Good Mornings?

Import · May 25, 2001, 5:20pm

I have noticed that some experts like Dave Tate and Ian King often suggest performing Good Mornings with a rounded back. But they don’t really explain why. I had always thought that when doing such exercises you should maintain a slight arch to avoid injury. Rounding the lower back would increase the range, but is that the only reason? Obviously, they know very well what they are talking about but I was wondering if any could shed some more light on this.

Import · May 25, 2001, 6:47pm

i have always found that i get more of a strech in my hamstrings when i hound the back. If the knees are kept straight, and you don’t round the back…there is not too much hamstring going into the movement…but i may be wrong

Import · May 25, 2001, 7:58pm

Actually, King uses both rounded and flat-back good morning in his “Get Buffed” routine. In the flat back, you push your ass backwards and ROM is limited by hamstring flexibility as in Romanian deadlifts. The focus is the hammies, and you can use more loading. In the round-back version you put your head down between your legs and use full ROM. It focuses on the spinal erectors and generally less weight is used.

Import · May 26, 2001, 5:37am

Thanks for the comments guys. I seem to get a much better spinal erector workout with the rounded back version but I am mainly concerned about the long term injury potential of doing the rounded back version. Any of you physiology buffs care to chime in?

Import · May 26, 2001, 1:01pm

For a powerlifter doing an occasional round back good morning is a must movement. During a max deadlift the back will round a bit…I dont care who you are if the weight is sufficient the back is going to round. A round back good morning kind’ve allows the body to get used to this little back rounding that takes place in a deadlift…although with much lesser weight.

Import · May 26, 2001, 1:28pm

This actually something i like to see discussed on T-mag. Put all the guys with brains and brawn in a pit and make up some solid guidelines. Tate, Chek, King, kinakin…
There are many opposing views to be heard

Import · May 26, 2001, 3:30pm

a correction to what Sped said. THERE is no way you can do a good morning, keeping your knees straight, without massively rounding your back. At Elitefts, Dave describes it as leaning forward, not bending forward, and thus your butt comes back a bit.