Bodyweight Good Morning
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
- Set your feet about hip-width and set a flat back before you begin.
- Brace your midsection before the first rep.
- Push your hips back and hinge your torso forward with a flat back.
- Feel your hamstrings stretch as your hips travel back.
- Drive your hips forward to stand tall and squeeze your glutes.
Coaching cues
- Push your hips back until you feel a stretch in your hamstrings.
- Keep your back flat from your head to your hips the whole way.
- Finish by squeezing your glutes, not by leaning back past standing.
- Squeeze your glutes hard at the top of each rep.
- Own the full range of every rep before you add reps or make it harder.
Watch out for
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Rounding the lower back as you hinge forward.
Rounding takes the stretch off your hamstrings and loads your spine instead.
Instead Set a flat back and lead with your chest as you hinge.
-
Bending mostly at the knees instead of the hips.
Turning the hinge into a squat shifts the work off your hamstrings and glutes.
Instead Send your hips backward first and keep your shins near vertical.
-
Leaning back and over-arching at the top.
Over-arching shifts load to your spine and away from your glutes.
Instead Stop when you are standing tall with your glutes squeezed.
The detail
- Tempo
- Lower for about two counts, then drive up with intent.
- Breathing
- Breathe in as you hinge, exhale as you stand tall.
- Range of motion
- Hinge until you feel a hamstring stretch with a flat back, then stand tall. Take the glutes through its full working range each rep.
- If you are new to it
- Practice the hinge with your hands on your hips to groove a flat back.
- Once it is easy
- Slow the lowering phase or add a pause at the bottom of the hinge.