What is a Barbell Good Morning

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How-to Do Barbell Good Morning

1. Position a barbell on top of your traps and grasp the bar on either side. Stand with feet hip-width apart.
2. Slightly bend your knees then slowly hinge forward at the hips until your back is almost parallel to the floor. Briefly hold.
3. Tense your glutes and push your hips forward until you're standing up straight.

Muscle Worked

Primary Muscle Groups

Glutes

The glutes help you extend your thighs from the hips and drive you forward.

Hamstrings

The hamstrings flex your knees and extend and rotate your hips

Lower Back

The low back helps stabilize your spinal column and connects your upper body to your pelvis.

Secondary Muscle Groups

Abs

"Abs" refers to your abdominal muscles, which sit at the front of your trunk between your ribcage and pelvis

Upper Back

Lie on the floor and place a foam roller below your traps and above your shoulder blades.

Pro Tips

• Brace Your Core: Before you start, tighten your core like you're about to be punched in the stomach. This mentally engages your muscles to move mindfully and keeps your body stable, so you have better control over your lift.
• Straight Spine: Your spine should stay neutral the whole time. If you have trouble keeping it so, try to draw your attention to keeping your chest up to stop yourself from rounding your back and prevent sloped shoulders.
• Control the Tempo: Move slowly and with control, especially as you lower. Using a time count (for example, 4 seconds up, 4 seconds down) can help you pace yourself. Moving at a consistent pace gives your muscles more consistent time under tension, activating your muscles optimally to build up your strength.

Equipments

Barbell

A barbell is a long metal bar with space for weight plates on each end used for weightlifting

Benefits of Barbell Good Morning

• Hip Hinge Technique: You use a deep hip hinge in key strength lifts like your squats and deadlifts. The barbell good morning is a great way to workshop this movement and help you build mind-muscle connection to hinge more effectively in other key compound exercises.
• Posterior Chain Health: This exercise strengthens your full posterior chain. These are the muscles of your back body like the hamstrings, glutes, and lower back. A strong, healthy posterior chain means better posture, athletic performance, and balance. This can apply to sports, the gym, or just everyday movement.
• Increases Flexibility and Mobility: The deep hip hinge motion in the good morning stretches the hamstrings and improves hip mobility. Regular practice helps lengthen and loosen tight muscles, enhancing flexibility and range of motion, which is beneficial for overall mobility and injury prevention.

Warm Up & Cool Down

Warm Up

1. Hip Circles: Make big circles with your hips clockwise, then change directions, trying to work towards a full range of motion. You’ll loosen up your hip flexors and glutes so they’re ready for your hip hinge in a barbell good morning.
2. Bodyweight Good Mornings: Before adding weight, try bodyweight good mornings to practice your movement pattern. Focus on hinging at your hips and keeping a neutral spine. That way, you build muscle memory and activate your posterior chain.
3. Leg Swings: Swing one leg forward and backward, keeping the movement controlled. This increases blood flow to the hamstrings and hips, improving flexibility and mobility for your barbell good mornings.

Cool Down

1. Forward Fold Hamstring Stretch: Do a standing or seated forward fold where you bend over to touch your toes. Hold it for at least 20–30 seconds. The hamstrings are one of the main muscle groups you work in a good morning, so this helps release them.
2. Child's Pose: Kneel down and sit your pelvis back on your heels. Crawl your arms forward, sinking your head and chest towards the ground. Use this yoga stretch to open up your lower back and hips.
3. Foam Rolling: You may want to hamstring or glute foam roll to release any tight or stuck muscle tissue in these areas. Foam rolling is a good solution for muscular soreness and can help you recover faster after heavy lifting.

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