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Good Morning

Good Morning demonstration
  • Hamstrings
  • Abs
  • Glutes
  • Lower Back

Equipment: Barbell

New to this

Your first good morning

What weight should I start with on the good morning?

Start with a 15 to 30 lb training bar, not the 45 lb barbell. This lift punishes a rounded back and there is no reason to rush the load. Move to the empty 45 lb bar once you can do 10 reps with a flat back and no knee change.

What usually goes wrong on the good morning?

Set the bar on your upper back like a squat, hands wide, feet hip-width.

Soften the knees slightly and keep that same bend for every rep.

Push your hips straight back and let your chest travel toward the floor.

Stop when your torso reaches about 45 degrees or your hamstrings stop you, whichever comes first.

You should feel a strong stretch in the hamstrings. Lower-back strain means your back rounded.

Most common mistake: bending at the waist instead of the hips. Practice with your back 6 inches from a wall and touch the wall with your hips on every rep.

If you want the same work with less risk

The Stiff-Legged Dumbbell Deadlift is the same hinge with the load in your hands, which is easier to bail out of.

Hyperextensions are a bodyweight hinge with your torso supported.

How to do it

  1. Begin with a bar on a rack at shoulder height. Rack the bar across the rear of your shoulders as you would a power squat, not on top of your shoulders. Keep your back tight, shoulder blades pinched together, and your knees slightly bent. Step back from the rack.

  2. Begin by bending at the hips, moving them back as you bend over to near parallel. Keep your back arched and your cervical spine in proper alignment.

  3. Reverse the motion by extending through the hips with your glutes and hamstrings. Continue until you have returned to the starting position.