Good Morning Lifts

christylynn622

Is there any way to correct my form so that the bar isn't resting directly onto my neck when I bend? It's difficult to try and hold it lower on my upper back because the weights keep making it roll back to my neck. Any suggestions, or should I just start using the bar pad?

zipa78

Use a safety squat bar if possible. This is also one of those exercises where a smith machine is really good, even better than a barbell in my opinion.

Also, are you perhaps using too much weight if you can't keep the bar in place? For good mornings you don't really need much weight at all. For example, I'm using about 1/4 of the weight that I use for squats when I do good mornings. It is far more important to have good form and go through the whole range of motion.

yopeeps025

what about like a low bar squat setup?

ninerbuff

If it's rolling back on to your neck, you may be bending over too far. Also alternatives is to do stiff legged deadlifts to work the same area.

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punchgut

First, are you starting off with the barbell on top of your shoulder blades? Just need to know.

Second, if you're starting off properly, then your issue is you're bending at your waist. When you do a squat you need to flex in proportionate angles at the ankle, knee and waist. What happens to most people is they have to little flexion in the ankle compared to the knee and waist. What happens is not enough ankle flexion with proper knee and waist flexion will cause you to fall on your butt, so people tend to bend more at the waist. This causes your chest to get closer to your knees and thighs while heading towards parallel to the floor, which will cause the bar to roll onto your neck.

How to resolve:

First you need to quit doing weight bearing squats while you work on correcting this. You do not want to blow out your knees or your back.

Second, go over to Mobility WOD and work on some of this flexibility. Start here: http://www.mobilitywod.com/2010/08/episode-01-the-first-of-many-beat-downs/

Then use his search engine to work on ankle flexibility.

Get your form corrected then go back to weight bearing. Really, a couple of weeks working on this will have you back safely squatting.

Oh, and a big no to the smith machine. It will always put you out of alignment. Always! It's only use is for overhead press from a bench and aussie pull ups.

One more item. Do not use the pad, as you progress in weight it becomes a hazard. The pads will always cause a roll or slip to happen when weighted.

Best of luck.

christylynn622

I'm not familiar with a safety squat bar or a low bar squat set up, but I looked them both up. The gym doesn't have the safety squat bar, and I don't think the low bar squat would target the hamstrings like the good morning, would it? Unless you are referring to the way I hold it on my back.

I'm only using 20 lbs. plus the bar so it's not a lot. I do like the idea of using the smith machine for this one.

Thanks!

zipa78

I'd give the smith machine a go. I find that I can concentrate much better on the form and get a good range of motion.

yopeeps025

christylynn622 wrote: »

I'm not familiar with a safety squat bar or a low bar squat set up, but I looked them both up. The gym doesn't have the safety squat bar, and I don't think the low bar squat would target the hamstrings like the good morning, would it? Unless you are referring to the way I hold it on my back.

I'm only using 20 lbs. plus the bar so it's not a lot. I do like the idea of using the smith machine for this one.

Thanks!

Low bar setup for your exercise not the squat. Stiff legs deadlifts work more than just the hams.

hellybooxx

What about front squats? Or holding kettle bells on your shoulders which is essentially the same as squatting with a bar.

punchgut

One more thing. Stiff leg deadlifts work the complementary muscles to the squat. They do not work the same muscles. This is important to know. Squats and deadlifts are complementary lifts. They work muscles in the same areas but different function and they balance each other out. Same goes for bench press and barbell rows, and also true for overhead press and pull ups.

erickirb

hellybooxx wrote: »

What about front squats? Or holding kettle bells on your shoulders which is essentially the same as squatting with a bar.

She isn't looking for squats, wants good mornings but needs new grip.

OP: try the same bar position as low bar squats. I also second doing SL deadlifts if you can't get the bar position corrected on good mornings. SL deads work lower back and hammies, pretty close to the good morning, but should be able to do more weight.

ninerbuff

punchgut wrote: »

First, are you starting off with the barbell on top of your shoulder blades? Just need to know.

Second, if you're starting off properly, then your issue is you're bending at your waist. When you do a squat you need to flex in proportionate angles at the ankle, knee and waist. What happens to most people is they have to little flexion in the ankle compared to the knee and waist. What happens is not enough ankle flexion with proper knee and waist flexion will cause you to fall on your butt, so people tend to bend more at the waist. This causes your chest to get closer to your knees and thighs while heading towards parallel to the floor, which will cause the bar to roll onto your neck.

How to resolve:

First you need to quit doing weight bearing squats while you work on correcting this. You do not want to blow out your knees or your back.

Second, go over to Mobility WOD and work on some of this flexibility. Start here: http://www.mobilitywod.com/2010/08/episode-01-the-first-of-many-beat-downs/

Then use his search engine to work on ankle flexibility.

Get your form corrected then go back to weight bearing. Really, a couple of weeks working on this will have you back safely squatting.

Oh, and a big no to the smith machine. It will always put you out of alignment. Always! It's only use is for overhead press from a bench and aussie pull ups.

One more item. Do not use the pad, as you progress in weight it becomes a hazard. The pads will always cause a roll or slip to happen when weighted.

Best of luck.

The exercise mentioned isn't squatting.

A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

ninerbuff

hellybooxx wrote: »

What about front squats? Or holding kettle bells on your shoulders which is essentially the same as squatting with a bar.

Exercise mentioned isn't a squat.

A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

ninerbuff

punchgut wrote: »

One more thing. Stiff leg deadlifts work the complementary muscles to the squat. They do not work the same muscles. This is important to know. Squats and deadlifts are complementary lifts. They work muscles in the same areas but different function and they balance each other out. Same goes for bench press and barbell rows, and also true for overhead press and pull ups.

She's doing good mornings. It targets the low back, glutes and hamstrings. Pretty much the same as what the stiff legged deadlift targets. I think you missed the part where the OP was looking for help with the actual exercise she's performing.

A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
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Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

punchgut

Oh, I see.

Why would you bother with that one?

stealthq

OP, I tried good mornings for a while and had similar problems - didn't matter which bar I used, or how I gripped it. Like others have suggested, I switched to SL deads. Zero form issues, and I can shift a ton more weight. Trust me. They very definitely work the hams.

If you have the flexibility, you might want to try deficit SL deads, which is what I do now.

Sam_I_Am77

Most gyms don't have a safety-squat bar, so that's likely not a solution. The alternative would be what Niner said with Straight-leg Deadlifts or Romanian Deadlifts. I would say that those two exercises will be a little more "healthy" for your lumbar spine than Good Mornings anyway.

Lofteren

If the bar is rolling up your neck you likely have a loose upper back. One of the best parts about doing good mornings instead of stiff legged deadlifts is that you have to keep a tight upper back. Focus on squeezing your traps, lats and scapular retractors as hard as possible when you are descending. You can do this by trying to touch your elbows together behind your back and trying to puff your chest up really big. Essentially, make your back as small as possible and make your chest as big as possible.

You also might need to use a lower bar position. You can't do good mornings with a high bar position (bar on your traps) like an Olympic lifter would use.

crownjewel82

I know a lot of people like to recommend the smith but the smith can force you into an unnatural movement and it can also encourage you to lift too much. Besides, you can't do good mornings on a smith because the bar is meant to move with your back which means it will follow a curved path.

I also don't like the bar pad thing because it keeps you from building up your trapezius (those muscles in your back just below your neck where the bar is supposed to sit).

I recommend that you use less weight and you work on finding the right spot on your traps. If you stand up straight and push your shoulders back you should feel kind of a shelf just below your neck. That's where the bar goes. If you're still having trouble then try SLDLs (as others have mentioned). They're a much safer and easier exercise.

erickirb

crownjewel82 wrote: »

I know a lot of people like to recommend the smith but the smith can force you into an unnatural movement and it can also encourage you to lift too much. Besides, you can't do good mornings on a smith because the bar is meant to move with your back which means it will follow a curved path.

I also don't like the bar pad thing because it keeps you from building up your trapezius (those muscles in your back just below your neck where the bar is supposed to sit).

I recommend that you use less weight and you work on finding the right spot on your traps. If you stand up straight and push your shoulders back you should feel kind of a shelf just below your neck. That's where the bar goes. If you're still having trouble then try SLDLs (as others have mentioned). They're a much safer and easier exercise.

I argree, I can't see the Smith Machine working for GMs at all

zipa78

crownjewel82 wrote: »

Besides, you can't do good mornings on a smith

Yeah... No.

http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/Hamstrings/SMGoodMorning.html

erickirb

zipa78 wrote: »

crownjewel82 wrote: »

Besides, you can't do good mornings on a smith

Yeah... No.

http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/Hamstrings/SMGoodMorning.html

After watching that I don't think I would call that a good morning, as with good morning you move your upper body forward, not your hips back. It may work very similar to one and could be a good substitute, but I would not call it a good morning. And the form looks more difficult to get on that

zipa78

As for going too heavy, I can easily do good mornings (well, something remotely resembling them) with 150 kg using a barbell. On a smith, 20 kg on the bar is plenty enough. It is sooooo much easier to cheat with the barbell.

christylynn622

punchgut wrote: »

Oh, I see.

Why would you bother with that one?

It's part of a new workout plan I started 1/5 (Erin Stern) so I was just following the program which includes good mornings on leg days. I also do squats.

christylynn622

Thanks for all of the tips, guys. Really appreciate it. I think you're right in that I need to focus on tightening my upper back muscles. I'll give that a try or move the bar to a lower position. Or, if it's still an issue, move to straight leg deadlifts.

Sam_I_Am77

Another conversation here brought this train of thought on, but it's not that uncommon for gyms to have a Hex Bar (aka Trap Bar) in the weight room. You could easily do Romanian Deadlifts with that bar which has a better center-of-gravity and would be safe for your back and quite effective for the posterior chain. Just a thought if one is available...