The Good Morning: Gym Shorts (How To)

Good Morning Correct Form

Gym Shorts videos provide short video demonstrations of correct form for various exercises.

Good Morning Correct Form: Follow These Steps

• Use low bar squat rack position
  • Thumbs over
  • Wrists straight
  • High bar position alternative if can’t get into low bar
• Unrack bar with big held breath, proud chest
• Unlock knees (slight bend)
• Shoulder width stance
• Send hips back
  • Knees do not move forward
• Keep flat back
• Hinge as far as possible without knee movement or back rounding
• Gaze down and forward

What is the Good Morning

The good morning exercise trains the posterior chain (hamstrings, glutes, spinal erectors) similar to the deadlift. The main difference, however, is the bar sits on the back, like a squat, as opposed to being held in the hands, like deadlifts.

To mimic a deadlift-like movement and train the posterior chain, the knees do not move forward. This severely limits the contributions of the quadriceps muscles, which extend the knees. Instead, the hips are sent back, the back remains flat, and the lifter hinges as far as they can. The lifter likely does not quite hit the back being parallel to the ground.

The good morning falls into that broad category of “hip hinge” exercises, which include the deadlift and deadlift variations, but also movements like cleans and kettlebell swings.

Try to maintain midfoot balance during this movement, but it may be difficult to do this during the good morning.

Programming the Good Morning

We tend to program these for more advanced lifters looking for low back and posterior chain accessory work. Compared to deadlifts and deadlift variations such as the stiff leg deadlift or Romanian deadlift, these are done with significantly less weight.

Perform good mornings for higher repetition sets for fewer sets, so typically 2-4 sets of 8-12 reps.

Do these near the end of the workout, after the bigger barbell movements have been performed, and they can be performed in a circuit or in a superset with other exercises.

If you’re an advanced athlete looking to add more volume to your low back and posterior chain without the high intensities and stress of the deadlift and deadlift supplemental, add the good morning to your routine.

Click HERE to watch an in-depth video on the good morning and HERE to listen to a podcast about lifting with back pain.