Barbell Seated Good Morning

Some consider the barbell seated good morning as the number one hip mobilizing and strengthening exercise. It is a simple exercise that can transform your compound exercise performance and increase functional mobility.

Today, we will explore the benefits of performing the barbell seated good morning. We will offer insight into proper form, exercise variations, and tips for including it in your workout split.

How To Do

  1. Sit on a bench that is set up slightly lower in height than your knees.
  2. Place your feet slightly farther than hip-width apart.
  3. Set the barbell across your upper back (upper trapezius muscles). Ensure it is positioned securely and comfortably.
  4. Grip the barbell with an overhand grip (palms forward and down), shoulder-width apart or wider.
  5. Take a deep breath in and brace your spine in a neutral position.
  6. Maintain a neutral position while you hinge forward at the hips.
  7. Lower until your torso is almost parallel to the bench or as far as your flexibility allows while maintaining a flat back.
  8. Engage your lower back, glutes, and hamstrings to lift your torso back to the starting position. Keep your movements controlled.
  9. Return to a fully upright seated position.
  10. Repeat as necessary.

Tips From Expert

  • To promote proper form during the exercise, try practicing a few lower back stretches before starting your workout.
  • Ensure that the barbell rests on your upper back, not on the neck, to prevent overloading the neck muscles and joints.
  • For additional comfort and stability, hold the barbell in a low bar position (resting on the back of your shoulders). Position your hands at the ends of the barbell.
  • Beginners can make the movement easier by using yoga blocks. Try placing one or two yoga blocks on the bench in front of you. Lower the chest to the blocks instead of to the bench.

Optimal Sets and Reps

Depending on your unique workout goals, the ideal amount of sets and reps for your workout can vary widely. Here are evidence-based load recommendations based on your workout type.

Training Type Sets Reps
Strength Training 5 5
Hypertrophy 3–4 8–12
Endurance Training 3–4 15+
Power Training 3–5 3–5
Optimal Sets & Reps of Barbell Seated Good Morning

How to Put in Your Workout Split

The barbell seated good morning is a compound exercise that targets the lower back muscles, glutes, and hamstrings. It also enhances the range of motion through the hips, which can positively impact other lower-body exercises such as squats.

You can include them in a variety of workout splits, as listed below:

  • Lower Body Split — Perform the barbell seated good morning at the beginning of your lower body workout. Doing so can increase flexibility through the hips, enhancing performance during squats and lunge variations.
  • Push/Pull Split — The barbell seated good morning can be performed on a pull day alongside other lower or full-body pull exercises. Follow up this workout with a push day to promote balance between the anterior (front) and posterior (back) muscles.
  • Bro Split — You can add the seated good morning to the leg and back day of a bro split. After your main back exercises, include seated good mornings to specifically target the lower back. Or, incorporate seated good mornings to your next leg day to work your hamstrings and glutes.

Based on your training style, you will also want to adjust your weight and rest to maximize results. Below, 1RM refers to your single repetition maximum — or the highest weight you can lift for a single rep.

Strength Training Focus:

  • Weight: Heavy, 80%–100% of 1RM.
  • Rest: Two to three minutes between sets.

Hypertrophy Training Focus:

  • Weight: Moderate to heavy, 60%–80% of 1RM.
  • Rest: 60–90 seconds between sets.

Endurance Training Focus:

  • Weight: Light to moderate, 40%–60% of 1RM.
  • Rest: 30–60 seconds between sets.

Power Training Focus:

  • Weight: Heavy, 80%–90% of 1RM.
  • Rest: Two to three minutes between sets.

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Secondary Muscle Groups

Gluteus

Large, superficial muscles located at your buttocks just below your lower back area.

Gluteus 

The gluteus is a group of muscles located in the buttocks. It consists of three distinct muscles, the gluteus maximus, gluteus medius, and gluteus minimus.

Seated good mornings primarily target the lower back, but the gluteus muscles are also highly involved, particularly the gluteus maximus.

As you hinge forward at the hips during the descent phase, the gluteus maximus is stretched. When you return to the upright position, the gluteus maximus contracts to extend the hips. 

The gluteus medius and minimus also help to stabilize the pelvis during the lifting and lowering phases.

Hamstrings 

The hamstrings are a group of three muscles located at the back of the thigh. These muscles play an important role in lower body movements, particularly those involving knee flexion (bending) and hip extension.

During the forward hinge phase of the seated good morning, the hamstrings help to extend, or lengthen, the hips. They work synergistically with the glute muscles, contracting to help draw the torso upright.

During the hinging phase of the lift, the hamstrings slowly lengthen to help control the descent of the torso.

You can place more load onto the hamstrings by extending your knees past 90 degrees. This demands more lengthening through the hamstrings, thus putting more tension on the muscles throughout the movement.

Equipment

Flat Bench Without Rack

Barbell

Barbell

You can use this for a range of arm exercises. Ensure the seat is at the right height. A good alternative would be the incline bench.

Flat Bench Without Rack

This is great for pressing and pulling movements. Ensure the safety catch is firmly locked in. If you can't find this bench, use one with a rack for barbell exercises.

Who Should Do?

Individuals With Knee Injuries

Seated good mornings remain a better option for individuals with knee injuries for several reasons. Namely, seated good mornings primarily focus on the hip hinge movement, which involves minimal knee movement.

The seated position ensures that the knees remain stable and fixed. This eliminates the need for dynamic knee stabilization required in standing exercises, which could potentially flair up pre-existing knee injuries.

Athletes

Seated good mornings are a beneficial exercise for athletes due to their emphasis on strengthening the posterior chain and improving flexibility. 

The seated good morning primarily targets the erector spinae, glutes, and hamstrings. These muscles are essential to athletic performance as they contribute to explosive movements like running, jumping, and lifting.

This exercise also stretches and strengthens the hamstrings and glutes helping to increase the range of motion through the hips. Improved hip flexibility and mobility reduce the risk of muscle strains. It can also enhance performance in activities requiring agility, like football or other running sports.

Beginners

For anyone just getting started with weight lifting, the barbell seated good morning will be more suitable than the standing version.

Seated good mornings provide greater stability during the exercise. Enhanced stability helps beginners focus on mastering the hip hinge movement and lower back engagement without the challenge of maintaining balance.

Who Should Not Do?

People With Poor Hip Flexibility

Generally speaking, people with poor hip flexibility should avoid seated good mornings.

The exercise requires a significant range of motion at the hips to be performed properly. Limited hip flexibility can lead to improper form. This can result in more load being placed on the erector spinae, increasing the risk of lower back strain and injury.

Some stretches can help you work towards better hip mobility. This will allow you to eventually add the seated good morning to your workouts. Some examples include the butterfly stretch, pigeon pose, seated forward fold, frog stretch, and kneeling lunges.

Pregnant Women

Approximately 15% of pregnant women follow the recommendations for exercise during pregnancy. Continuing to partake in regular moderate-intensity can help improve outcomes for pregnancy. 

However, it’s important to modify your workouts to pregnancy-safe exercises, especially in the third trimester.

The barbell seated good morning can place undue strain on the lower back and abdomen, potentially risking discomfort or injury. It should be swapped out for pregnancy-safe exercises like squats or glute bridges.

Benefits Of The Barbell Seated Good Morning

Strengthened Lower Back

Low back pain has the most negative impact on quality of life compared to all other injuries. It can significantly limit mobility and physical activity, making it difficult to perform everyday tasks.

Incorporating movements like the barbell seated good morning with dumbbell back exercises can help to reverse and prevent back pain. It strengthens the muscles and tendons in the back, positively affects athletic ability, and helps support upright posture.

Enhanced Hip Mobility

Hip mobility is an underrated aspect of athletic performance and functional movement.

Barbell seated good mornings support mobility in the hips in a few different ways. The most important of which is deeply engaging the hip hinge mechanism. This affects mobility by actively stretching the hamstrings and hip muscles, and stabilizing the core and hips.

Injury Prevention

Enhanced hip mobility as a result of barbell seated good mornings can also help to reduce injury risk.

Improved mobility through the hip joint allows for a greater range of motion in the hip joint. This limits the necessity of compensatory movement through the lower back or knees which can lead to injuries.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are seated good mornings good for you?

Yes, the seated good morning is a good exercise for beginners and experienced weight lifters. They can help to strengthen the lower back, glute, and hamstring muscles while increasing the range of motion through the hip joints.

Are good mornings better standing or seated?

Both seated and standing good mornings are effective exercises for building strength in the posterior (back of the body) muscles. However, seated good mornings are an easier variation of the exercise that is better for enhancing hip flexibility.

Are good mornings as good as RDL?

Both good mornings and Romanian deadlifts (RDLs) are effective exercises for strengthening the hamstrings, glutes, and lower back. However, barbell good mornings are the better exercise if your primary goal is to strengthen the lower back and glutes.

How heavy should good mornings be?

Barbell seated good mornings require plenty of hinge through the hips and lower back strength to maintain a neutral spine. Therefore, it’s important not to overload the exercise. Start with light weights or just a barbell to master the form.

Resources

Endomondo.com refrains from utilizing tertiary references. We uphold stringent sourcing criteria and depend on peer-reviewed studies and academic research conducted by medical associations and institutions. For more detailed insights, you can explore further by reading our editorial process.

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  9. Wu, A., March, L., Zheng, X., Huang, J., Wang, X., Zhao, J., Blyth, F.M., Smith, E., Buchbinder, R. and Hoy, D. (2020). Global low back pain prevalence and years lived with disability from 1990 to 2017: estimates from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017. Annals of translational medicine, [online] 8(6), pp.299–299. doi:https://doi.org/10.21037/atm.2020.02.175.

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