Exercise
Barbell Good Morning
How to Perform - Barbell Good Morning
- Stand upright with your feet hip-width apart and place a barbell across your upper back, resting on your traps (not your neck).
- Grip the bar with your hands wider than shoulder-width apart, keeping your elbows pointing down and chest proud.
- Brace your core and maintain a slight bend in your knees throughout the movement for stability.
- Take a deep breath in, then initiate the movement by hinging at your hips and pushing your buttocks backward.
- Lower your torso forward while keeping your back flat (neutral spine) until your upper body is nearly parallel to the floor or you feel a stretch in your hamstrings.
- Maintain tension in your hamstrings and core as you hold the bottom position briefly, continuing to breathe normally.
- Exhale as you drive your hips forward to return to the starting position, squeezing your glutes at the top.
- Keep your eyes focused about 6-10 feet in front of you throughout the entire movement to help maintain proper spinal alignment.
Important information
- Never round your lower back during the movement as this places excessive stress on your spine — maintain a neutral spine position throughout.
- Start with lighter weight until you master proper form, as this exercise primarily targets the hamstrings, glutes, and lower back.
- If you experience any lower back pain, reduce the weight or modify your form by decreasing the range of motion.
- Keep the barbell securely positioned on your upper traps by actively pulling your shoulder blades together during the entire exercise.
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The Barbell Good Morning stands as a powerful posterior chain developer that's often underutilized in many training programs. This intermediate movement primarily targets the hamstrings, erector spinae, and glutes, making it invaluable for both powerlifting and bodybuilding pursuits. As a strength-focused exercise, it develops the hip hinge pattern critical for deadlifts and squats while building impressive back-side musculature. What sets the Good Morning apart is its unique leveraged position, creating significant tension through the entire posterior chain with relatively modest loads. The exercise earned its quirky name from its resemblance to the bowing greeting common in certain cultures. Despite its somewhat unusual appearance, serious strength athletes have long recognized its value for developing hip extension strength and enhancing overall power production.
For powerlifters, the Good Morning serves as an excellent accessory movement that directly carries over to squat and deadlift performance by strengthening the exact muscles needed to maintain proper positioning under heavy loads. Bodybuilders appreciate it for developing the dense, striated hamstring and glute development that's difficult to achieve through isolation movements alone. The beauty of the Good Morning lies in its versatility: it can be programmed as a main strength movement using moderate weights for sets of 5-8 reps, or as an accessory exercise with lighter weights for higher repetitions to build muscular endurance and hypertrophy.
The exercise particularly shines for athletes who struggle with maintaining a neutral spine during heavy pulling movements or who need to develop stronger posterior chains to balance quad-dominant training. While not as glamorous as bench presses or as immediately satisfying as bicep curls, the Barbell Good Morning rewards dedicated practitioners with injury resilience, improved posture, and the kind of functional strength that translates to real-world activities and serious athletic performance. Its time-tested effectiveness makes it a worthy addition to any comprehensive strength training program.
FAQ - Barbell Good Morning
The Barbell Good Morning primarily targets the posterior chain, specifically the hamstrings, erector spinae (lower back), and glutes. It also engages the upper back muscles and core as stabilizers during the movement.
Those with existing lower back problems should approach this exercise with caution or consult a professional first. The key to safety is maintaining a neutral spine throughout the movement and starting with lighter weights to master proper form before progressing.
Keep your chest up, shoulders back, and focus on hinging at the hips rather than bending at the waist. Think about pushing your hips backward while maintaining a slight bend in the knees, and only lower your torso to the point where you can maintain a flat back.
Start considerably lighter than your squat weight—around 30-40% of your squat max is a good starting point. This exercise creates significant tension with relatively modest loads, so prioritize perfect form over heavy weight to avoid injury.
For strength, perform 3-5 sets of 5-8 reps using moderate weights early in your workout. For hypertrophy and endurance, try 2-3 sets of 10-15 reps with lighter weights. Include them 1-2 times weekly, typically on lower body or posterior chain focused days.
