Good morning squats combine good mornings with squats.
Squats are a powerhouse exercise that builds core strength and lower body muscles, significantly enhancing explosive power, mobility, and balance. They’re effective for torching calories and crucial in injury prevention. Studies have demonstrated that regular squat exercises improve body composition and enhance lower-body muscular strength (1). The good morning squat is a more sophisticated and advanced variation of the classic squat.
It ingeniously merges two distinct exercises—the good morning and the squat—into a single movement. This fusion makes it an efficient exercise for cultivating proper form for both components and amplifies the workout’s effectiveness.
This article offers an in-depth exploration of the good morning squat, shedding light on its primary advantages and the specific muscle groups it targets. It provides detailed, step-by-step guidance on executing this dual-purpose exercise correctly. Moreover, to maximize the benefits of your workout sessions, this guide suggests excellent alternative exercises targeting similar muscle groups, enriching your overall training program.
Techniques & Muscles Worked
Good morning squats are compound exercises that work the back, quads, hamstrings, glutes, calves, abductors, and adductors. They also recruit the core muscles, which help with stabilization. Additionally, the regular flexion and extension around these joints work and strengthen the hip and knee joints.
The good morning squat is a bodyweight exercise. However, you can use a barbell as the primary equipment to see effective gains. You could also incorporate resistance bands when performing this workout for more resistance.
Form and coordination are very important in this highly technical exercise. To get the correct form, ensure you use light weights or practice with just your body or a light bar. Below are step-by-step instructions highlighting how to do the good morning squats utilizing the barbell.
- Place the barbell carefully on top of the muscles in your upper back, and stand with your feet shoulder-width apart.
- Use a wide grip to hold the barbell for extra support.
- Keep your head straight, shoulders pulled back, chest out, and back straight with a slight knee bend. This is your starting position.
- Next, brace your core and hinge your hips while you slowly move your torso forward (the torso should be parallel to the floor) and bend your knees slightly, moving into the good morning position of the movement.
- At the bottom of the good morning position, flex your knees and slowly drop your hips into a squat position (remember to keep the bar stationary throughout this movement).
- Pause in this position for about one to two seconds and slowly raise your hips back to a good morning position.
- From the good morning position, lift your upper body back to the starting position, making it one rep.
- Perform for as many reps as you desire.
Benefits
Good morning squats are excellent strength training exercises for your entire body. They’re a highly advanced and technical routine but yield good results. Here is a list of the benefits of this exercise.
Builds Multiple Muscle Groups
Good morning squats work your upper and lower body muscles. The barbell firmly on the shoulder strengthens the upper back to support heavy loads, while the exercise primarily works the lower body muscles. Additionally, the good morning activates the lower back and posterior chain, while the squat emphasizes the lower body muscles.
Improves Joint Mobility
Regular good morning squats build and strengthen the hip and knee joints (2). This makes mobility and joint action easier, increasing their range of motion. It also helps with lower body coordination and stability.
Targets the Posterior Chain
This exercise strengthens your posterior chain, allowing you to perform various movements like running, jumping, bending, and picking up heavy objects. A strong posterior chain is also a remedy for back pain.
Works Your Core Muscles
Doing this good morning squat requires a lot of coordination and balance. This exercise activates your abs and obliques, which help with equal load distribution, stabilization, and better exercise form. A strong core also reduces your chances of injuries and improves balance.
Better Form for Other Exercises
The good morning squat is highly advanced and requires the proper form. Regularly doing this exercise improves your form, transitioning to more routines like CrossFit training and Olympic movements like snatch and power cleans. It also enhances your form for exercises like deadlifts and squats.
Good Morning Squats Alternatives
Good morning squats primarily work your lower body muscles. You benefit from a two-in-one exercise, which only improves the gains. However, exercise scientists have advised mixing up other exercises to target similar muscles to avoid a training plateau. Below is a list of alternative exercises you could integrate into your training regimen that target similar muscles.
Reverse Lunge
The reverse lunge is a bodyweight movement that works your hamstrings, quadriceps, glutes, and calves. This exercise also activates your core to help with stability. For more resistance, you could use free weights or resistance bands.
Double Kettlebell Swing
This weightlifting workout works multiple muscle groups and improves grip strength. It’s also an excellent routine for strengthening your core. A study shows how kettlebell swings can build strength (3).
Romanian Deadlift
The Romanian deadlift is an excellent alternative exercise for the posterior chain and lower back muscles. This weight-training routine builds muscle mass in the back and increases strength. A Romanian deadlift targets the hamstrings more than regular deadlifts.
FAQs
How do you do good morning squats?
Good morning squats are highly advanced and technical squat variation exercises. It’s safer to start using your bodyweight to get the movement right before using a barbell. The exercise guide above provides directions on how to perform this exercise with the right form.
What muscles do good mornings work?
Good morning squats work your back, posterior chains, glutes, hamstrings, quads, and calves. This exercise also builds and strengthens your hip and knee joints. It activates the core muscles, which help with stabilization, too.
Do good morning squats work the legs?
Yes, good morning squats work the legs. They primarily work the lower body muscles. This helps to promote mobility, balance, and proper body stability.
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References
- Takai, Y., Fukunaga, Y., Fujita, E., Mori, H., Yoshimoto, T., Yamamoto, M., & Kanehisa, H. (2013). Effects of body mass-based squat training in adolescent boys. Journal of sports science & medicine, 12(1), 60–65.
- Comfort, P., Jones, P. A., Smith, L. C., & Herrington, L. (2015). Joint Kinetics and Kinematics During Common Lower Limb Rehabilitation Exercises. Journal of athletic training, 50(10), 1011–1018. https://doi.org/10.4085/1062-6050-50.9.05
- Levine, N. A., Hasan, M. B., Avalos, M. A., Lee, S., Rigby, B. R., & Kwon, Y. H. (2022). Effects of kettlebell mass on lower-body joint kinetics during a kettlebell swing exercise. Sports biomechanics, 21(9), 1032–1045. https://doi.org/10.1080/14763141.2020.1726442
