Good Morning
The good morning works the glute, and hamstring and the lower back. It can be done with either a barbell or a safety bar.
How to do a good morning
Common Mistakes
Not hinging at the hips: It's common for people not to bend at hips. Instead, they bend their knees more, or bend the back. This not only makes the exercise less effective at working the glutes and hamstrings, it greatly increases the chances of injuring your back.
Having straight legs: The good morning is not meant to be done with straight legs. There will knee bend happening as you're pushing your hips back. A straight leg good morning puts a lot of unnecessary stress on the lumbar spine.
Moving your neck up or down during the rep: Make sure to keep your neck in a neutral position to avoid straining your neck.
Chris Adams
Personal Trainer
Nottingham
How to do a good morning
- Do the good morning in a rack with the safeties set just below your lowest point of the exercise.
- Stand with your feet either shoulder width or wider with a slight bend in your knees.
- Place the bar over your traps, or in a low bar position on your rear delts.
- Take a big diaphragmatic breath, and squeeze your abs, keep your chest up, and your shoulder back and down all for the whole rep
- Push your hips back as far as you can. Don't let your knees move any further forward more than they were at the start. You will be leaning forward from the hip while maintaining your back posture.
- Contract your glutes and hamstring and push your hips forwards to return to a standing position.
Common Mistakes
Not hinging at the hips: It's common for people not to bend at hips. Instead, they bend their knees more, or bend the back. This not only makes the exercise less effective at working the glutes and hamstrings, it greatly increases the chances of injuring your back.
Having straight legs: The good morning is not meant to be done with straight legs. There will knee bend happening as you're pushing your hips back. A straight leg good morning puts a lot of unnecessary stress on the lumbar spine.
Moving your neck up or down during the rep: Make sure to keep your neck in a neutral position to avoid straining your neck.
Chris Adams
Personal Trainer
Nottingham