the following list we will break down the top seven benefits about the goblet squat.
Difficult To Perform This Exercise Incorrectly
This is a great exercise for beginners because it is difficult to perform it incorrectly and develop bad habits that can harm you later on. Due to the placement of the feet and the weight against your chest, the basic starting position of the goblet squat sets you up with a good form.
To perform this exercise correctly, grab either a kettle bell or a dumb bell and hold it against the chest. A kettlebell should be held by the handles, while a dumbbell can be held vertically between your hands.
Your feet should be slightly more than shoulder-width apart. Now that you have your stance set up and your weight in hands, you will want to drop down into squat position. While you’re doing this, you will want to stay tall and sit your torso down between the legs, as Dan John himself explains.
It is important to be sure that your chest stays up the whole time and avoid falling forward or rounding your back, which are some of the most common mistakes with squats. You then want to push your knees out, while keeping the elbows facing forward.
Keeping your knees out is one of the essential components of a correct goblet squat, so be sure to keep that in mind. Afterwards, stand back up tall and repeat. It is a simple exercise that does not require too much work but can really improve your form and skills.
Safe To Practice On A Daily Basis
Another great thing about the goblet squat is that it is safe to practice every day. Although you do not want to wear yourself out or repeat the same exercise day after day, the goblet squat is a great exercise to do a few reps of on a daily basis.
If you are a beginner just starting out, you may feel some soreness. Even if you are a steady squatter, it is possible you will feel this exercise in your hamstrings and glutes because of how deep you will go down in this particular position.
You should probably start with a lighter weight than you think you can handle, even if you back squat with a lot of weight regularly, just to be on the safe side. It is always better to start with a lighter weight and have the option to add more if you feel you are not being challenged enough, then start with heavier weights and over exert or even injure yourself.
This exercise can be used as just a warm up tool or you can use it as one of the main components of your exercise routine. The versatility of the goblet squat as part of your work out is one of the many benefits. Just throw in a few sets throughout the day to add to your exercise.
Great Learning Tool
The goblet squat is one of the best ways for beginners to really learn the proper technique when it comes to squatting. However, it is also great for those who might be recovering from an injury and want to take it slow or those who may have injured themselves from squatting and need some technique pointers.
If you have problems with your coordination, the goblet squat may be a good starting point for you. A barbell can throw off your balance making it difficult to perform other types of squats. However, a kettle bell or dumbbell placed right in the center of your chest can help you stabilize and improve your coordination and perform the goblet squat correctly.
In addition to poor coordination, anyone who suffers from a lack of flexibility in the wrist or mobility in the ankle or hip, as well as tight shoulders and inactive glutes may benefit greatly from this particular exercise.
Does Not Require A Lot Of Equipment
Another amazing benefit of the goblet squat is that it does not require a lot of equipment to do it correctly. All you need is a dumbbell or a kettle bell.
It can also be performed at home, if you did not make it to the gym that day. Exercises that can be done at home can save a lot of time and energy towards getting to your gym and ensure that you are able to work out even just a little bit, every day.
It is great for beginners as you do not have to purchase a lot of equipment to get started. However, more advanced athletes also benefit from the ease and convenience of this work out as they can do at home after the gym with equipment they most likely already have.
Can Feel The Motion And Tightness In The Back
One of the reasons that squatters are often in the wrong position is that they are unfamiliar with proper technique and how their back should feel in order to prevent falling forward because their back was not tight. With this exercise, it is necessary to retract the shoulders in order to stay in the proper position, because you can feel your back rounding forward.
Having the ability to feel your back and understand the importance of keeping it tight is a useful skill for beginners. You can then learn how to use your upper back to prevent you from falling forward when lifting heavier weights.
The lumbar spine is most likely to be damaged when you are in the bottom of a squat. Due to the abdominal bracing and tightness of the chest in the goblet squat, you are a lot less prone to injury than with other squats. You can pause while in the bottom of the goblet squat and check that your body is aligned before straightening back up.
Anterior Core Engagement
An increase in the anterior core engagement is another amazing benefit of the goblet squat, whether you are using a kettle bell or a dumbbell. The torso stays vertical during the exercise which prevents the hips from tilting forward and prevents stress on other parts of your body such as the spine or knees.
This particular position focuses on strengthening and improving the upper back, quadriceps, and other supporting muscles. Staying vertical as you lower in to the squat is extremely important as it strengthens these particular muscles, while reducing stress on other parts which can lead to injury.
Resistance Against Tilting Forward
Another benefit that you will develop when engaging in this exercise is the ability to resist against forward collapse or tilting forward when lifting heavier weights. This ties in to feeling the tightness and motion in your back and learning to brace against it.
It is clear that the goblet squat has a multitude of amazing benefits for both beginners and experts. It is important to remember that you can still injure yourself in any squat and to engage in both appropriate behavior and safety measures.
Some things to keep in mind when performing a goblet squat is that using weights that are much too heavy can be difficult and mess with the proper position and technique of the squat. It is also a difficult exercise to spot so make sure that you are definitely physically capable of performing it.
As long as you adhere to the correct safety protocols, you should be able to reap all of the benefits of the goblet squat. It is easy to learn and perform, does not require a ton of equipment, teaches you the right form and technique, as well as helps you understand your back tightness and core engagement, and you can do it everyday. So get started!