# Seated Good Morning: how to do it

- Main muscles: lower back, hamstrings
- Also works: glutes
- Equipment: barbell, bench
- Level: intermediate
- 3D demo (side view): https://media.trainaq.com/exercises/barbell_seated_good_morning/2192cfbc9f/side-m-720.mp4

## Steps

1. Sit tall on the end of a flat bench with the bar on your upper back.
2. Place your feet wide and flat, toes slightly out.
3. Brace and hinge forward from your hips with a flat back.
4. Lower your chest until your trunk is about halfway to the floor.
5. Drive your hips into the bench to sit back up tall.

## Cues

- Hinge, don't round.
- Chest proud.
- Hips stay glued to the bench.

## Common mistakes

- Rounding the upper or lower back.
- Going too low too soon.
- Using a weight you can't control.

## The version in our demo

A good morning done sitting on the end of a flat bench, feet wide. Sitting takes the hamstrings mostly out of it (the knees are bent and the hips fixed), so the spinal erectors and glutes do the work.

## Starting position

Sit tall on the front end of a flat bench, feet flat and wide (about 1.4 × shoulder width), toes out, knees about over the ankles. Bar high on the upper back (on the traps), grip just outside the shoulders, elbows down, neck in line with the trunk.

## The movement

Brace and hinge forward from the hips with a flat back, chest leading, the trunk passing between the knees, to about 50° from vertical. The hips stay on the bench. Lift back up to sitting tall by driving the hips into the bench.

## Breathing

Breathe in and brace before the hinge, hold through the bottom, breathe out near the top.

## Tempo

About 1.8 s down, a 0.2 s pause, about 1.4 s up, 0.6 s upright.

## Form in numbers

| Measure | Target | Good range | Sources |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Trunk from vertical at the bottom | 50° | 40–60°, back flat |  |
| Hips | still on the bench (0 cm movement) | no sliding or lifting |  |
| Stance | 1.4 × shoulder width, toes out 20° | 1.2–1.6 × |  |
| Knees | 70–85° flexion, the shins about vertical | 65–100° |  |
| Bar | high on the traps all the rep | never on the neck |  |
| Neck | in line with the trunk (head turns down with it) | no cranking up |  |

## Sources

1. [Motra, "Barbell Seated Good Morning" (seated, bar on the upper back, hinge at the hips while the legs stay still; the spinal erectors do most of the work)](https://motra.com/exercises/barbellSeatedGoodMorning)
2. [Fitness Volt, "Seated Good Mornings vs Stiff Leg Barbell Good Morning" (seated, the erectors are the main movers; excessive trunk flexion or an uncontrolled load adds lumbar shear: start light, control the lowering)](https://fitnessvolt.com/exercise-vs-exercise/seated-good-mornings-vs-stiff-leg-barbell-good-morning)
3. NSCA, Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning, 4th ed. (2016), ch. 15
4. [ACE Exercise Library, "Good Morning" (hip hinge with a neutral spine; neck in line)](https://www.acefitness.org/resources/everyone/exercise-library/)

Source: https://trainaq.com/exercises/barbell-seated-good-morning