Good mornings

[Ana]

How do you do these :oops:

[Blondell]

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

[TheDeliverator]

Bunch of different ways, we like to do them arch-backed.

http://irongladiators.com/images/PRODUCTSBIG/hardcore6.jpg

We begin with a low bar position, and our conventional pullers will go to a shoulder width stance, while our sumo pullers will go with a wider stance.

The back (lower, middle and upper) is arched, the lats are pulled tight (like you're trying to touch your elbows to your sides).

Big belly full of air, abs pushed out (look at yourself in the mirror, and take in a big breath. If your shoulders rise, you're not breathing where you want to breathe. Fill your belly with air, push the abs out and flex them).

The first movement is to push your ass back, allowing yourself to bend at the hips (not the waist, which is where everyone fucks these up) while forcing your ass as far back as you can.

The knees will naturally break, but, do not dip the ass and turn this into a squat.

In the bottom position, your chest should be sticking out, back remains arched, and your torso should be close to parallel to the floor.

To reverse the position, drive your upper back into the bar, and squeeze your ass. Rinse, take another breath, and repeat.

We like these for heavy 5's, sometimes 3's, never anything lower, and to trash your lower back we will do them with a Giant Cambered bar against doubled light bands.

[TheDeliverator]

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

Uck, no way for us. Locked legs are a bad idea, and rounding the lower back and dipping your head that much are begging for trouble.

My Lady's best, with the GCB, was 335x3.

[Ana]

Thanks :)

[Ana]

Del I don't usualy breath until I'm done my lifts don't know why but I hold my breath :(

[TheDeliverator]

Del I don't usualy breath until I'm done my lifts don't know why but I hold my breath :(

Holding your breath is good.

On things like squats and GM's, though, you'll want to get a deep breath before each rep, while forcing your abs out.

This helps brace your lower back.

[Ana]

Holding your breath is good.

On things like squats and GM's, though, you'll want to get a deep breath before each rep, while forcing your abs out.

This helps brace your lower back.
Got it, thanks :)

[Hoochiemomma]

Nice tips Del - I love GM's :love:

[TheDeliverator]

Nice tips Del - I love GM's :love:

We love them, too. Our more advanced guys do them here and there, but our beginner and intermediate lifters hammer them often.

We like GCB GM's, GCB GM's against doubled bands and Suspended GM's (either the SSB or GCB, from chains).

They are one of the best movements for your backside -period.

[Patricia]

I :love: Gms....too bad they aren't on my plan....:dry:

[Ana]

I'm excited never had them, probably can only do the bar :(

[Patricia]

Bunch of different ways, we like to do them arch-backed.

http://irongladiators.com/images/PRODUCTSBIG/hardcore6.jpg

We begin with a low bar position, and our conventional pullers will go to a shoulder width stance, while our sumo pullers will go with a wider stance.

The back (lower, middle and upper) is arched, the lats are pulled tight (like you're trying to touch your elbows to your sides).

Big belly full of air, abs pushed out (look at yourself in the mirror, and take in a big breath. If your shoulders rise, you're not breathing where you want to breathe. Fill your belly with air, push the abs out and flex them).

The first movement is to push your ass back, allowing yourself to bend at the hips (not the waist, which is where everyone fucks these up) while forcing your ass as far back as you can.

The knees will naturally break, but, do not dip the ass and turn this into a squat.

In the bottom position, your chest should be sticking out, back remains arched, and your torso should be close to parallel to the floor.

To reverse the position, drive your upper back into the bar, and squeeze your ass. Rinse, take another breath, and repeat.We like these for heavy 5's, sometimes 3's, never anything lower, and to trash your lower back we will do them with a Giant Cambered bar against doubled light bands.
This is how I do mine... I have no idea how I started out doing them right. :shrug:

[JOIE]

I find them to be ridiculousy awkward. (did I murder that word or what?)

[radgirl]

I find them to be ridiculousy awkward. (did I murder that word or what?)
Same here. I don't feel them unless the bar is quite heavy, but then I can't get the darn thing into position. I feel strange doing them.

[TheDeliverator]

Same here. I don't feel them unless the bar is quite heavy, but then I can't get the darn thing into position. I feel strange doing them.

GM's are interesting that way. Awkward enough nearly everyone has problems doing them, and avoids them for that reason.

But, simple enough that even the worst cases are easily coached and fixed in a matter of minutes.

[radgirl]

GM's are interesting that way. Awkward enough nearly everyone has problems doing them, and avoids them for that reason.

But, simple enough that even the worst cases are easily coached and fixed in a matter of minutes.
Del, any tips aside from using a rack to get the weight on? I want to feel the movement, but I don't want to hurt myself in the process. It would be nice to have another leg movement to try.

[Patricia]

Same here. I don't feel them unless the bar is quite heavy, but then I can't get the darn thing into position. I feel strange doing them.
I go 'heavy' and just use the squat rack to hold the bar....then just stand in front, get it on my back/shoulders and step back into position. When done I just walk forward a few steps and place it back on the rack

[TheDeliverator]

Del, any tips aside from using a rack to get the weight on? I want to feel the movement, but I don't want to hurt myself in the process. It would be nice to have another leg movement to try.

I have many, but, I'm out the door to class. When I come back this afternoon I'll spill my guts on goodmornings.

Be prepared to read!

My Father says class is getting out of the shower to pee,
Del.

[radgirl]

I go 'heavy' and just use the squat rack to hold the bar....then just stand in front, get it on my back/shoulders and step back into position. When done I just walk forward a few steps and place it back on the rack
Ok, I'll try that. Thanks.

[Hoochiemomma]

They are one of the best movements for your backside -period.

Yes, I feel that. Right now in fact.

[Audrey]

I go 'heavy' and just use the squat rack to hold the bar....then just stand in front, get it on my back/shoulders and step back into position. When done I just walk forward a few steps and place it back on the rack

I do the same thing. Basically, I set the bar as if I were to do a back squat. Then I proceed with the exercise (focusing on pushing my ass as far as I can and keeping an arch in the back as mentioned above). Then I place it back on the squat rack.

[Patricia]

I do the same thing. Basically, I set the bar as if I were to do a back squat. Then I proceed with the exercise (focusing on pushing my ass as far as I can and keeping an arch in the back as mentioned above). Then I place it back on the squat rack.
Yep...except the way you worded it was much simpler!
:lol3:

[smuggie]

Holding your breath is good.

On things like squats and GM's, though, you'll want to get a deep breath before each rep, while forcing your abs out.

This helps brace your lower back.
That's what I do. I exhale at the top of the movement only.

[smuggie]

I go 'heavy' and just use the squat rack to hold the bar....then just stand in front, get it on my back/shoulders and step back into position. When done I just walk forward a few steps and place it back on the rack
That's how I do it. I also place the pins at the height where I hit the bottom of the movement, so I don't have to worry I'll decapitate myself if I miss.

[TheDeliverator]

Goodmornings are, in my eyes, one of the most important movements for nearly any lifter. When it comes to overall strength, and, developing the backside of the body, very few movements come close to the bang-for-buck of the goodmorning.

That being said, there are a handful of difficulties that make this particular movement rather easy to dislike. I'll go ahead and list out what I feel are things to know when performing (or deciding to perform) goodmornings.

First and foremost, you have to be inshape to properly execute the movement. Many will disagree with me here, but, it is my firm belief that the body should be both conditioned and prepared to perform goodmornings before they should even be contemplated. What I mean is, you have to make sure a lifter has a strong mid-section/core and is able to adequately use said core. If a lifter doesn't have strong abs, low back or obliques, or, cannot adequate call on their abs to function in the way needed for goodmornings, the lifter should not be performing goodmornings.

Second, lats and the upper back will play an extremely large role when performing goodmornings. They are, in essence, the muscles that will not only keep the movement safe, but, protect the lower back as well. One of the biggest reasons lower backs round is that the upper back rounds first. When an upper back is rounded, the lower back is nearly sure to follow, and this can be prevented with a properly developed set of lats and traps.

Third, the lifter has to have been around the iron game for long enough to be able to feel how their body is moving and more importantly, be able to "see" how their body is moving in space through what they feel. This should not require the use of mirrors, by the way. We don't have a single mirror in either Powerlifting gym we train in. Mirrors are distractions, more over, a mirror will not let you see what you need to see for the majority of high-risk movements. This consideration is best observed by asking a lifter to keep their back arched while pushing the hips/ass back...many inexperienced lifters will bend at the waist while strongly believing they are, in fact, doing what they've been told.

Now, on to the movement. For the sake of convenience, I'll use the standard straight-bar goodmorning for my example.

Many people will tell you to setup underneath the bar the same way you would for a squat, and, many people would be wrong. Bar position varies drastically from lifter to lifter for the squat, and, the vast majority of lifters will utilize a high-bar position for their squats because a "lower" position feels uncomfortable (because of weak and small upper backs, mostly, but that is a different thread completely). For the goodmorning, it is best to set the bar as far back as comfortable -notice that I did not say low. Many lifters (powerlifters especially) will use the term low-bar to convey the idea of placing the bar farther back on the lifter. This is a much different meaning than conveyed by the term low. For the goodmorning, the hands should be on the bar, tightly squeezed, and the upper back should be pulled together and pinched as tightly as possible. This should, development permitting, create a shelf (composed of the rear delts and lower traps). This is where the bar should sit. The reasoning for this is to get the bulk of the weight off of your neck and onto your back...a bar position that is farther back on a lifter will also aid in keeping the upper back properly positioned (read: arched).

It should be noted that when unracking a straight bar for goodmornings from a rack, the lifter should not be standing straight up (the same goes for squatting from a rack). If a lifter unracks straight up, with the bar properly placed, it will not only be extremely uncomfortable, but, will want to fall off of the lifter completely. A slight lean, while maintaining an arch, is prefered.

For most lifters, a shoulder-width stance will be the most comfortable. The head should be turtled back into the bar, not looking up or down. Try to slide your head backwards into the bar. Take a deep breath into your belly (as I mentioned in an earlier post) while pushing our your abs. A very loose belt is a great learning tool for this purpose; try to make a loose belt tight by blowing our your stomach and flexing your abs.

The breath is held for the entire movement -no exhaling or inhaling while in motion for goodmornings, ever!

The first movement is to push the ass backwards as far as possible. You do this while maintaining an arch in the upper and lower back. Keep pushing the ass backwards without letting your knees bend. Naturally, your knees will have to break in order to keep moving your hips backwards, but, the less you think about squatting the less likely you are to turn this movement into one.

The ass is pushed back until the torso is around parallel with the floor. Obviously, with an arched back (both upper and lower) it would take a lot of ROM to be parallel with the floor, but, too many lifters turn a goodmorning into a half squat with a slight bend and ruin a perfectly good movement (as well as successfully looking like complete morons). Remember, if the bar doesn't travel past the knees, it isn't a goodmorning.

The reversal of the movement is not gentle, it is violent -but controlled. To reverse the movement, drive your upper back and head (turtled) into the bar while squeezing the ass. The stomach stays tight this entire time, again, no breathing during the movement -ever!

At the top of the movement, take a second breath before the next rep, but, with a weight on your back, it is common to round over the upper back when you exhale. If you are prone to this, it will take a special amount of focus and accessory work to develop the strength needed to prevent this from happening. Don't start a goodmorning (or a squat or a pull or a press) from a shitty position. Get strong and get into position before trying anything!

These are, generally, the in's and out's of the basic goodmorning. The movement has several variations (GCB, SSB, suspended, round-backed, GM-squat, seated, etc.) but, the general jist of the movement will remain unchanged.

[Jypsie]

Thanks for the great advice, Del! I'm wondering, do you always do these with the feet apart? Would you ever do them with your feet together?

[TheDeliverator]

Thanks for the great advice, Del! I'm wondering, do you always do these with the feet apart? Would you ever do them with your feet together?

No, never with our feet together. First, because lifting with our feet actually together would be fairly unstable, and second, because all of us have large legs, getting the feet to touch while standing is virtually impossible.

[smuggie]

Stupendous post, Dan.

[TheDeliverator]

Stupendous post, Dan.

:cardio:

[Erik]

Del is a con. He's just a cardio bunny.

[TheDeliverator]

Del is a con. He's just a cardio bunny.

What else am I supposed to do -actually lift weights?

Gross. Bulky guys are disgusting.

[smuggie]

Del is a con. He's just a cardio bunny.
:(

[smuggie]

What else am I supposed to do -actually lift weights?
:nod:

[Ana]

Thanks Del awesome :)

Bulky guys are hot :hehe:

[strongchick]

Is there a good video to show that? That was an awesome post.

[Ana]

I tried these just to see if I could do them :eek:

[JOIE]

I tried these just to see if I could do them :eek:

And?

[Robben]

Thanks Del... Great info...

[Ana]

And?

They're tough :oops:

I love them though but they are harder then they look. I love anything that will lift my butt :hehe:

[Jypsie]

They're tough :oops:

I love them though but they are harder then they look. I love anything that will lift my butt :hehe:

I've actually been doing these and pull-thrus a lot lately. I absolutely LOVE this workout :) Also, I never see anyone else doing either exercise, so I feel super-cool (especially when I'm wearing my gloves :razz1: )

[Ana]

I've actually been doing these and pull-thrus a lot lately. I absolutely LOVE this workout :) Also, I never see anyone else doing either exercise, so I feel super-cool (especially when I'm wearing my gloves :razz1: )

:lol3: GLOVES :lifter:

[gluteus maximus]

Ana,

How much weight were you able to do.

I might try these just for the fun of it.

[Ana]

Ana,

How much weight were you able to do.

I might try these just for the fun of it.

I added 10lbs to the bar so not much at all.

[Jeff Rage]

I miss GM. (It puts too much stress on my shoudlers.)

[TheDeliverator]

I miss GM. (It puts too much stress on my shoudlers.)

We don't do GMs unless we use the GCB of a buffalo bar.

[smuggie]

I've actually been doing these and pull-thrus a lot lately. I absolutely LOVE this workout :) Also, I never see anyone else doing either exercise, so I feel super-cool (especially when I'm wearing my gloves :razz1: )
Gloves = :gay:

[mackie]

Awesome tips & explanations, Del! :thumb: Your descriptions are so clear, I can almost picture you giving us a little demo.

Old thread, I know... but I needed to find it, because I'm going to, once again, attempt a few of these today... and I needed a little refresher course.:lol: I think this is worth bumping to the top anyway.

[smuggie]

I agree and I'm glad you did. I've been meaning to print it out.

[TheDeliverator]

Here is a recent video of suspended GCB GM's...

Me, 365x3: http://youtube.com/watch?v=0A3XMI56RLU

Lady, 295x3: http://youtube.com/watch?v=8JD0im7SkJI

[TheDeliverator]

Oh, and for kicks, we were working out with our SM group and my Lady decided to try to load a 240 stone.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qWCaIi6aKnY

[smuggie]

Here is a recent video of suspended GCB GM's...

Me, 365x3: http://youtube.com/watch?v=0A3XMI56RLU

Lady, 295x3: http://youtube.com/watch?v=8JD0im7SkJI
Good stuff, as usual.

[smuggie]

Oh, and for kicks, we were working out with our SM group and my Lady decided to try to load a 240 stone.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qWCaIi6aKnY
She's teh awesome.

[synergyb3]

I miss GM. (It puts too much stress on my shoudlers.)Me, too. I used to love doing GMs. :(


We don't do GMs unless we use the GCB of a buffalo bar.THAT would sure help me.

Great info here. Thanks for the videos, too. :thumb:

[Jeff Rage]

Me, too. I used to love doing GMs. :(
It's been I while since I posted that. At my new gym, I was doing some GM with a SSB. It works, but is quite awkward. The have a cambered bar there, I may try that out.

[Cindy Day]

Stupendous post, Dan.
:yeahthat: and sorry I can't rep you again yet.

ETA: I'm glad this got bumped up too. :D

[Jeff Rage]

Here is a recent video of suspended GCB GM's...

Me, 365x3: http://youtube.com/watch?v=0A3XMI56RLU

Lady, 295x3: http://youtube.com/watch?v=8JD0im7SkJI
Very interesting. I don't' think I have the means to set that up in my gym. Gould you do something similar, bringing the bar down to pins?

[TheDeliverator]

Very interesting. I don't' think I have the means to set that up in my gym. Gould you do something similar, bringing the bar down to pins?

You certainly could; we did suspended GM's off of pins with the SSB.

We prefer the straps, because it's easier to get into position (you can push the bar away from you to set your feet, and, you can wiggle underneath the bar with more freedom to get setup).

You'll find that the bar slides away from you when you try to get setup when you use pins.

The straps were purchased from EliteFTS, about 90 bucks, but they are awesome. You could do the same thing with 5/8" chain, it would probably run you about 30 bucks to length, and then a couple bucks to get screw-locks.

You could carry them with you to the gym, and, if there are PLs there regularly, you won't get funny looks.

[Jared]

Goodmornings are, in my eyes, one of the most important movements for nearly any lifter. When it comes to overall strength, and, developing the backside of the body, very few movements come close to the bang-for-buck of the goodmorning.

That being said, there are a handful of difficulties that make this particular movement rather easy to dislike. I'll go ahead and list out what I feel are things to know when performing (or deciding to perform) goodmornings.

First and foremost, you have to be inshape to properly execute the movement. Many will disagree with me here, but, it is my firm belief that the body should be both conditioned and prepared to perform goodmornings before they should even be contemplated. What I mean is, you have to make sure a lifter has a strong mid-section/core and is able to adequately use said core. If a lifter doesn't have strong abs, low back or obliques, or, cannot adequate call on their abs to function in the way needed for goodmornings, the lifter should not be performing goodmornings.

Second, lats and the upper back will play an extremely large role when performing goodmornings. They are, in essence, the muscles that will not only keep the movement safe, but, protect the lower back as well. One of the biggest reasons lower backs round is that the upper back rounds first. When an upper back is rounded, the lower back is nearly sure to follow, and this can be prevented with a properly developed set of lats and traps.

Third, the lifter has to have been around the iron game for long enough to be able to feel how their body is moving and more importantly, be able to "see" how their body is moving in space through what they feel. This should not require the use of mirrors, by the way. We don't have a single mirror in either Powerlifting gym we train in. Mirrors are distractions, more over, a mirror will not let you see what you need to see for the majority of high-risk movements. This consideration is best observed by asking a lifter to keep their back arched while pushing the hips/ass back...many inexperienced lifters will bend at the waist while strongly believing they are, in fact, doing what they've been told.

Now, on to the movement. For the sake of convenience, I'll use the standard straight-bar goodmorning for my example.

Many people will tell you to setup underneath the bar the same way you would for a squat, and, many people would be wrong. Bar position varies drastically from lifter to lifter for the squat, and, the vast majority of lifters will utilize a high-bar position for their squats because a "lower" position feels uncomfortable (because of weak and small upper backs, mostly, but that is a different thread completely). For the goodmorning, it is best to set the bar as far back as comfortable -notice that I did not say low. Many lifters (powerlifters especially) will use the term low-bar to convey the idea of placing the bar farther back on the lifter. This is a much different meaning than conveyed by the term low. For the goodmorning, the hands should be on the bar, tightly squeezed, and the upper back should be pulled together and pinched as tightly as possible. This should, development permitting, create a shelf (composed of the rear delts and lower traps). This is where the bar should sit. The reasoning for this is to get the bulk of the weight off of your neck and onto your back...a bar position that is farther back on a lifter will also aid in keeping the upper back properly positioned (read: arched).

It should be noted that when unracking a straight bar for goodmornings from a rack, the lifter should not be standing straight up (the same goes for squatting from a rack). If a lifter unracks straight up, with the bar properly placed, it will not only be extremely uncomfortable, but, will want to fall off of the lifter completely. A slight lean, while maintaining an arch, is prefered.

For most lifters, a shoulder-width stance will be the most comfortable. The head should be turtled back into the bar, not looking up or down. Try to slide your head backwards into the bar. Take a deep breath into your belly (as I mentioned in an earlier post) while pushing our your abs. A very loose belt is a great learning tool for this purpose; try to make a loose belt tight by blowing our your stomach and flexing your abs.

The breath is held for the entire movement -no exhaling or inhaling while in motion for goodmornings, ever!

The first movement is to push the ass backwards as far as possible. You do this while maintaining an arch in the upper and lower back. Keep pushing the ass backwards without letting your knees bend. Naturally, your knees will have to break in order to keep moving your hips backwards, but, the less you think about squatting the less likely you are to turn this movement into one.

The ass is pushed back until the torso is around parallel with the floor. Obviously, with an arched back (both upper and lower) it would take a lot of ROM to be parallel with the floor, but, too many lifters turn a goodmorning into a half squat with a slight bend and ruin a perfectly good movement (as well as successfully looking like complete morons). Remember, if the bar doesn't travel past the knees, it isn't a goodmorning.

The reversal of the movement is not gentle, it is violent -but controlled. To reverse the movement, drive your upper back and head (turtled) into the bar while squeezing the ass. The stomach stays tight this entire time, again, no breathing during the movement -ever!

At the top of the movement, take a second breath before the next rep, but, with a weight on your back, it is common to round over the upper back when you exhale. If you are prone to this, it will take a special amount of focus and accessory work to develop the strength needed to prevent this from happening. Don't start a goodmorning (or a squat or a pull or a press) from a shitty position. Get strong and get into position before trying anything!

These are, generally, the in's and out's of the basic goodmorning. The movement has several variations (GCB, SSB, suspended, round-backed, GM-squat, seated, etc.) but, the general jist of the movement will remain unchanged.

LOL BRAH DONT U KNOW GOODMORNINS R BAD 4 UR BACK?/?/?// THEY ALSO THICKEN UR WASTE LOL