ModeratedUser150120149

I posted a thread about Goblet Squats over in Training and Nutrition. But, I think they are "the cat's meow" for us older folks. So, I'm referencing that thread here.

A bit of background may be in order. There is little doubt that the squat is the king of exercises for its' effectiveness in strengthening and building useful muscle. Pre-trauma I did lots of them along with the other folks in the gym. At one point even had a Squats Day where we would do nothing but squats for the whole time. But, squats are dangerous, very dangerous. Done improperly they can cause injury that can be life altering.

During my rehab I've been looking for something to take their place and would be safer as well as suit my altered body. Enter Goblet Squats. After discovering them I tried them at home with a book. Yesterday I did them in the gym with a 25# dumbbell. I squatted over a weight bench for two reasons. First to have a place to go if I needed to bail. Second, to positively limit how far I could squat.

So, journey over to the other forum if you wish. Mostly give them a try. Bet you like them.

OldsCOOL

I was a competing powerlifter all the way into my early 50's. I love squats. Our gym closed 3yrs ago and there isnt another nearby that has a good freeweight section. Much of my acceleration and hillclimb ability comes from that background. I could do much better losing 15Lbs.

BlazingPedals

Yeah, as a former swimmer/diver, I discovered early that upper body weight is a liability for hill climbing. As I move into, er, a 'more mature' age, I'm also finding that MIDDLE body weight has the same effect.

ModeratedUser150120149

Well, as you know, I've moved into and through middle age and am finding difficulty is weight control as part of fitness. Understand, for me, weight is not an end in itself. It is just one metric in fitness for the task. My task is to be ready for daily life and any unexpected situations that may arise. So, I will never have ideal weight for any particular sport. Finally, after a post trauma balloon, I'm only 11 pounds heavier than I was 38 years ago. Wish other parts of my physique were doing as well...

Dudelsack 

I had no idea what a goblet squat was. Here it is:


It looks like it put a lot of stress on the knees. I'll run it by my physical therapist, but I bet he won't like them.

I've been doing "weightless" squats lately, the kind Coach Troy uses in some of his workouts. They seem tough enough.

apesrunner58

Soooo True! My stocky build is good for sprinting and flat pacelines but not hill climbs.

OldsCOOL

The only liability In the upper body as a leftover from powerlifting (165 and 181 classes) would be the aching I get in the traps on longer rides. That achey feeling is debilitating to the ride but will go away with conditioning though painfully slow. Ibuprophen has been my friend on some rides.

Hillclimbs are a treat, no difficulties whatsoever....same with stiff headwinds though not as fun.

Ed702

I wish we had goblets at our gym. I enjoy doing squat/pushup ladders. I usually begin at ten and work my way down to one. I use a weight bench for declined pushups and two 15lb dumbbells for the squats for a cumulative total of 55 squats and pushups. Effective overall body exercise, and has boosted my (senior 64) metabolism, and increased my endurance during longer rides.

nuke_diver

I didn't either. I agree that going that deep will be hard on the knees...I'm somewhat experienced at things that are hard on the knees . But you wouldn't need to go that deep, you could just go 90 deg

Legs day is my favourite workout probably because it's the reason I started going to the gym in the first place (PT for yup you guessed it knee injuries). And a legs day isn't a legs day without squats but never so deep for me...I look at the young kids with envy...so young so flexible

ModeratedUser150120149

Dudlesack I don't know what you posted because your video isn't there. Assume you pulled it. Or, maybe it was blocked.
Nukediver: It appears you don't know what a Goblet Squat is. You keep responding as if there is this weight hanging on the shoulders. One of the beauties of the Goblet Squat is its' absolute safety and ability for the lifter to bail by merely dropping the weight.

Let me sort of describe what the squat is, and is not:
>It is a controlled squat with a dumbbell held in the hands as if it were a large goblet, hence the name. It can be done with any amount of weight as long as the athlete can control the weight. I'm using a single 25# dumbbell. Bar bells are a no no because they put too much instability and lateral stress on the body.
>The weight is held stationary and travels in a vertical plane immediately in front of the chest. No swinging of the weight; puts too much stress on the spine and joints.
>How far down a person goes really depends a lot on individual body proportions and comfort. Ideal is to squat so the upper legs are parallel to the ground and the elbows touch the inside of the knees.
>Feet, legs, knees and hips are held in a single plane about shoulder width apart. About because individuals will vary. Resist the urge to spread your legs. Minimum is just enough for the weight to pass if it is dropped.

Basically in the GS the person is following all safe lifting practices taught in occupational safety while building body strength. It is not a Body Building squat because its' goal is strength, not mass.

For me, it is a great rehab exercise because if my feet decide they are going to be contrary all I have to do is drop the weight and sit.

The exercise was taught to me by a PT and, as far as I know is fine as long as good judgment is used in weight selection.

I've looked on the internet for a good example and was unable to find one. I did find a couple people who had put "their version" on it. One guy, reckless person in my opinion, was swinging his weights and had his legs spread wider than a prostitutes when the ships are in. Bad, bad.

NVanHiker

I used to hate barbell squats and haven't done them for years. I always figured I got enough leg work hiking and biking, but lately I've started adding leg work back into my gym routine. I use the leg press machine and do 360lb in a deep squat not including the weight of the sled (75lb). I wish I could squat that much with a barbell! I've noticed a HUGE difference on the bike sprinting and climbing. Goblet squats look excellent as well. (To the poster who lamented the lack of 'goblets' in his gym I recommend using a dumbbell).

nuke_diver

No I saw the video (it's still there for me) and looked it up as well so I know what they are and I even think I'll work them into my routine. I won't however drop barbell squats for a couple of reasons. One is I like them and at my level I know how to do them correctly (again I cannot and will not do a deep squat that puts a lot of pressure on my knees and spine). The other reason I like them is that because the weight is high as you it does require you to have a strong core to do them correctly but they also work your core as well. I do a fair bit of core work and this is part of it. I'm not worried about the safety of barbell squats, I do them weekly (5 sets) and have done so for years and I have never hurt myself doing them so I think I'm good. I do look for ways to add variety to my workout.

My previous comment was specifically for the video and how deep the person went in the squat...even without weight that would be problematic for me, even your comment about elbows touching the inside of the knee is too deep for me and causes knee pain. I do not subscribe to no pain no gain...more like no pain no pain...especially if the pain is joint pain...

ModeratedUser150120149

Discovered why the video was blocked. Tracking Protection was On in this browser. Apparently the video tracks user/viewers.

Good grief! That is horrible! He violates just about everything I know about safe lifting. Kettlebells? My goodness, as soon as the injuries from them started showing up they went away from my gym. Most folks took one look at them and consigned them to the fad for the day category and waited for people to wise up.

You are doing what you want. That is fine as long as it works for you. I took umbrage because with faulty information you were saying things that just were not so. Even now apparently you didn't read my post fully.

Back to my original post. I think Goblet Squats deserve a serious look by us older folks. In my case, for example, I can't get down so arms touch knees. But, that is OK, just don't over squat.

fietsbob

Stein Curls

nuke_diver

Not sure if comment was direct at me but I don't see what I said that was in any conflict with your comments.. I said I don't do them but I would give them a look and that the video was far too deep for me...that's it. Maybe you are confusing me with someone else?

Monoborracho

If you have bad knees the problem is usually near the center of the joint, particularly for OA problems. So think about it.....when you do a squat you are actually rotating the contact point into (possibly) better cartilage and bone. Hard on the knees? I guess to a point. But a squat utilizes the quads pulling tight across the patellar tendon to lever yourself up.

I did a years worth of squats before a knee replacement at age 59, three years past. I do squats all the time for warmup prior to swimming. My usual warmup is 20 - 35# kettle bell swings followed by 5 goblet squats x 2, then 20 -45# swings followed by 5 goblet squats x 2. If my knees are feeling creaky I do box squats, squatting to a box with a couple of plates on top, i.e, until my femur is horizontal and no further.

I used a bar for years but now have a torn rotator cuff, which makes it difficult to hold the bar. On a suggestion from a trainer about equipment I bought a cambered safety squat (or yoke) bar and donated it to our wellness center (part of our local hospital). Now I squat with it. FWIW, it is the only way to go for squats. It makes it very simple to control and to unload if needed. And the camber with the weight out front means you can use less weight and achieve the effect. I only WISH I could use the plates you see in the photo.



IMHO, if you can't squat at least half your body weight (or more) someday you won't be able to get up off the floor.