Glenn DawsonReset-U Fitness · Owner and CEO of Reset-U Fitness

Squats That Heal Your Back, Not Hurt It (Banded Goblet Squat) | At-Home Body Restoration Ep. 1

11 Jul 2026 · 1 min

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1:04

In this episode of the At‑Home Body Restoration Project, the instructor demonstrates a banded goblet squat designed to alleviate lower‑back pain while using common household items. The routine begins by placing two thick books on the floor to elevate the heels, addressing common ankle‑mobility limitations. A resistance band is wrapped around the knees to cue glute activation, ensuring the lower back does not bear the load. A 15‑pound counter‑balance weight serves as the goblet load. The speaker emphasizes key movement cues: drive the knees against the band, keep the spine upright, and squat as deep as possible without folding forward. As proficiency improves, the progression involves removing the books and eventually the band, transitioning to standard goblet squats that strengthen the pelvis and glutes, thereby reducing lower‑back pain.

Chapters

In today's episode, we're going to go over how to do squats from home that heal your back instead of hurt it using household items like a band and a dumbbell. Welcome to the At Home Body Restoration Project, where we focus on resetting and restoring you back to your best self. Today we're going to do a banded goblet squat. You're going to grab 2 books, set them on the ground. Most people that come to Reset You Fitness when we do their initial assessment have an ankle mobility problem. This is going to elevate your heels and help your ankles. You want thicker books than this usually. Thin ones like this don't really help that much, but start with a thicker book and make sure they're the same size. Next, you want a band. The band will go around your knees. This will help activate your glutes so that your lower back doesn't do any of the work. Next is a counterbalance weight. I'm choosing 15 pounds. You're going to squat and drive your knees against the band, keeping your spine upright. Go as deep as you can with an upright spine. If you start to fold forward, stop. Eliminate that range of motion. Now, as you get better at this, you can get rid of the books and then get rid of the band and perform your squats and strengthen your pelvis and glutes and get rid of the pain in your lower back.