STaggered Stance Good Morning

People new to seeing this exercise might cringe and say, “You’re gonna hurt your back”, but there are several body boosting benefits, if you perform it correctly.

The Staggered Stance Good Morning is a variation of the traditional Good Morning exercise, which is a compound movement that primarily targets the lower back, hamstrings, and glutes. It is often performed in strength training and fitness routines to improve posterior chain strength and stability.
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To perform the Staggered Stance Good Morning:
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1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart.
 
2. Take a step back with one foot, positioning it behind your body. The back foot should be about half a stride length behind the front foot. Both feet should be pointed forward.
 
3. Position a barbell onto your upper back by either lifting it yourself, using a rack, or ask a nice gym member to help you out. Pull the bar into your back to ensure it doesn’t roll. 
 
4. Keeping your back straight and core engaged, initiate the movement by hinging at the hips, pushing your glutes backward as if trying to touch a wall behind you.
 
5. Continue to lower your upper body until you feel a stretch in your hamstrings, but stop before your lower back begins to round. Maintain a slight bend in your knees throughout the movement.
 
6. Return to Standing. Engage your glutes and hamstrings to reverse the movement, pushing your hips forward as you return to the starting position.
 
7. After completing the desired number of repetitions on one side, switch your foot stance and repeat the movement on the other side.

 
It's essential to perform the Staggered Stance Good Morning with proper form to avoid putting excessive strain on your lower back. If you are new to this exercise, start with a light weight or just bodyweight to ensure you have the correct movement pattern and gradually increase the resistance as you become more comfortable and confident.
 
When should you do this? If you have a dedicated leg day, do this exercise in the middle or toward the end of the workout. Complete compound lifts first, and accessory work like calves would be performed last. You could do this exercise in place of a Romanian Deadlift. If you are doing full body workouts, you can add it in one time per week (3-4 sets of 8-12 reps). This is not an exercise you need to perform multiple days per week.