Adding good mornings without screwing up The Program.

[BigB]

I have a muscular imbalance in my low back.
During the time I took off, I did a good amount of good mornings after light deadlifts. This helped tremendously.

And now that I'm on The Program once again, I finally find that my low back is not limiting me in squats. Though squats last night were as hard as they've ever been, i did NOT have an issue of doing squat-mornings.

Good mornings also alleviate my back pain. I stopped them when I restarted the program, but I want to keep them up.

I'm thinking the least 'intrusive' way to insert them would be...

At the END of deadlift day, two sets of 8 at 50% of deadlift work weight.

Any input?

[Nick Klemetson]

Seems a little heavy if you kind of want to use them as a "recovery" exercise. I might start with 30% and go from there. Are you deadlifting once a week? Are you still squatting heavy 3 times a week, or are you using a light squat day?

[BigB]

Seems a little heavy if you kind of want to use them as a "recovery" exercise. I might start with 30% and go from there. Are you deadlifting once a week? Are you still squatting heavy 3 times a week, or are you using a light squat day?

I'm currently squatting 3 days a week, adding 10lbs per workout, and alternating deadlifts with power cleans. I'm still lifting fairly light. Last squat was 195, last deadlift 225.

[Adam Skillin]

Input? Sure! If you can good morning half your deadlift work weight for sets of 8, your deadilfts aren't very heavy yet.

If you insist on adding these back in, get the deadlift up to a respectable weight first, and do the 2 sets of 8 at closer to 35% of your squat work weight. Which, if you're a normal person, will be less than your deadlift work weight. And don't add weight to the GM's every week.

Looks like Nick beat me to it. As usual. I'll get you next time, WorkoutNick!

[Nick Klemetson]

Input? Sure! If you can good morning half your deadlift work weight for sets of 8, your deadilfts aren't very heavy yet.

If you insist on adding these back in, get the deadlift up to a respectable weight first, and do the 2 sets of 8 at closer to 35% of your squat work weight. Which, if you're a normal person, will be less than your deadlift work weight. And don't add weight to the GM's every week.

Looks like Nick beat me to it. As usual. I'll get you next time, WorkoutNick!

Only because I don't have to work mornings on Wednesday. Your advice was more in depth and thorough anyway.

And Big B, given those weights, I would do Good Mornings at 95 lbs, especially since you still are deadlifting twice every other week.

[BigB]

Sounds good. I'll do that.

Thanks guys.

[Jacobnorton]

Bill Starr wrote at least one good article on good mornings.

http://www.ironmanmagazine.com/build...good-mornings/

It's definitely worth a read, just like anything else he wrote.

[Jacobnorton]

http://www.ironmanmagazine.com/bulletproof-lower-back/

Another excellent article.

[aurelius]

I added a 3x5 set of good mornings at the end of DL days. My 1RM is 465# so I just picked a weight of 185# for the good mornings. I'm now up to 245#'s and have not had any problems with recovery.

I do a basic push/pull split 4 days a week. My other posterior chain day I do a 3x5 RDL and am currently at 315#'s.

[BigB]

Fantastic articles, thanks. I think I had the form wrong a little too, can't wait to try it out.


Hopefully my limited ROM will be expanded by correcting my form. I can only bend about 50-60 degrees before my calves lock up, of all things.