Good Morning

Starting position:

Take a stance with your feet slightly wider than shoulder width. Grab the barbell with a wide overhand grip, raise it over your head and let it rest it on your back shoulders. Firm up and stabilize your body core.

Exercise:

From the starting position move your pelvis backwards by flexing your hip joints while not changing the bend of your spine. As you move your pelvis backwards, make a deep knee bend forward. Guide the barbell down in a vertical line with your feet throughout the entire movement. Keep your eyes directedforward. Complete the movement by straightening up while pushing your pelvis forward without changing the bend of your spineand maintaining your pelvis in a neutral position. Inhale in the starting position and while going down. Then hold your breath throughout the entire movement, fixing your body core and then exhale when reaching the starting position and start the next repetition by inhaling. Do the required number of repetitions using the same technique.

Note:

Make sure you have the correct body posture, fixing your body core, keeping your pelvis in a neutral position and eliminating lordotic swayback at the waist. Your shoulder blades point down and towards each other. Keep your knees in the direction of your toes throughout the entire movement and make sure your knees do not swing sideways when you are overcoming the resistance. Keep your crus (lower legs) perpendicular to the floor throughout the entire movement. Keep your heels on the ground throughout. Do not overestimate your abilities when choosing the weight. Take account of your breathing while performing thismovementas it is not a dynamic exercise.

Recommendation:

Stand with your side to a mirror to watch if you are using the correct technique. When choosing the weight, put much emphasis on perfect technique. If the exercise is done incorrectly, lower back injuries may occur and that is why it is important to use your correctly activated internal stabilization system.

***

Good morning is a popular exercise that can significantly strengthen the hamstrings and most body-core muscles provided it is done with reasonable weight and proper technique.

Good morning can also damage your lower back and persons with back issues should choose another exercise for hamstring development.

Stand with your feet shoulder wide and toes slightly turn outwards. The barbell should be placed on the traps.

Slowly lower your torso while moving the hips backwards and slightly bending your knees. Always look straight ahead so as not to get dizzy. At the end of the downward movement your torso should be almost parallel with the floor. Then slowly return to your starting position.

Your back should be straight but not arched backwards.

Please notice that this exercise has several variants. You can put more emphasis on hamstrings and glutes and move your hips more backwards. This is also much safer than the variant where you lower the torso and leave the hips more or less in place. This will put more emphasis on the lower back but also increase pressure on the lumbar vertebrae.

People with back issues should never attempt any form of Good Mornings.