Barbell Single Leg Good Morning

Muscles worked

Setup

1. Position a barbell across your upper traps and unrack it with a hip-width stance.
2. Shift your weight onto the working leg and lift the non-working foot slightly off the floor behind you.
3. Engage your core and pull your shoulder blades together to create a stable shelf for the bar.

How to do it

1. Inhale and hinge at the hips, pushing your glutes back while keeping the working leg slightly bent but fixed.
2. Lower your torso until it is nearly parallel to the floor or until you feel a deep stretch in the working hamstring.
3. Exhale and drive through the heel of the working foot to return to the starting position by extending the hips.
4. Maintain a controlled tempo, taking 3 seconds to lower and 1 second to return to the top.

Form checklist

• Keep the spine neutral and avoid rounding the lower back at the bottom of the movement.
• Ensure the hips stay square to the floor rather than rotating open toward the non-working side.
• Keep the barbell centered over the mid-foot of the standing leg to maintain balance.
• Maintain a 'soft' knee on the working leg without letting it collapse inward or lock out.

Pro tips

• Focus on 'pushing the wall away' with your hips to maximize hamstring tension and eccentric control.
• Grip the floor with your standing foot to improve stability and increase neural drive to the glutes.
• Keep your gaze slightly forward and down to maintain a neutral cervical spine throughout the hinge.

Make it harder

• Add a 2-second pause at the bottom of the hinge to increase time under tension and eliminate momentum.
• Perform the movement on a slightly elevated platform to increase the available range of motion for the hamstrings.

Frequently asked

What muscles does the barbell single leg good morning work?

The barbell single leg good morning primarily targets the erector spinae, glutes, and hamstrings, and also works the adductors, obliques, and quadriceps as secondary muscles.

What equipment do you need for the barbell single leg good morning?

The barbell single leg good morning uses barbell and weight plate.

Is the barbell single leg good morning good for beginners?

The barbell single leg good morning is rated advanced. Build a base with simpler variations first, then progress to it with light load and strict form.

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