Good Mornings

[Amkey]

What is good mornings and how do I do them?
They are for legs right?

[cursor]

Lower back, Amkey:
Don't go too heavy at first ... Go light, then build up.

Good Mornings

[Amkey]

Whoa !!!!!!! now that looks tough.
Thanks Cursor

[ebon00]

Originally posted by Amkey
Whoa !!!!!!! now that looks tough.

They are tough but well worth it. As with any lower back exercise good mornings will also hit your hamstrings so you're right about working legs. You can try them Zercher style for more hamstring emphasis.

[Jakanden]

This is the exercise that put Bruce Lee in the hospital and off his feet for a couple of months (Ref: Art of Expressing the Human Body).

They are good exercises from my understanding, but be careful with them, cause it is easy to get injured if not done properly.

[Helene]

Maybe you should start by doing back extensions (hyperextensions) instead and when your back is stronger you can do good mornings.

[alucard]

these look like they could mess up ur back? pull something i mean. kinda like how in squats ur told to always keep ur back straight, nomatter how light the weight....this looks like the apidemy of that. but whatever u guys know more then me im sure

[cursor]

If you have any doubts at all about your ability to perform good-mornings with weights, then first start with just a broomstick. When you feel comfortable with that, then move up to a pair of 5-lb dumbbells. Gradually increment until you're doing them with an empty barbell. There's certainly no hurry ... you have your whole life (you DO plan on lifting for your whole life, right? )

[Loki]

Originally posted by cursor
There's certainly no hurry ... you have your whole life (you DO plan on lifting for your whole life, right? )

Well umm....only if i can be in as good of shape as you are, then hellz yea bro...you can't drag me away from the gym. I like good mornings...just a little odd to get used to at first. I learned not to try to help lift the weight with my neck...for some reason i do that with new exercises, and i learned the hard way

[cursor]

Keep liftin' and I have no doubt that you can be in BETTER shape than I am. Slow, steady ... and always focus on form.

[ebon00]

Just to add one thing here - there are three main good morning variations: regular (that's the one in the link cursor provided), rounded-back and seated. I usually recommend the regular version because you have to keep your back straight through the movement. The rounded-back version is great for some things but is more dangerous for obvious reasons. Seated is the hardest in my opinion because there's really no way to use your legs effectively at all (except hamstrings to a degree). And if you feel uncomfortable with the bar on your back try the Zercher version. It is also slightly easier since the lever is shorter so you can probably use a regular bar right away. But like I said, that one hits the hamstrings a little harder for some reason.

[mustang GT]

Good mornings are when I get up in the morning and I'm in a good mood. lol However, when I get up from bed I'm usually in a bad mood cause I want to go back to sleep. lol

[Maxima]

Originally posted by Amkey
What is good mornings and how do I do them?
They are for legs right?

Actually they are for the glutes and hamstrings. Look where your motion takes place, at the hips, so your glutes and hamstrings are the most active in this movement (more range of motion = more muscle stimulation) your back is only passivly working by not letting the weight bend your back, just as it would be during a cable row.

To effectivley work your back use the hyperetension bench,
http://www.ast-ss.com/training/exerc...extensions.asp

position yourself so that your upper body is level with the ground then act like you are performing stomach crunches where you are only pivoting from the spine. Pivoting from the hips (as shown in the diagram) means that those muscles are more involved in the movement. Move from the spine to work the lower back, move from the hips to work the glutes and hamstrings.

[TheBigness]

Zercher style, that is with the kness slighty bent am I right?

[ebon00]

Originally posted by TheBigness
Zercher style, that is with the kness slighty bent am I right?

Well, any good morning really should be done with a slight bend at the knee. Otherwise you can easily set yourself up for injury. No, Zercher style has to do with how you hold the bar, in this case in the crook of your elbow. I know, it sounds uncomfortable, and it is, but the load gets a new placement which will make a difference. The other good thing about them is that you'll use less weight and concentrate more on form and a full ROM. I love them.