Execution Cues:
Goblet Squat:
- Take a normal squat stance. Feet should be roughly shoulder width and slightly externally rotated.
- Grab a KB or DB and lift it to chest height. Support the load with your forearms vertical and elbows tight to your torso to create a "shelf". If done properly, the weight should sit relatively comfortably without a need for your shoulders to do all the work.
- Now most of the load will be shifted anterior (to the front of your body). You will have to be conscious to brace your abs and maintain a neutral pelvis throughout the set in order to prevent the load from pulling you out of proper alignment.
- Initiate the eccentric with a simultaneous breaking of the hips and knees into flexion. The anterior load should counterbalance you to allow for a more upright torso. Continue the descent until you reach your terminal end point in the ROM.
- Everyone's end point will be different depending on your mobility but a good rule of thumb is that thighs should be AT LEAST parallel with the floor otherwise implement some kind of regression and/or mobility assistance. In this bottom position, the torso should be roughly at a 45º angle.
- Once the ROM is exhausted, shift into the concentric by smoothly reversing course and beginning knee/hip extension until fully erect once more.
Straddle Squat:
- Elevate each foot independently by at least ~6-8 inches to allow the load to drop below ground-level if needed at the bottom of the ROM. Take a slightly wider-than-normal stance with feet a bit more externally rotated than with a traditional squat. The setup should be somewhere in the middle of a squat and a sumo deadlift.
- Grab a DB or KB and hold it between your legs with straight arms. Your posture should be upright with a neutral pelvis, braced abs, and “rounded” shoulders to account for the placement of the load.
- From here, the movement will resemble a traditional squat closely with simultaneous hip and knee flexion to descend into the eccentric.
- The key is to keep you torso angle more upright than with a hinge pattern and abduct your hips aggressively throughout the eccentric. The load should drop straight down through your center of gravity. For more glute bias, “sit back” into the squat to promote hip>knee flexion. For more quad, drive your knees forward over the toes to promote knee>hip flexion.
- Once the end of the eccentric has been reached (as defined by the bias being sought), reverse the motion by extending the knees and hips in unison to return to an upright position once more.
Key Similarities:
- Squat pattern with anterior loading
- Loading will be naturally restricted due to being supported by the arms/upper body
- Each are better suited for moderate rep ranges (i.e. 8-15)
- Effectively used for ingraining the squat pattern as well as hypertrophy of the quads and glutes
- Comparatively low risk movements due to load being limited extrinsically to the strength of the lower body
- Both can be used effectively within supersets or circuits but tend to be poor choices for most intensity techniques
- They’re both very practical and scalable movements—They can be done anywhere and by any level of trainee
Key Differences:
- Goblets are held at chest height whereas Straddles are held passively at arms length.
- Goblets are done with feel flat on the floor. Straddles should have each foot elevated leading to a greater prerequisite for equipment.
- Though both can be manipulated to bias glutes or quads, Straddles tend to naturally favor the former while Goblets favor the latter due to the stances and differences in loading.
- More load can typically be used with Straddles, but it also tends to be more stressful on the low back.
- Straddles are more efficient and require less energy on the setup (getting to the start position of the rep)
Primary Use Case for Goblet Squats:
-Hypertrophy of the Quads and Glutes
Primary Use Case for Straddle Squats:
-Hypertrophy of the Quads and Glutes