In a gym, there are numerous workouts to try for both fitness veterans and beginners. And, among those training procedures, goblet squats are one of the most popular among fitness enthusiasts and even professional bodybuilders. However, in a recent YouTube video, Mike Israetel was quite critical of the training method, and he also highlighted a few benefits to help his followers understand the entire exercise in depth.
The goblet squat is an excellent full-body workout that increases strength, particularly in the legs, core, and glutes, while also improving cardiovascular fitness. According to the exercise scientist, it is beneficial to the upper body by encouraging an upright posture, which is necessary to keep the spine in proper alignment.
When a dumbbell is placed around an individual’s chest during an exercise, it also helps them understand the fundamentals of squatting. However, Dr. Mike now turns to the downsides of the popular exercise, and the list is just enormous.
He begins the list by mentioning that people have different preferences for goblet squats. The weight difference is massive, but he warns his followers not to surpass a certain amount of weight they can bear, even if they are really strong and muscular. He elaborates on this with a simple example, stating:
“The load weight is limited by how much the client can pick up or that you can hand to them.”
Dr. Mike advises that when performing the workout, the user should concentrate on their quads and how much weight they can bear. However, even if the person is able to perform dumbbell squats at this weight, they will eventually run out of energy to further implement them in their quadriceps, rendering the exercise ineffective.
Continuing this exercise with such big dumbbell weights will just exhaust the person’s arm power before achieving failure in the leg muscles. As a result, he emphasizes how this exercise is restricted by the individual’s biceps, hands, and shoulders, and that while the legs are being trained, it will not be as efficient as it appears to be.
However, the muscles are not the only limiting considerations; the upright trunk position, as the goblet is in front of the body, compels the individual to actively contract their back, resulting in the entire movement being focused on the back. The entire muscle-building process is always complex, and the exercise scientist once recommended three primary leg routines.
Mike Israetel reveals the optimal number of sets for maximum benefits
Leg Days are a bit of a nightmare for gym enthusiasts. While many people avoid the routine, individuals who desire their leg muscles to look like a Greek God would never miss this session. However, to get the most out of a gym session, Mike Israetel recommends that his followers begin with 6-7 sets of leg presses. This identical set of numbers should also be applied to hack squats and Smith machine high bar squats.
These three exercises will provide the maximum benefits to the individual while also triggering muscular hypertrophy following the extensive workout. The exercise scientist then used an example of MRV, or maximum recoverable volume, which is the amount of sets a bodybuilder may complete for a certain body region in a week while remaining fully recovered for the next session or rotation. He does propose that his audience can perform up to 20 sets each week, but no more than that, as it will hinder the recuperation process.
