Barbell Good Morning

HingeBB

A high-skill posterior chain builder with the bar on the back (as in a squat) and the torso hinging forward at the hips to roughly parallel, loading the hamstrings, glutes, and spinal erectors under significant leverage.

Demo: Juggernaut Training Systems

Sets

3

Reps

6-10

Rest

2 min

Contraindications

HIGH-RISK EXERCISE for disc pathology — significant spinal flexion under axial load. Avoid entirely with active disc herniation, spondylolisthesis, or SI joint dysfunction. Requires excellent hip hinge proficiency and hamstring flexibility before loading. Not recommended for beginners.

Setup

Bar on the upper back as in a low-bar squat, feet shoulder-width, slight knee bend fixed throughout.

Execution

  1. 1Brace hard and unlock the hips first, pushing them back
  2. 2Hinge the torso forward, keeping the fixed knee bend
  3. 3Lower until the torso is roughly parallel to the floor or hamstring flexibility limit is reached
  4. 4Drive the hips forward to return to standing
  5. 5Keep the bar path directly over mid-foot throughout

Key cues

  • Hips back first, always
  • Keep the knee bend constant, don't squat it
  • Brace before you unrack
  • Chest stays proud, don't round
  • Drive hips through to stand, don't hyperextend

Common faults

  • Rounding the upper or lower back under load
  • Bending the knees progressively more (turning it into a squat)
  • Losing the brace and using momentum to bounce out of the bottom
  • Going too heavy before mastering bodyweight/bar-only reps
  • Hyperextending the lumbar spine at the top

Tweaks

  • Seated good morning for isolated hip hinge without hamstring involvement
  • Single-leg good morning for unilateral demand
  • Banded good morning as a cable-free, spine-friendlier alternative

Regressions

Banded Good Morning

Muscles

Primary: Hamstrings, Erector Spinae, Gluteus Maximus

Secondary: Core

Notes

One of the highest-skill, highest-risk posterior chain accessories — technique must be flawless before adding load.

Sources

Attribution: Juggernaut Training Systems