Hamstrings
Seated Good Morning
The Seated Good Morning is a strength exercise with a barbell for your hamstrings. Share of the load in the Zulta muscle model: spinal erectors (lower back) 39%, gluteus maximus 23% and hamstrings (biceps femoris) 11%.
How to do it
- Set a flat bench inside a rack and a barbell on the hooks at shoulder height when seated.
- Sit on the end of the bench with the feet wide and flat, and rest the bar on your upper back.
- Grip the bar just outside the shoulders and lift it off the hooks.
- Brace and hinge forward from the hips with a flat back, lowering the chest toward the bench.
- Reverse the movement and sit tall again.
Tips
- Sitting removes the legs, so start with a light bar.
- Keep the chest up and the spine long as you fold forward.
Common mistakes
- Rounding the back to get the chest lower.
- Letting the bar roll up the neck.
- Dropping into the bottom without control.
Muscles worked by the Seated Good Morning
Share per muscle in the Zulta muscle model. The model spreads the load of one rep over 40 muscles, based on EMG and biomechanics research.
The bar on the back makes the lever longer for the spine (Vigotsky 2015). Seated, the hamstrings are shortened and the spine does the work. Hinging at the hips with nearly straight knees loads the hamstrings in a long position together with the glutes; the erectors hold the spine neutral.
Seated Good Morning alternatives
Same equipment
Different equipment
Easier
No equipment
Make it harder
Make it easier
Similar exercises
Frequently asked questions
What muscles does the Seated Good Morning work?
Mainly the spinal erectors (lower back) and gluteus maximus. The hamstrings (biceps femoris), adductors and hamstrings (semitendinosus/-membranosus) assist.
Is the Seated Good Morning good for beginners?
The Seated Good Morning is rated intermediate. If you are new, learn the Band Good Morning first and build up from there.
What is a good alternative to the Seated Good Morning?
For example the Back Extension, GHD Back Extension and Hyperextension. They train mostly the same muscles, some with different equipment.
How do you make the Seated Good Morning harder?
Add weight or reps, or move on to the Single Leg Good Morning and Snatch Grip Romanian Deadlift.
Sources
- Bourne et al. 2017, Br J Sports Med 51(13):1021-1028 (hamstring exercise selection)
- Vigotsky et al. 2015, PeerJ 3:e708 (good morning)
Log your sets in Zulta
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