What Muscles Do Seated Good Morning Exercise Work?

Exercise for your hamstrings (image sourced via Pexels / Photo by Sabal Blanco)
Exercise for your hamstrings (image sourced via Pexels / Photo by Sabal Blanco)

Some exercises are used more frequently than others when designing a strength training session, such as the mighty good morning exercise. It is a hip hinge, weightlifting exercise that we should consider adding to our training regime.

Because good mornings mainly focus on the posterior chain, they can be used to build hamstring and spinal erector muscle strength. That makes them, together with the squats and deadlift, an excellent supplement to a lower-body strength program.

Increasing hamstring strength has numerous advantages. One benefit is that it minimizes the likelihood of injuring this group of muscles. The more developed the hamstring, the more strain-resistant it is.

Another advantage is that powerful hamstrings contribute to better posture. They also make lifting big objects simpler, for instance, when moving furniture.


What Is The Difference Between Standing Good Morning and Seated Good Morning Exercise?

Standing Good morning exercise:

The abs, hamstrings, and glutes are all worked out in this morning exercise. Utilizing a weighted barbell puts more strain on those muscles, though amateurs should start with minimal weight (or none at all). Include the good morning barbell in the lower-body and core conditioning regimen.

Standing variation of the good morning workout (image sourced via Pexels / Photo by Victor)
Standing variation of the good morning workout (image sourced via Pexels / Photo by Victor)

This technique primarily targets your hamstrings (the back of your thigh), but it also works for other muscle groups.

As antagonist stabilizers, both obliques and abdominal muscles come into play. Good mornings are an excellent approach to developing hip, back, and leg strength by exercising all of those muscle groups.

Seated good morning exercise:

The sitting good morning primarily enhances the isometric angle of the back arch utilized to increase the lifter's

  • Stability
  • Power transfer
  • Safety

Second, it solidifies the hamstrings and glutes and can enhance hip extensor flexibility as well.

Best workout for your abs, hamstrings, and glutes (image sourced via Pexels / Photo by PixaBay)
Best workout for your abs, hamstrings, and glutes (image sourced via Pexels / Photo by PixaBay)

The sitting good morning is more particular to the squat posture than the pulling position, just like the typical good morning. It can also be utilized as an alternative to the standing good morning exercise if you're suffering from an injury.


Are Seated Good Mornings A Good Exercise?

The lower back is frequently overlooked, but an injury to the lower back may put you out of business like no other. When stretching and gaining muscle, your lower back has a vast collection of muscles that require the same care as your chest and arms.

This set of muscles helps to stabilize your spine and keep you upright while twisting and bending. They are as follows:

  • Extensor muscles are related to the rear of the spine and assist you in standing and lifting objects.
  • Flexor muscles are those that attach to the front part of your spine. These enable you to flex, bend forward, and arch your back.
  • Oblique muscles are frequently referenced in ab workouts. These help you maintain excellent posture and rotate your spine.
Benefits of good morning workouts (image sourced via Pexels / Photo by Leon Ardho)
Benefits of good morning workouts (image sourced via Pexels / Photo by Leon Ardho)

It is clear from the short explanations of these muscles' functions how vital your lower back's health, strength, and maintenance are. It's also the reason you should incorporate Seated Good Mornings into your fitness routine

Seated Good Mornings help to strengthen your back arch, which is employed in lifts like cleans and snatches, squats, and rows. They can also aid in increasing hip extensor flexibility while developing your glutes and hamstrings.

Compared to standing good morning exercise, the seated version corresponds to the posture you will be in when descending to squat, as well as snatch and clean jerks.

Tips to attempt good morning exercise (image sourced via Pexels / Photo by Victor)
Tips to attempt good morning exercise (image sourced via Pexels / Photo by Victor)

These movements will give the obliques and abs a solid workout due to the degree of core engagement necessary. Back extensions, like Roman Chair Lifts, as well as conventional squats, are two other lower back workouts that can help enhance your good morning exercise.


Good morning exercise has been a well-known exercise used to strengthen the posterior muscles, increase hip mobility, and avoid injuries. This exercise is appropriate for all training methods and fitness levels, whether performed seated or standing with a heavy barbell or resistance band.

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