Resting Goblet Squats For Stronger Deep Core Muscles

The Dumbbell Goblet Squat is a good leg, core and even upper body exercise...this will make it better.

To perform that exercise, you simply hold a single dumbbell in a vertical position with your hands cradled under the plates, like you're holding a big goblet in your hands. You hold that at chest level then you squat.

This version of the Goblet Squat adds a small twist to the exercise...literally.

At the bottom of each rep, you're going to rest the dumbbell on end on first your right thigh, then stand up, then come down and rest it on your left thigh.

This is is going to hit the obliques and transverse abdominis to a greater degree than the straight up and down version.

The twist is very small...but because the tension is shifted over as you start out of the bottom, you'll get some excellent core work, especially when you start using heavier dumbbells.

First, get a moderate weight dumbbell...I'm using a 105 lb dumbbell because I've done this exercise before. Grab it with both hands.

Squat down then rest it on your thigh then get your palms under the top set of plates. This is the easiest way to get a heavier dumbbell into position for the exercise.

Now stand up.

Now squat down, resting part of the dumbbell on your left thigh.

Take tension completely off the hips and core at the bottom...we actually WANT to start from a dead stop here to develop power from a dead stop.

The other benefit here is that you can reset your lower back arch and hips on every rep to make sure you're in the best squatting position. Hold your breath when you being the push back up to stabilize the torso.

Stand up.

Now come down and rest it on the right thigh.

We don't want to twist much at all - it's a very subtle movement, basically shifting the weight to one side rather than fully twisting. This weight shift is what activates the obliques.

Here's a side view of the goblet squat position.

This Goblet Squat variation has a lot of benefits and adjusting it in this fashion can increase the core workload very effectively without excessive twisting because, as I mentioned above, it's really about shifting the weight a bit rather than really twisting a lot.

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Want 90 more unique and challenging exercises to SHRED your core? Check out The Best Core Exercises You've Never Heard Of!

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Want Another Combo Exercise Like This?

Another excellent combination exercise for tightening up and strengthening the deep muscles of the core is one that I call "Ab Rippers."

It sounds horrible but it's actually VERY effective, combining a push and a pull at the same time as the torque goes directly through the core.