Seated Good Mornings

Hop on a bench like a bear on a log and practice a tidy hip hinge. Keep your back as proud as a grizzly, tip forward from the hips, then sit tall again. Your hamstrings, glutes, and lower back do the heavy lifting while you stay cozy and stable in the seated cave.

Instructions

1. Sit on a bench with feet about shoulder-width apart, planted firmly on the floor.
2. Set your torso tall, brace your core, and keep a neutral spine.
3. Place hands across your chest or hold a light barbell/dowel across your upper back (not on the neck).
4. Hinge forward from the hips, letting your chest move toward the floor while keeping your back flat.
5. Lower until you feel a strong stretch in the hamstrings or just before your lower back wants to round.
6. Drive your hips forward and raise your torso back to the starting upright position.
7. Repeat for controlled reps without bouncing.

Benefits

• Builds strength and endurance in spinal erectors and posterior chain
• Improves hip-hinge mechanics with reduced balance demands
• Can increase hamstring length tolerance and control under stretch
• Useful accessory for deadlift and squat bracing patterns
• Targets lower back and glutes with minimal equipment options

Key Points

• Hinge at the hips, not the lower back.
• Keep ribs down and core braced to limit lumbar rounding.
• Move slowly and stop the descent when form breaks.
• Maintain even pressure through both feet; do not let heels lift.
• Use light to moderate loading; prioritize control and range.

Common Mistakes

• Rounding the lower back at the bottom
• Turning it into a crunch by flexing the spine instead of hinging
• Bouncing out of the bottom position
• Letting knees collapse inward or feet shift
• Using too much weight and shortening range to compensate
• Placing the bar on the neck instead of the upper back