Home / Exercises / Barbell Seated Good Morning
Barbell Seated Good Morning animation

How to do the Barbell Seated Good Morning

Glutes & HamstringsGlutes & HamsBarbellIntermediate

The barbell seated good morning is a brutally honest test of posterior chain strength, forcing your glutes and hamstrings to work without momentum or leg drive to bail you out. Master this movement and you build the kind of hip-hinge power that transfers directly to deadlifts, squats, and athletic performance.

Add this to my personalized plan →

Muscles worked

Primary
GlutesHamstrings
Secondary
Lower backCalves

Step-by-step

  1. Sit upright on a bench with the barbell racked across your upper traps, feet flat on the floor and slightly wider than hip-width for stability.
  2. Brace your core hard, pull your shoulder blades together, and maintain a neutral spine before you initiate any movement.
  3. Hinge forward at the hips by pushing them back, lowering your torso until you feel a deep stretch in your hamstrings or your lower back begins to round, whichever comes first.
  4. Drive your hips forward and squeeze your glutes forcefully to return to the upright position, keeping the bar path controlled throughout.

Common mistakes

  • Rounding the lower back under load: actively arch your lumbar spine and brace your abs before each rep to maintain a safe neutral position throughout the hinge.
  • Hinging at the waist instead of the hip: focus on pushing your hips backward as you descend, not simply bending your torso forward, to keep tension on the target muscles.
  • Using too much weight too soon: the seated position eliminates leg drive entirely, so start conservatively and prioritize depth and spinal integrity over the load on the bar.

Pro tip — Place a slight forward lean in your shins by positioning your feet an inch or two further forward than usual, this increases hamstring tension at the bottom and prevents the pelvis from posteriorly tilting prematurely.

Sets & reps by goal

Build muscle3–4 sets × 6–10 reps
Get stronger4–5 sets × 3–6 reps
Lose fat / tone3 sets × 10–12 reps

Rest: 2–3 min between sets (60–90s on lighter days).

More Glutes & Hamstrings exercises

Barbell Bench SquatBarbell Bench SquatBarbell DeadliftBarbell DeadliftBarbell Front SquatBarbell Front SquatBarbell Lying Lifting (On Hip)Barbell Lying Lifting (On Hip)Barbell Romanian DeadliftBarbell Romanian DeadliftBarbell Step UpBarbell Step Up
Want this built into a full plan?2fit4u turns moves like this into your personalized weekly program — free to start.
Build my free plan →