We know this might look super intense, but fear not girl. We’re here to help you perfect the good morning exercise and build a hella strong back.
We all know the lower back can be the most vulnerable part of a lifters body. By going for a big deadlift, with a weak back, you can risk a seriously annoying injury, which could leave you on the sidelines for weeks. Ain’t nobody got time for that girl.
OK, we hear you girl, seeing people perform the good morning exercise can look pretty scary. But with the right form, you can boost your big lifts and actually protect your back from potential injuries. This exercise holds a whole new world of exciting gains potential.
Whether you’re going for a new PB on the deadlift, or simply picking up your gym bag, you don’t need to be worried about an injury. Luckily, we’ve got your back with this good morning exercise guide.
What muscles does the good morning exercise work?
Alright, we’ve talked about the back a lot. And the good morning exercise really does put the back to work, but it also works on a range of other muscles too.
Despite its magical back strengthening powers, the good morning exercise actually puts most of its pressure on these muscles, in this order:
- Hamstrings
- Glutes
- Spinal erectors
- Upper back
This powerhouse set of muscles is called your posterior chain. It’s the huge muscles, that work hard to help you stand upright. These muscles are essential in just about every gym movement where you have to stand up. We’re talking everything from your squat to your standing shoulder press.
Why that’s good for you
Unfortunately, in today’s modern world, sitting in an office all day long can deplete the strength of your posterior chain, which can cause lead to injury and health problems.
No matter how fit and healthy you are, chances are you probably spend most of your day sat at a desk. Whatever your discipline, if you’re into looking after your body and developing a well-rounded physique, it’s a good idea to work on strengthening your posterior chain.
By hitting the good morning exercise on the regular, you can shore up your spine and grow your spinal erectors into two strong, powerful muscles. That means you’ll feel more secure in your big lifts and you’ll lessen the risk of injury to your back.
If you do spend a lot of time sitting down, you may experience twinges in your lower back occasionally. By performing the good morning exercise, you can stretch off your hamstrings, which means they won’t be tugging so hard on your lower back. On top of that, the stronger spinal erectors will be more resistant to the pulls of the hamstring, so you won’t feel as many aches and pains.
How to do the good morning exercise
Now you know how much you need a good morning exercise in your life, it’s time to take this baby out for a test run. Follow these simple steps and you’ll soon have the strongest back in the weights room.
Now this isn’t one of those pick-it-up-and-go movements. Take it slow, use a light weight and build up to something more challenging. It’s essential you get your form on point for this one girl, so really focus in on getting this right before you start piling on the plates.
- Take a light, empty bar and hold it across the back of your shoulders like you’re doing a back squat
- Stand with your feet at hips-width apart and flex slightly at the legs
- Hinge at the hips and begin to lean forwards
- Keep your weight on your heels, your chest high, your scapulars pulled together and your lower back strong throughout the movement
- Stop moving when your chest is just above parallel to the floor. Do not go to parallel or below, as you’ll fall forward with a weight on your upper back… not good
- From the bottom of the movement, stand up straight again by hinging at the hips. Keep your lower back strong and your chest high throughout
[infobox]Tip: Move the bar slightly further down your back to your lower posterior delts to take some of the strain off your lower back.[/infobox]
Good morning variations
Seated good morning
To help you really drill into those spinal erectors, you should be working the seated good morning. No doubt, it looks a little strange, and someone might think you’re trapped, but it’s super effective for building strength in your lower back. Give it a whirl and we’ve said it before, start light so you don’t actually get trapped…
- Sit at one end of a flat bench, with your legs either side of it. Face the opposite end
- Load a light barbell onto your back like you’re going to do a back squat
- With your feet firmly planted on the floor and stabilizing you, hinge at the hips and lean forward. Keep your lower back strong throughout for the safest, and most effective movement
- Lower your chest until it’s just above the bench
- From here, hinge back up until you’re sit upright on the bench
[infobox]Tip: Take it easy in terms of weights with this one. Drill your good morning exercise first to ensure you are strong enough to sit the load back up. [/infobox]
Single leg good morning
If you’re after some head-turning hamstring gains, then check out this variation on the good morning. It turns up the heat on each hamstring for an incredibly focused workout you’ll feel every time you take a step the next day. If you’ve ever done a split squat on booty day, this is basically the same thing, but in reverse. We hear you, it’s a yasss from us too.
- Load a light bar onto your back in the same position you’d have it if you were about to do a back squat
- Stand in front of the bench and place one foot on it, resting it on your heel
- Flex the other leg slightly at the knee, before hinging at the hip and leaning forward
- You won’t be able to go too deep on this as your hammies will be on fiyah, so just go as far as you can, before hinging at the hip again and standing up
[infobox]Tip: You’re putting a lot of strain through your hamstrings here girl, so seriously – take it easy.[/infobox]
There you go girl, once you’ve got this nailed, you’re on track for some insane back gains. You’ll feel stronger on the day to day, say goodbye to annoying pains and feel safe enough to take your big lifts to the next level.
If that sounds like something you’re into, check it out girl. Start using the good morning exercise to power-up your physique.
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