The Goblet Squat

One of the most overlooked (in my opinion) elements of strength training in climbing is the squat movement pattern. I hear from so many climbers “well I hike to the crag or boulders all the time and that’s plenty of leg work”… ah, if only that was the case.

Strength training in general should be brief and difficult. Period. Hiking the trail to Ceuse is difficult but it isn’t strength training, not in the least. Many repetitions over and over again over the course of an hour is classically defined as low load/high duration or endurance training. Still tough sure but a different kind of adaptation.

True strength training is HIGH load, LOW repetitions, so for our legs and squatting, things like weighted squats with minimal reps and some added weight are best. We need strong legs for climbing, they will do more for generating movement than your arms will if trained properly. The ability to explosively move between holds comes from our legs much more than our arms. Like most strength training exercises however we need to work up to different weighted squats appropriately and safely. The Goblet Squat is a perfect introduction to weighted squat workouts.

The beauty of the Goblet squat is that it’s relatively safe in terms of the movement pattern. By holding the weight close, in front of the body, the balance point remains very centered and since the loads are generally light compared to something like a back squat we can start safely and avoid strains from too high a load.

It’s important to position the weight appropriately, I like to use the swing and rack motion, regardless of weight. Good practice and habits lead to safer lifting, even if the weight isn’t very heavy. Hitting the full range of motion in the squat is important as well so squatting down as low as possible before standing back up. As the old gym saying goes “cheeks to sneaks”. Another important element of any squat is to make sure the knees track over the feet so be careful not to pigeon toe or flare out when squatting. Lastly we need to make sure not to fold into the weight (rounding the back forward) when squatting down. If that’s happening the weight is too heavy and we need to adjust the load so we can maintain a straight, neutral spine.

Like most strength exercises 3-4 sets of 3-5 reps is a great starting intensity with this exercise. Often I will have athletes start Set 1 with a lighter weight and then Set 2 and 3 we’ll increase the weight by 10-20 lbs. If you’re new to strength training or are coming back from an injury these are a fantastic place to start.