Legs / Intermediate / Compound (multi-joint)

Good Morning

A barbell exercise for the hamstrings, with the abs, glutes and lower back assisting.

At a glance

Primary

Hamstrings

Secondary

Abs, Glutes, Lower back (erectors)

Equipment

Barbell

Movement pattern

Hip hinge, Spinal extension

Level

Intermediate

Type

Legs, Compound (multi-joint)

Loads the lower back. Use a load you can control and skip it if it causes pain.

How to do it

1. Begin with a bar on a rack at shoulder height. Rack the bar across the rear of your shoulders as you would a power squat, not on top of your shoulders. Keep your back tight, shoulder blades pinched together, and your knees slightly bent. Step back from the rack.
2. Begin by bending at the hips, moving them back as you bend over to near parallel. Keep your back arched and your cervical spine in proper alignment.
3. Reverse the motion by extending through the hips with your glutes and hamstrings. Continue until you have returned to the starting position.

Common mistakes

• ✗ Going heavy on an exercise meant to be moderate.

  Why it hurts: The bar sits far from the hip on a long lever, so small technique lapses load the lower back heavily.

  ✓ Instead: Use light to moderate loads and slow reps; treat it as an accessory, not a max lift.

• ✗ Looking up and cranking the neck.

  Why it hurts: The neck extends under the bar and the lower back tends to follow into over-arching.

  ✓ Instead: Keep the gaze a couple of metres in front of your feet so the head stays in line with the spine.

Open in the appGet started