I don’t back squat. It isn’t because I think it is dangerous or dead. For me, it just doesn’t work well. I never have done it well, I don’t enjoy doing it, it doesn’t really suit my training…etc. It doesn’t mean my clients don’t back squat — it depends. Most clients, 99% of clients I get don’t back squat for a while. We work towards the back squat, if it is needed in their programming. Depending on the athlete or look, there may be no need for a back squat. People squat for the sake of squatting, and while that it fine, pushing the squat down the throats of all your clients because it is “The Big Three” is more ego than good training.
Having gone on my mini rant about back squatting, I will say almost every client (and myself) utilizes Goblet Squats. I always say “Before you ever load on your back, I want to see what you can do in the front.” Most assume we will start with Front Squats, but they do jack-all compared to Goblet for helping increase range of motion and general hip mobility. This is especially the case in the out of shape client category.
Key Points
-Let the elbows guide and push out the knees.
-Chest out.
-Practice the movement unweighted, but increase weight as soon as possible. This is a movement where weight involvement helps.
-Mobility doesn’t equal light weight.
Goblet Squat
Dan John Fitcast Video
From the 3min mark point, Dan John gives amazing instruction on the Goblet Squat.
Related posts:
Goblet squats are king.
Dan John is amazing. I just read his latest book, and I love it.
My wrists hate these :-/
Is it worthwhile to do these as an unweighted mobility exercise? Holding a weight like that is murder for me.
Shan – I have touchy wrists, too. My solution is to hold the horns of a kettlebell when doing goblet squats and it works great. Goblets are definitely king!
Leigh – thanks for posting the Dan John video – lots to learn about good goblet form. It helps so much when there’s someone good at verbally breaking down the movements. Also good tip about the KB windmills, e.g., skin-to-skin. You’re the best, Leigh – always watchin’ out for us!
Leigh,
The last two times I have visited a certain gym in my area, I have watched a trainer have two seperate clients back squat. In both instances, he has the clients place their heels on plates and try to squat to parallel. In both instances their form is terrible and in the latter instance the client’s back is almost parallel to the ground at bottom.
After imagining just how bad this client’s back was going to feel the next day, I suggested the trainer try Goblet Squats to help fix some form issues. His reply was that he has his clients do it as a warm up but Goblet Squats often make their form even worse.
Granted, this trainer has a lot more experience training “office” clients than I do since I mainly train myself and my wife, but I’ve helped a lot of people learn to squat and have never had any issues with the Goblet Squat. Have you ever had any issues with the Goblet Squat actually making people’s form worse?
While it is hard to be a “backseat” trainer (online, no less) I am inclined to say he is following habit, not response.
To be clear, a goblet squat has nothing to do with a back squat in a direct sense. Want to get better at the back squat, do back squats. But, most people can’t without putting themselves at risk for injury, especially without the aid of a good training. Now, a good trainer, with the right cues can get any non-injured client to back squat, without putting themselves in harm way, in the matter of an hour. Are there exceptions, sure. But if you get hands on, you can get a proper weighted back squat. Not PR competition levels, but proper weighted.
That still doesn’t mean it is the best movement for their time and place of programming. Programming should be about how to reach the desired goal, as safety and as quickly as possible. Make it more complicated than that, and you have ego, not programming (or stupidity, but whatever).
I will say this. If you can’t get a client to goblet squat, I don’t know how much ground you have to stand on letting them back squat. To me, it is crawling before you walk.
Baby Goblet
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_eXSux1480QI/TRj5DBCVGSI/AAAAAAAAAww/Ns8NMWV4gPA/s1600/BABY+SQUAT.jpg
Thanks Leigh.
I did a poor job of phrasing my original question I suppose. My main concern with this trainer was “Why are you having them back squat if they can’t even do a goblet squat properly?” and was just hoping I wasn’t crazy on thinking this.
My kickboxing teacher has a trainer that has him do overhead squats with bent arms and bending the hips and legs less than a quarter squat position, he just moves his knees a little forward and stand on his toes trying to sit down. He is preparing for a fight and cutting weight doing some fad diet involving juice fasting and a ton of supplements. Personally, I am just keeping quiet, they are supposed to be experts.
IMO bulgarian split squats with kettlebells on the TRX are King, goblet squats are Prince.
btw. my creditcards are maxed out, so I will have to wait a while before becomming a member again…