WHy you should add Good mornings to your low Body workouts

Good Mornings are a great way to build leg, hip, and back strength. However, this exercise is often ignored because it looks funky and perhaps a little intimidating. After a few reps, you won't care what it looks like because you will be feeling the benefit and the burn!
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The exercise got its name because it resembles bowing at the waist, as if to say "Good Morning". That's what I found in my research anyway. No matter what it is called, it is an excellent exercise to build your posterior chain. The movement comes from hinging your hips, or bending at your waist. It looks almost identical to the Romanian Deadlift except for the position of the bar.

The Good Morning strengthens the muscles on the backside of your body. Your glutes (butt) and hamstrings (back of thighs) drive the movement. It is also valuable because of the way it challenges your back. Not only is it good for all of your back muscles and core, it can also help you overcome a weakness that might be hindering your squat and deadlift.

So who should do this exercise? Not beginners. You have to master a Romanian Deadlift and Back Squat first. If you feel solid with these 2 lifts, then add the Good Morning into your next low body workout.  

Here's how to do it:

Step 1: Set up similar to a Back Squat with a stance between hip and shoulder width. Place the bar across your back, not your neck. Grip the bar tightly, pull the bar into your body, and tighten your core.

Step 2: Initiate the movement from your hips. Continue pushing your hips until you feel a big stretch in your hamstrings. Don't go beyond horizontal. Your shins should be vertical and your knees slightly bent. Avoid craning your neck, and keep a neutral spine.

Step 3: Push your hips forward to drive to the starting position.

Start light. This is not an exercise that needs lots of weight anyway. Proper form is critical. Always slow and controlled.

I hope you find the Good Morning as wonderful and miserable as I do.

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