Seated Good Mornings are a Good Mornings variation that strengthen the lower back, core, hamstrings and hips. The glutes also get to activate, which most trainers will arguably declare as the main muscles at play here.
For a compound exercise, multiple muscles are activated making this work out an incredible versatile exercise that can be included in leg workouts, upper body workouts and full body workout.
The advantage of doing the workout seated than standing is that seated variation places more emphasis on the lower back, core muscles and hips. The hamstrings and glutes will not get that extreme pull as when standing but will still get to assist and activate effectively.
HOW TO DO SEATED GOOD MORNINGS PROPERLY
Make sure you have at least do a few decent warms-ups to loosen your muscles. Doing this lessens muscle aches and muscles adapt to the workout quickly.
How to do it:
- Start by placing a barbell just below shoulder height on a power rack. Load it with lightweights that will allow you to focus on your technique. Better still, a free bar.
- Step under the barbell and place it across the back of your shoulders. Face forward and hold firmly the barbell with your elbows pointing forward.
- Lift off the barbell from the rack and walk forward towards the workout bench. Sit on the edge of a workout bench with your feet wide and firmly planted on the floor.
- Straighten your back and tighten your core muscles. This is your starting position.
- Inhale as you hinge at the hips and bend forward while keeping your back straight.
- Arch at the lower back so that your hips do most of the flexing and your glutes pushed back.
- Hold the position and exhale as you go back to your starting position in a slow and controlled movement. Repeat the movements a number of times.
- Maintain a normal breathing.
- Do 3 sets of 4-8 reps.
WHAT MUSCLES DO SEATED GOOD MORNINGS WORK
LOWER BACK MUSCLES
Often the neglected back part when working out, the lower back is the most important part since the 5 lumbar vertebrae located there help support and stabilize the upper body.
The muscles help support the weight of the upper body when bending forward (truncal movement) and stabilize the upper body.
GLUTES
With the backward movement of the hips and thighs, the gluteal muscles help to provide stability.
This helps activate the butt muscles by contracting the muscles to effectively burn fat and increase muscle strength. The tighter the glutes the better the muscle work and development.
HAMSTRINGS
Hamstrings functions as muscles that keeps us stable when sitting down, standing up or leaning forwards.
The hamstring my not feel the same extreme tension as when doing the workout while standing, but having weights on your shoulders and bending forward prompts the hamstrings to jump in action and help stabilize the movement.
ABS
Tightening the torso muscles helps stabilize the bend and maintain a controlled movement. The oblique muscles helps in maintaining good posture, which helps keep a straight back when bending.
SEATED GOOD MORNINGS BENEFITS
LOWER BACK STRENGTHENING
With the lower back responsible for supporting the upper body weight, it only means that an injury on the lower back can be really damaging to your spinal region.
With the lower back muscles receiving the least attention in most workouts, Seated Good Mornings concentrates and strengthens the lower back muscles and improves flexibility.
This helps you do activities and workouts with great swiftness and strength especially if the lower back is involved.
IMPROVES FLEXIBILITY
Stretching your back and abdominal muscles creates am elasticity and extension to your muscles that it becomes easy to twist and turn without struggling.
Flexibility is an advantage because it means more workout variations and alternatives.
IMRPOVE POSTURE
A straight back when working out is a safe and neutral back. Reinforcing a good posture helps you to keep a healthy spine and a confident look.
A good posture helps to relieve painful aches that are common for badly positioned spine. Working on having a straight and good posture helps have a good form when working out and protect your spine from harm.
ALTERNATIVES TO SEATED GOOD MORNINGS
GLUTE HAM RAISES
Glute Ham Raises are the types of bodyweights exercises that tremendously work on developing muscle strength and hypertrophy on your glutes, hamstrings and lower back.
From its name, glute ham, the muscles are highly valued for performance and injury prevention. Adding this workout to your program will be a great alternative for Seated Good Mornings exercise.]
Learn how to do Glute Ham Raises and increase your muscles strength and mass.
HIP TRUSTS
Hip thrust technique is an amazing workout that reinforces great hip flexion and extension plus having an increase in glutes muscle mass. Strong pairs of glutes help in improving hip mobility and lower back muscles.
Definitely not your cup of tea but the workout works on building strong glutes and help burn leg fat effectively. The exercise also works on strengthening the hamstrings.
SEATED GOOD MORNINGS MISTAKES TO AVOID
CURVED/ROUNDED BACK
With weights on your back, bad form is hard to miss. Straightening your back and arching at the lower back helps reinforce a straight and good posture.
Curving your back harms your spine because it is not neutral and tension from the weights is exerted heavily on the back muscles. Protect your back by always maintaining a straight back and neutral spine.
USING EXCESS WEIGHT
Most curved or rounded backs are either due to bad posture (normal spine positioning) or due to the heavy weights you are using.
Use lightweights to help improve your back posture and with time reinforce it.
NARROW FEET DISTANCE
Narrow feet distance is not bad but it limits your hip hinging. Widening your feet distance allows you to work on the glutes, hamstrings and hips better.
CONCLUSION
Seated Good Mornings are the easy but very reliable compound workouts that come through for you be it on leg days or full body days.
The most neglected back part, the lower back is worked on and activated, which with time and consistency strengthen and gets healthy.
[related_posts_by_tax posts_per_page="4"]
