“Good morning exercise” to strengthen the buttocks –

Known worldwide as “good morning”, the good morning exercise is a movement that should be part of regular training, as it offers several benefits.

If you’ve never heard of it, rest assured, because in this guide you can find everything you need to know about it, such as how to perform it, common mistakes and what you’ll gain by adding it to your routine.

HOW TO MAKE GOOD MORNING

In its most basic form, the good morning is nothing more than a functional movement that consists of bending the torso forward with the spine neutral and stabilized.

Stand with feet hip-width apart and pointed forward, and knees slightly bent. Hands should be straight down, crossed over the chest or resting on the back of the head.
Engage your abs and simultaneously bend your torso and push your butt back, keeping your lower legs perpendicular to the floor.
Keeping your back straight, continue to lower your torso toward the floor until you notice a stretch in your hamstrings or your back begins to round.
Press through your feet and drive your hips forward to reverse the movement, using your hamstrings and core to stand up straight. Squeeze your glutes.

It’s worth noting that not everyone will be able to keep their torso parallel to the ground due to tightness in the posterior thigh muscles or weakness in the abdomen – and that’s okay! In these cases, the recommended thing is to go as far as the body allows, gradually leaning the torso to start.

BENEFITS OF THE “GOOD MORNING EXERCISE”

Works the posterior chain

While the good morning mainly strengthens the glutes and hamstrings (hamstrings), it also strengthens all the other muscles in the posterior chain, such as the upper back, lats, and calves.

The good morning exercise is one of the best ways to prevent injuries.

This is because the posterior chain of the body is usually weak, which means that other muscle groups need to compensate for this weakness and thus increase the risk of injuries such as plantar fasciitis, strained hamstrings, and lower back and knee injuries.

Therefore, it is essential to have exercises like good morning to activate these neglected muscles.

Improves functional fitness

Good morning exercise is similar to movements we do in everyday tasks, as is also the case with squats, for example.

In this way, having a well-executed good morning decreases the chances of hurting your lower back by doing routine activities, such as storing groceries in low places or tying your shoes, for example.

MUSCLES WORKED IN GOOD MORNING

The good morning exercise is great for posterior body chainbut it is not just this region that it affects.

Core muscles, including the transversus abdominis, obliques and pelvic floor, which play a key role in keeping your spine safe and protected, also benefit from the movement.

In addition, he can still strengthen the triceps, biceps, shoulders and trapezius. So yes, this is a complete exercise.

VARIATION OF THE “GOOD MORNING EXERCISE”

By itself, good morning already works the body as a whole. However, it is possible to adjust it so that it is more efficient and targets other specific muscle groups even more.

If you add weights, for example, it will affect the difficulty of the movement and the degree to which the exercise targets your core or hamstrings.

If you don’t have a barbell, but you do have a light dumbbell, kettlebell, or medicine ball (or any of those household items), you can do the move with light weight—which is fine to start with. As you get stronger, the weights can go up.

Variation: Good morning exercise with barbell on the back

Have you ever done a barbell squat on your back? For good morning, the technique is the same.

If you’re using a squat rack, walk up to the bar and get under it so you can accommodate the traps or rear delts. Stretch your legs to unlock it.
Move away from the rack so there is enough room to move forward. Position your feet hip-width apart and forward.
Bend at the waist, bringing your butt back as you lower your torso toward the floor.
Keep lowering until you feel a stretch in your hamstrings or until your chest is parallel to the floor, whichever comes first.
Keep your abs tight, then activate your glutes and hamstrings to return to a standing position.

Variation: Front Load Good Morning Exercise

To add to the core challenge of your good morning exercise, try holding the barbell (or any other weight you have handy) in front of your chest rather than your back.

Stand with your feet hip-width apart, arms bent and hands in front of your chest holding the weight.
Engage your core and bend your knees slightly, then push your hips back as you lean your chest forward, keeping your back straight.
Reverse the movement as soon as you feel a stretch in your hamstrings, or when your core starts to fatigue, pressing your feet down and driving your hips back to a standing position.

Variation: Sitting good morning exercise

Performing a good sitting day emphasizes the hamstrings less than the standing variation, but prioritizes the glutes and lower back more.

Find a firm surface, such as a box or chair, where your feet can reach the floor when you sit down. Sit with your feet shoulder-width apart and a barbell resting behind your back.
Engage your core and lower until your torso is as close to parallel with the floor as possible without rounding your back.
Press into the floor and activate your hamstrings to return to the starting position.

COMMON GOOD MORNING MISTAKES

Despite being very good, when good morning done the wrong way it can bring a series of injury risks, especially when using weights.

For this reason, it is indicated to add load only when you are at a more advanced level of exercise. Otherwise, it can cause problems like disc hernia, for example.

A good tip is to film the execution of the movement to check if everything is right and correct it if necessary – especially the posture of the back, which is the most common mistake.

HOW TO ADD THE “GOOD MORNING EXERCISE” IN THE TRAINING

It is possible to add good morning in training as part of the warm-up to “wake up” the posterior chain and core muscles, like before deadlifting or squatting, for example.

In addition, it is also a great choice for leg training days, done as a strength exercise, as previously mentioned.