Quads exercise
Kettlebell Goblet SquatHow to do it, with form in numbers
- Also works
- Adductors, Abs
- Equipment
- Kettlebell
- Level
- Beginner
How to do it
How do you do the Kettlebell Goblet Squat?
- Hold the kettlebell by the horns against your chest, elbows down.
- Stand with feet a little wider than your shoulders, toes turned out.
- Sit down between your heels until your thighs are level or lower.
- Keep the bell on your chest and your chest up.
- Push through your whole foot to stand tall.
Cues
- Bell glued to your chest.
- Elbows inside your knees at the bottom.
- Knees follow your toes.
Common mistakes
- Letting the bell drift forward away from your chest.
- Dropping your chest and rounding your back.
- Letting your knees fall inward.
Form in detail
What does good form look like?
Starting position
One kettlebell held by the horns (the two sides of the handle), bell hanging down, pressed against the chest just below the collarbones. Elbows point down and stay close to the ribs; a light outward pull on the horns keeps the upper back set. Heels a little wider than shoulder-width, toes turned out about 20°, whole foot flat. Stand tall, chest up, shoulders down and relaxed, eyes forward.
The movement
Hips and knees bend together and the body sinks between the heels. The bell stays on the chest and travels in a vertical line over the mid-foot. Because the load sits in front, the trunk stays fairly upright. The knees travel forward and slightly out, in line with the turned out feet. At the bottom the elbows pass just inside the knees. Push through the whole foot to stand, hips and shoulders rising together.
End position
Bottom: thighs at parallel or just below (hip crease a little below the top of the knee).
Tempo
About 1.9 s down, 0.25 s pause, 1.4 s up, short stand at the top.
Form in numbers
What are the angles and distances?
| Measure | Target | Good range | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stance, heel to heel | 1.1 × shoulder width | 1.0–1.3 × | [1][2] |
| Toe-out, each foot | 20° | 10–30° | [2] |
| Depth: hip crease vs top of knee | 3 cm below | 0–8 cm below | [1] |
| Shin lean from vertical at the bottom | 37° | 28–42° | |
| Knee direction vs foot direction (front) | same line | within 10° | [1][2] |
| Heel lift | 0 cm | 0 cm | [1] |
The targets our 3D demo was built to, from the references below. Bodies differ, so treat the ranges as a guide for your own build.
For coaches
Use this demo in your clients’ programs
The Kettlebell Goblet Squat is in Trainaq’s exercise library. Add it to a workout, and your client sees this demo in the free Trainaq app above the sets they log.
Sources
