Exercise of the Month For MidlifeWomen: The Goblet Squat
- Arise Physical Therapy and Wellness
- May 4
- 4 min read
Updated: May 14
Why the Goblet Squat Is About to Be Your New Best Friend (or Frenemy)
Let’s get one thing straight: if you can sit down and stand back up without groaning, wincing, or using furniture like a rock climber uses handholds, you’re winning at midlife.
Squats are one of the four foundational movement patterns (hinge, squat, push, pull) and they’re not just gym jargon. These movements are the building blocks of everyday life:
Getting on and off the toilet
Picking up your Amazon packages
Lowering yourself to retrieve the hot flash fan that fell behind your end table
Squats train your body to lower and lift itself against gravity. Sounds simple now, but fast-forward 20 years without strength training and suddenly getting off the couch becomes an Olympic event.
Why Squat Strength Matters for Midlife Women
As estrogen exits stage left during perimenopause and menopause, we lose muscle faster than a teenager leaves a group chat. It's called sarcopenia, and if we don’t push back, we get weaker, stiffer, and more fragile.¹
Squat Strength = Independence. Period.
Recent research shows that the Five Times Sit-to-Stand Test is a strong predictor of lower limb strength, postural control, and fall risk in older adults, making it an excellent proxy for functional independence.²
I’ve seen it firsthand. After years of working with geriatric patients, I can tell you: when you stop squatting, you start struggling. You’ve probably seen it too…your parent or grandparent rocks a few times and uses both arms just to stand up.
If you want to live vibrantly…not just exist…you need to squat. And you need to squat often.
Benefits of the Goblet Squat: The Queen Bee of the Squat World
Good news: The goblet squat is one of the most beginner-friendly, joint-loving, form-correcting squat variations out there. Here’s why it reigns supreme:
Total-Body Benefits
Goblet squats primarily work your quads and glutes, but holding the weight at chest height also lights up your core, lats, forearms, shoulders, and upper back. More muscles. More bang for your buck.
Deeper Squat, Better Booty
Holding weight in front shifts your center of gravity, helping you sink lower…safely. Deeper squats = more glute activation = stronger, perkier buns.
Core Strength Without Crunches
Positioning the weight above your waist demands core activation to stabilize the spine. It trains you to maintain a solid foundation throughout the movement…a must for protecting your low back.
Built-In Safety Feature
Because you’re holding the weight in your hands, you can only go as heavy as your upper body allows. This “self-limiting” factor helps reduce injury risk and keeps your ego in check.
No Fancy Equipment Required
No kettlebell? No problem. Use:
A dumbbell
A medicine ball
A weighted backpack
A jug of laundry detergent
Your 25-pound dog who refuses to walk
Anything you can hold with control works. The goal is load + movement = future-you winning at life (and dancing at weddings).
Form Cues for a Perfect Goblet Squat
TL;DR:
Chest up. Knees track in line with toes. Keep the weight close. Use your available, full range of motion.
The Rest of the Story:
Set-Up
Feet between hip and shoulder-width apart, toes can point slightly out.
Hold the weight at chest level, close to your body.
Chest tall, core braced (draw your belly button in toward your spine).
Execution
Lower your hips like you’re sitting down onto a chair.
Keep knees in line with 2nd and 3rd toes…no caving!
Drive through heels to stand, maintaining a micro-bend in the knees at the top.
Breathe IN on the way DOWN, OUT on the way UP — do not hold your breath.
Form Check
Chest up, back straight, core engaged.
Don’t let your chest collapse or your knees wobble.
Depth is individual…go as low as you can with good form.
Midlife Squat Goals: What "Strong" Looks Like
Spoiler: "Strong" doesn’t mean squatting 300 lbs (unless you want to…in which case, hell yes).
For women in perimenopause and menopause, strength looks like:
Squatting below parallel with control and confidence
No plopping down or arm-flailing on the way up
Moving through life without needing “help” from gravity
Bonus: Lifting heavy things comes with science-backed perks:
30% reduction in menopause symptoms
25% increase in bone density
20% lower risk of cardiovascular disease³
May Challenge: Goblet Squat-A-Palooza
Goal:
Complete allll the goblet squats in May!
Start with bodyweight-only if needed…progress is what matters.
3 squat sessions per week
3 sets of squats each session- these 3 sets are heavy, working sets, AFTER your warm-up sets
8-12 reps each set
Rest 1-2 minutes in between sets.
If you don't need that rest, you're not lifting heavy enough!
Tips for Progression:
If you are able to perform 12 reps at a certain weight with good form and depth, go up in weight for the next set.
If you are unable to perform at least 8 reps at a certain weight with good form and depth, stay at that same weight until you can OR drop down in weight until you can complete 12 reps at that weight.
Struggling with depth? Use a surface (bench/box) slightly below knee height.
Prize: A Powder-Coated Cast Iron Kettlebell
How to Enter the Drawing For the Kettlebell
Join the Challenge HERE
Track your squat sessions on the printable sheet or your favorite app.
Post a photo or video of your squats each week — bonus points for creativity (kids, laundry jugs, backpack filled with wine bottles… anything goes).
Tag @Build_A_BetterBody and use the hashtag #MidlifeMuscleMay.
Bottom Line
Muscle isn’t just about aesthetics…it’s medicine for midlife survival and thrival.
References
Cruz-Jentoft AJ, Bahat G, Bauer J, et al. Sarcopenia: revised European consensus on definition and diagnosis. Age Ageing. 2019;48(1):16–31. doi:10.1093/ageing/afy169
Albalwi AA, Alharbi AA. Optimal procedure and characteristics in using five times sit to stand test among older adults: A systematic review. Medicine (Baltimore). 2023;102(26):e34160. doi:10.1097/MD.0000000000034160
Lichtenstein AH, Bhasin S, Santoro N, Kohrt WM. Muscle = Medicine in Midlife: Benefits of Resistance Training in Perimenopausal and Postmenopausal Women. Menopause. 2024;31(2):144-155. doi:10.1097/GME.0000000000002102
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