“Good morning” is a complex exercise that involves several muscle groups in different ways at the same time. It allows you to strengthen the muscles of the legs, back and buttocks. However, it is often ignored due to fear of a back injury.
The exercise got its name because it looks like a bow. For this, many do not like him - from the outside it seems that just something went wrong during the squat. Some are afraid of the technique itself.
Yes, of course, with careless execution you can earn serious injury. However, in order to overcome the plateau in training for strength, the Good Morning exercise is ideal.
What muscles work?
First of all, during the exercise, the muscles of the posterior thigh are involved. They work together with the hamstrings and provide mobility of the knees. The strength of the muscles of the back of the thigh is important for many sports and in everyday life.
The so-called synergistic muscles, which work together with others, are also actively working. These include the gluteal muscles and the adductor major muscle. Buttocks are responsible for stretching, rotation of the hips, as well as their movement to the side. The large adductor is a small muscle that is also involved in all movements of the hips.
“Good morning” is an exercise that also involves small but very important muscles that straighten the spine, which contributes not only to a strong back, but also to a healthy posture and proper gait.
Is exercise dangerous?
As with any other physical activity, despite all the advantages and active work of various muscle groups, there are always risks.
“Good morning” is an exercise that is great for working out the back of the thigh and back, but with the wrong technique, it is also the most dangerous of all.
The risk of injury is highest when the body is closest to the parallel to the floor. In this case, the weight of the bar puts maximum pressure on the spine. With the wrong technique and not enough strong back muscles, this is a direct way to the hospital.
If you are a beginner, then do not rush to do the good morning exercise, first practice on squats and Romanian traction.
It should also be remembered that this is one hundred percent not an exercise where it is worth experimenting with extremely heavy weights. In this case, the main thing is the technique, and if you want to boast of strength, there are many other options that are safer for the back.
How to do Good Morning?
The exercise seems pretty straightforward, but it's important to remember a few simple rules:
- First of all, you need to learn how to squat correctly.
- Place the barbell on the back of the deltoid muscles, this will protect the exercise. A high bar position is also acceptable, in which case the load on the biceps of the thigh and lower back increases.
- Do not lean exactly parallel to the floor or, even worse, lower. It is enough to stop about 15 degrees above the parallel.
- First, take the weight, which is 25% of the one with which you perform squats, then gradually increase the load.
- Do not exercise on straight legs. So the bar will go too far forward, which will create excessive pressure on the lower back.
The Good Morning exercise with a barbell is very similar to squats:
- The beginning is similar to squats. Stand straight, feet shoulder width apart. Place the barbell on your shoulders, take a deep breath and tighten your abs.
- Start pushing your hips back, slightly bending your knees. Keep pushing your hips back, lowering your torso almost parallel to the floor. At the lower point, the tibia should remain perpendicular to the floor, and the knees should be slightly bent.
- Slowly push your hips forward and lift your body. So you said good morning to the gym.
The exercise is quite simple in execution, but at first, if you are doing it yourself, it’s better to shoot the equipment on video so that you can analyze the errors.
Variations
If it is difficult for you or not able to perform an exercise with a barbell, there are several variations:
- With elastic tape. This option minimizes the load on the spine and allows you to effectively work out the buttocks and biceps of the thigh.
- With dumbbells. Take one dumbbell of suitable weight and hold it under your chest. This is a good option for practicing equipment before moving on to the bar.
- Isometric Good morning. Slowly descend almost to the parallel with the floor, then linger in this position for 2-10 seconds and return to the starting position. Isometric exercises are the best way to quickly build strength.
- Good morning on one leg. This complicated version of the exercise is performed on one leg. Allows you to increase strength and train a sense of balance. But be extremely careful.
Exercise can also be performed with any other weighting materials: chains, pancakes from the bar and so on.
Conclusion
“Good morning” is an exercise that effectively affects the gluteal muscles, thigh biceps and lower back. However, extreme caution should be exercised in its implementation, since non-compliance with the technique is fraught with serious injuries.
If you are not given an exercise in any variation, you can still give a sufficient load on the target muscles with the help of squats, deadlifts and deadlifts.