Good mornings are hamstring exercises with several variations. Although the hamstrings are the prime mover, the abdominals work as stabilizers and are important for doing any type of good morning safely and correctly. The glutes may also be the prime mover if you bend your knees, but you will not stretch your hamstrings as much with this variation.
Smith Machine Good Morning
You may do this exercise as a straight-leg or bent-knee good morning. The bent-knee variation targets the gluteus maximus, regulating the hamstrings as a synergist muscle group along with the inner thigh muscle called the adductor magnus. To perform this good morning exercise, stand under the bar of a Smith machine with the bar across your upper back. Hold the bar with your hands facing forward and your elbows bent. Bend your knees slightly with your feet hip-width apart. Stick your butt out behind you and bend forward at the waist to slide the bar toward the floor. The back must stay straight at all times, which is why the abdominals should be squeezed and held tight during the exercise. Return to the starting position by thrusting the hips forward to bring the body up.
Kettlebell Good Morning on a Stand
Performing a good morning on a stand gets your body off the ground so that you can lean forward to a greater degree and stretch your hamstrings more. It makes sense then to do this with your legs straight so that the hamstrings lengthen as much as possible, thereby increasing hamstring flexibility. Place two exercise boxes on the floor a few inches apart. Stand with one foot on each, holding a single kettlebell with both hands. Palms face you. Straighten your legs. Suck in your abs and lengthen your spine. Then, bend forward from the waist and lower the kettlebell below the tops of the exercise boxes or platforms. Go as low as your hamstrings allow without pain. Move your hips backwards as your upper body moves forwards. Reverse the motion to stand back up tall.
Seated Kettlebell Good Morning
Seated kettlebell good mornings work your abs to crunch your body forward. Your lower back, hamstrings and groin stretch during this variation. The legs are open to make room for your upper body to incline forward, but because you open your legs your groin muscles and inner thighs stretch out. It is critical during this exercise that you pack your shoulders, which means to pull the shoulder blades together. The head must stay in line with the spine. Holding a kettlebell behind your head to do this exercise makes this alignment challenging, but it is doable and good for the posture muscles of your upper back and neck. To perform the seated kettlebell good morning, sit on the floor with your legs straight in front of you. Open the legs wide. Place the kettlebell behind your head with your elbows bent and your hands each holding a side of the handle. Sit up straight and engage the abdominals. Then, bend forward without rounding your back of shoulders and lower your chest toward the floor. Sit back up straight to complete a seated kettlebell good morning.
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