Why it matters

The Good Morning builds strength and size in your glutes, adductors, erector spinae and rectus abdominis. As a compound movement, it trains several muscles together and carries over to real-world strength and power.

How to do it

Load the bar evenly on both sides and secure it with collars before you lift.
Sit tall with your back supported and both feet flat on the floor.
Sit tall on the bench with your feet flat and the load set across your upper back.
Set a flat back and brace your midsection before you begin.
Hinge forward at the hips, lowering your chest toward your thighs with a flat back.
Lower as far as you can while keeping your lower back flat.
Extend at the hips to bring your torso back to upright.

Coaching cues

Sitting takes the legs out of it — keep your torso still and let the target muscle work.
Move at the hips, not by rounding your spine.
Keep your back flat from your head to your hips the whole way.
Only lower as far as you can hold a flat back.
Squeeze your glutes hard at the top of each rep.

Watch out for

Rocking the torso to start the rep.

This takes work off the target muscle and reduces what you get from the set.

Instead Keep your back against the pad and move only the working joint.
Rounding the lower back as you lean forward.

Rounding turns a hip hinge into a spinal bend, loading your back.

Instead Keep a flat back and hinge only as far as you can hold it.
Bouncing at the bottom of the lean.

Bouncing uses momentum instead of muscle, so the working muscles get less out of each rep.

Instead Lower under control and reverse smoothly from the bottom.
Turning it into a spinal crunch instead of a hip hinge.

Crunching your spine misses the hip hinge you are trying to train.

Instead Lead the movement from your hips with your chest proud.

The detail

Tempo: Lower for about two to three counts, then return under control.
Breathing: Breathe in as you hinge forward, exhale as you return to upright.
Range of motion: Hinge until you feel a stretch with a flat back, then return to sitting tall. Take the glutes through its full working range each rep.
Setting up: Load the bar evenly on both sides and secure it with collars before you lift.
If you are new to it: Use a light load and a short range until you can keep a flat back throughout.
Once it is easy: Increase the range or load only while your back stays flat.

Safety

Reduce the load if you lose control of the movement.
Stop the set if you feel sharp pain.

Barbell Seated Good Morning