Stand holding a barbell at the back of your shoulders, grasping the barbell at each side.
Straddle and sit on a bench, with your knees bent. Your feet should be in front of your knees.
Execution
Keeping your back and neck neutral, inhale as you flex your hips to lower your chest towards the bench.
Hold for a count of two.
Exhale as you extend your hips to return to the starting position.
Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Comments and tips
Use the seated barbell bent-knee good morning to activate your glutes and strengthen your lower back.
Hamstring activation increases the more you straighten your knees. Therefore, to keep the emphasis on your glutes and erector spinae, keep your knees bent.
The erector spinae are activated isometrically, whereas the gluteus maximus, hamstrings, and adductor magnus are activated dynamically.
The point of sitting down is to minimize your ability to cheat by using momentum.
Keep your back neutral throughout the exercise. Do not hunch to lower your chest to the bench. To help you with keeping your back neutral, think of leading the movement with your belly button.
Start with only the barbell. Once you’ve mastered performing this exercise with only the barbell, gradually add weight.
Your feet and knees should point in the same direction.
Do not bend further than when your form starts to break (i.e. when your back is not neutral anymore).
