What are Good Mornings?
- Thread starter RhiannonW
- Start date
Goodmornings are an excellent exercise that help strengthen and shape the muscles of the upper hamstrings, the lower back and the glutes .
1. Stand upright with a barbell on your shoulders. Your feet
should be shoulder width apart and your hands wider to grip
the balance the weight.
2. Your knees can be slightly bent and your back should be
arched slightly.
3. Inhale, hold your breath and bend forward at the hips.
4. When your upper body is horizontal, reverse your direction
and exhale at the top of the movement.
check this link out for more info on executing the exercise! http://www.ast-ss.com/training/exercises/back/good_mornings.asp
1. Stand upright with a barbell on your shoulders. Your feet
should be shoulder width apart and your hands wider to grip
the balance the weight.
2. Your knees can be slightly bent and your back should be
arched slightly.
3. Inhale, hold your breath and bend forward at the hips.
4. When your upper body is horizontal, reverse your direction
and exhale at the top of the movement.
check this link out for more info on executing the exercise! http://www.ast-ss.com/training/exercises/back/good_mornings.asp
This is a very controversial exercise which can place way too much shear force on the spine. Douglas Brooks, an exercise physiologist who has published many books and is well respected as one of the best personal trainers in the world, refers to Good Mornings as "Good Morning to your Orthopedic Surgeon".
There are other exercises that can target these muscle groups without the added risks. I work in this field and way too many people have postural imbalances that would not enable them to hold their bodies in the alignment needed to do the Good Morning properly. Even quarter dead lifts are tricky for the lay person.
Sorry to be a wet blanket but most people who workout at home without the help of a professional to check their body mechanics should not be attempting exercises that fall into the controversial cateogory. This is why Cathe puts quarter dead lifts into her videos - they are safer - but still considered controversial if done improperly.
-Roe
There are other exercises that can target these muscle groups without the added risks. I work in this field and way too many people have postural imbalances that would not enable them to hold their bodies in the alignment needed to do the Good Morning properly. Even quarter dead lifts are tricky for the lay person.
Sorry to be a wet blanket but most people who workout at home without the help of a professional to check their body mechanics should not be attempting exercises that fall into the controversial cateogory. This is why Cathe puts quarter dead lifts into her videos - they are safer - but still considered controversial if done improperly.
-Roe
kathryn
Cathlete
I agree, Roe. Good mornings have no advantage over deadlifts, at least not enough to outweigh the risk they pose to the spine. I've only seen them done correctly once on a workout video, and that was in a Corey Everson video where she does them very slowly and with a light weight. While they do work the lower back, back extensions over a stability ball are an exercise I'd prefer.
