How To Do The Good Morning Exercise (With Visuals)
The Good Morning exercise is somewhat controversial in the fitness industry; some fitness experts and enthusiasts love it, while others stay far away from it. The polarized opinions of the Good Morning are mostly due to a potentially increased risk of injury in the lower back. As a certified personal trainer, I have opinions on this exercise that I'll share in this article. In addition, we'll discuss how to do the traditional Good Morning exercise with a barbell, and I’ll provide alternatives that may offer a safer way of performing the Good Morning.
What Is The Good Morning Exercise?
For those asking, "What is the Good Morning exercise?" In short, the Good Morning is an exercise intended to target the hamstrings (back of legs), glutes (butt), and lower back. It involves a hinge movement in which the person performing the Good Morning maintains a straight posture through the back while lowering the chest to a near parallel position from the floor beneath them.
The Good Morning exercise is a polarizing topic within the fitness industry. Some love it, others hate it.
Due to the distribution of weight (or resistance) with this exercise, there's a relatively high risk of sustaining an injury to the back compared to other exercises that target similar muscle groups. That's not to say that this exercise is "bad" or shouldn't be performed; rather, this exercise should be approached with caution and may not be suitable for beginners.
Avid gym-goers like performing the Good Morning exercise for back development as it can help strengthen the back. However, as a personal trainer in Austin, Texas, I typically do not instruct clients to perform this exercise, at least with a barbell, due to the increased risk of injury to the back. There are safer alternatives to barbell Good Mornings that we will discuss later.
Good Morning Exercise Benefits
The benefits of the Good Morning exercise revolve around its potential to strengthen the back (especially the lower back). For many, strengthening this area can alleviate chronic low-back pain over time with consistent training. For this reason, some fitness enthusiasts prefer the Good Morning exercise for back development.
There are various ways to perform the Good Morning exercise. Whether in a seated or standing variation, the main target of this exercise is the lower back.
Good Morning exercise benefits also expand to areas like glute and hamstring development. For those looking to target these muscle groups and enhance muscle volume in these areas, the Good Morning exercise may be beneficial when performed correctly.
Good Morning Exercise Form
If you're an experienced weight-lifter looking to perform the Good Morning with a barbell, the following will detail how to do the Good Morning exercise. Note that a video demonstration follows the written instructions for the Good Morning exercise form outlined below!
Step 1) Place a barbell over your trapezius muscles (as if you're preparing to perform a barbell squat), and place your feet parallel from one another at a hip-width distance. Establish and maintain a strict upright posture through your back. It's crucial to maintain this straight posture in the back throughout the entire exercise. Be sure that you have at least 3-4 feet of open space around you to avoid hitting others or equipment.
Step 2) With a slight bend in your knees, begin to push your glutes back as though there's a wall behind you that you're trying to make contact with. Maintain the slight bend in your knees without allowing travel through your knees (maintain a fixed position with them). Remember to maintain a straight posture in your back even as the glutes begin moving backward.
Step 3) As you push your glutes back, allow your chest to move downward to the floor slowly. Again, maintain a straight back as we begin to create a hinge motion between the hips and the torso. As the glutes move back, think about pulling the shoulder blades toward the ceiling (this will help maintain straightness through the spine).
Step 4) Continue to push the glutes back and allow the chest to come down until a nearly 90-degree angle is created through the hips and the torso. The chest should be nearly parallel to the floor at this stage. The knees should not have bent or straightened in comparison to their starting position, and the back should be as straight as it was at the beginning of the exercise.
Step 5) From the 90-degree position, the exercise will essentially be performed in reverse order. Begin to pull the back up toward the starting position. Remember the mental cue of imagining your shoulder blades being pulled toward the ceiling in step 3? Now, we will concentrate on physically pulling our shoulder blades toward the ceiling. As we begin pulling the back up toward its starting position, we will also begin to push the glutes forward to their starting position. The back and glutes should move in synchronicity as they did in steps 1-4.
Step 6) The repetition will be completed once you are in the starting position again.
Video Demonstration of Good Morning Exercise Form
Helpful Notes:
Start with light weight to test how this exercise will affect your back, knees, and hamstrings.
Steps 1-4 (the downward portion) should be completed at a 3-second tempo, with steps 5-6 (the upward motion) being completed at a 2-second tempo. This exercise should not be completed with fast or explosive repetitions, as doing so would increase the risk of injury.
Controlling the breath can reduce the risk of injury with the Good Morning exercise. Take a deep breath before beginning a repetition of this exercise and hold it in until you return to the starting position. Holding your breath throughout the repetition will help stabilize the spine by controlling abdominal flexion.
If any burning or pinching pain is felt anywhere on the body during this exercise, ask a fitness professional at your gym (if possible) to spot you and check your Good Morning exercise form if you wish to try again. Otherwise, discontinue this exercise and try something else that can target the same muscle groups. Let's discuss some alternatives to the barbell Good Morning exercise.
Seated Good Morning Exercise
As a certified personal trainer, I strongly prefer the seated Good Morning exercise performed with a dumbbell to the standing Good Morning with a barbell. Performing the Good Morning exercise seated offers a safer means of targeting the lower back (although the activation in the glutes and hamstrings will be minimal compared to the barbell Good Morning).
Performing the Good Morning Exercise with dumbbells in a seated position also alters how the weight and resistance are distributed, placing less stress on the lower back.
The seated variation of the Good Morning exercise with a dumbbell is perhaps the safest variation of this exercise (IMO).
The following instructions outline the seated Good Morning exercise form, followed by a video demonstration.
Step 1) Position yourself in a seated position on a workout bench with your feet parallel from one another at a slightly wider than shoulder-width distance. In this position, you should be seated upright and maintain a straight posture throughout your entire back. Cradle a dumbbell in front of your chest with your elbows elevated (as shown in the video below).
Step 2) Begin to lower your chest to the floor beneath you while maintaining a straight back. Imagine pulling your shoulder blades toward the ceiling as you perform this motion to maintain a strict posture throughout the back.
Step 3) Lower your chest toward the floor until your torso achieves a near parallel position with the floor. Your glutes should maintain contact with the bench throughout the entire exercise.
Step 4) Once your chest reaches this near parallel position to the floor, begin to pull your back up toward the starting position. Concentrate on physically pulling your shoulders up toward the starting position to maintain a straight back.
Step 5) The repetition is completed when you return to the starting position.
Video Demonstration of Seated Good Morning Exercise
Helpful Notes:
Start with light weight to test how this exercise will affect your back.
Steps 1-3 (the downward portion) should be completed at a 3-second tempo, with steps 4-5 (the upward motion) being completed at a 2-second tempo. This exercise should not be completed with fast or explosive repetitions, as doing so would increase the risk of injury.
Controlling the breath can reduce the risk of injury with the Good Morning exercise. Take a deep breath before beginning a repetition of this exercise and hold it in until you return to the starting position. Holding your breath throughout the repetition will help stabilize the spine by controlling abdominal flexion.
If any burning or pinching pain is felt anywhere on the body during this exercise, ask a fitness professional at your gym (if possible) to spot you and check your seated Good Morning exercise form if you wish to try again. Otherwise, discontinue this exercise and try something else that can target the same muscle groups.
If the seated Good Morning is not a good fit for you, there's an alternative exercise that may be worth attempting!
Good Morning Exercise Alternative: Partial Deadlift
The partial deadlift is a great choice for those looking for Good Morning exercise alternatives. Partial deadlifts target the lower back, hamstrings, and glutes, similar to the Good Morning exercise. Partial deadlifts may be a preferred option over Good Mornings due to a lower potential for injury. The reduced risk for injury is due in large part to weight distribution and the ability to abandon the exercise mid-set in an easier and safer fashion.
The partial deadlift can be a great Good Morning exercise alternative as it targets the same muscle groups with a safer distribution of weight and resistance.
Partial Deadlift Form
Partial deadlifts can be performed with various forms of resistance. They're most commonly done with barbells or dumbbells. As a personal trainer working with many beginner-level clients, I prefer using dumbbells for this exercise as it adds a greater degree of safety. The following instructions outline the proper partial deadlift form and how to do partial deadlifts with dumbbells.
Step 1) Start in a standing position with an upright posture and hold the two dumbbells in front of your thighs with a pronated grip (palms facing legs). Create a slight bend in the knees, and maintain a fixed position through the joint throughout the entire exercise (minimize travel through the knee).
Step 2) Begin to push the glutes backward as if you're attempting to make contact with a wall behind you. As the glutes begin to move backward, begin to move the chest toward the floor (creating a hinge motion between the hips and the torso). As you move through this exercise, be sure to maintain a straight spine to prevent injury to the back. Imagine pulling your shoulder blades up toward the ceiling as you bring your chest to the floor to help maintain this straight posture through the back.
Step 3) Continue to push the glutes back and allow the chest to travel toward the floor until the torso achieves a near-parallel position relative to the floor beneath. Be sure to keep the dumbbells placed in front of the body (as shown in the video below). Don't allow the dumbbells to touch the floor throughout the exercise.
Step 4) Once the near parallel position is achieved, begin to physically pull the back up toward the starting position. Concentrate on physically pulling the shoulder blades up toward the ceiling. At the same time, envision yourself pushing away from the floor with your legs (without bending or extending your knees); this will help reduce the risk of injury in the back by placing some of the resistance on your leg muscles.
Step 5) As you pull your back up toward the starting position, simultaneously push the glutes forward to drive the hips toward their starting position. The repetition is complete when you are standing upright again.
Video Demonstration of Partial Deadlift Form
Helpful Notes
Start with light weight to test how this exercise will affect your back, knees, and hamstrings.
Steps 1-3 (the downward portion) should be completed at a 3-second tempo, with steps 4-5 (the upward motion) being completed at a 2-second tempo. This exercise should not be completed with fast or explosive repetitions, as doing so would increase the risk of injury.
Controlling the breath can reduce the risk of injury with partial deadlifts. Take a deep breath before beginning a repetition of this exercise and hold it in until you return to the starting position. Holding your breath throughout the repetition will help stabilize the spine by controlling abdominal flexion.
If any burning or pinching pain is felt anywhere on the body during this exercise, ask a fitness professional at your gym (if possible) to spot you and check your partial deadlift form if you wish to try again. Otherwise, discontinue this exercise.
Partial Deadlift Benefits
The partial deadlift is a great exercise for targeting the back muscles, the hamstrings, and the glutes. Partial deadlift benefits also include their versatility in the gym, as they can be performed with a barbell, dumbbells, bands, a hex bar, and even a cable machine. Partial deadlifts require experience to perform them correctly and safely. However, they are considered by many to be a safer alternative to full-range deadlifts as they place less stress on the back and can be done effectively with lighter weight.
The Good Morning Exercise
The Good Morning Exercise can be a beneficial tool when used to target muscles in the back, glutes, and hamstrings. Good Mornings are an often controversial exercise in the fitness community as they present a relatively high risk of injury, especially in the back. For this reason, they're not commonly implemented in training programs. This doesn't mean that they're an inherently "bad" exercise. However, they should be approached cautiously, and beginners should avoid attempting this exercise without professional supervision.
Many potentially safer alternatives exist that target similar muscle groups. So, if you're considering whether or not you should include the Good Morning exercise in your training regimen, exploring these alternative exercises may be worthwhile!
Please note that I am not a medical professional and you should always consult with your doctor before beginning an exercise regimen!