Start your day with a set of banded good mornings, to help improve your posture while targeting glutes, abs, and back muscles. This excellent version of the standard good morning exercise, allows you to work out using just a resistance band, complementing strength training routines and everyday, functional exercise regimes.
In this article, we explain what banded good mornings are and show you the best way to perform the exercise at home, with a resistance band.
What are banded good mornings?
Banded good mornings are a type of exercise that uses resistance bands to primarily target your glutes, as well as abs and back muscles. Banded good mornings are a common variant of the good morning exercise.
Banded good mornings use a resistance band, which is placed over the neck and shoulders, then run beneath the feet. Glutes and back muscles are activated as you extend your back upwards against the resistance of the band. You can see more below.
Standard good mornings use a barbell and weights. Banded good mornings are good mornings with resistance bands, instead of a barbell and weights. Banded good mornings can, therefore, be performed almost anywhere, as long as you have an appropriate resistance band.
The level of resistance can be increased, depending on the type of resistance band you are using. Compared to weights and a barbell, this is a lower intensity exercise to work out your back and glutes.
Focus on technique, and perform the movements slowly to not only build and tone muscles but to improve your posture too.
How to perform resistance band good mornings
You can perform banded good mornings with just a resistance band, but remember to focus on your technique rather than fast repetitions.
This exercise works well as a warm-up for weight training, or as a functional training exercise. Practice the exercise on its own or incorporate it into a wider exercise regime or workout routine.
- Take your resistance band and stand with your feet shoulder-width apart.
- Place one side of your resistance band firmly beneath your feet.
- Take the other side of the resistance band and bring it up, so it's placed over the back of your neck and along your shoulders.
- Keep your feet in place and hold the band in place by gripping your hands against your shoulders. This will help reduce the tension that's directly on your neck.
- Relax your knees and loosen your hips to start the exercise with the band loose around your body.
- Push your feet into the ground and straighten your knees, while also straightening you back.
- Push through the floor while keeping your back straight and extending your hips.
- Relax to the starting position, but try to keep your back straight to avoid injury and to help your posture.
- Repeat the exercise.
If you already know how to do good mornings, then for banded good mornings, you simply switch the barbell for the resistance band but use the same movements and techniques.
What muscles do good mornings work?
Band good morning exercises will work a fantastic range of muscles and are aimed at improving strength. For functional training, band good morning exercises focus on hinge movements and can help with back, leg, and core muscles.
Good mornings muscles worked:
- Glutes (the primary muscle worked by band good morning exercises).
- Abs
- Hamstrings
- Lower and upper back muscles
Why are good mornings called good mornings?
Good mornings are a curiously named style of exercise. While you're working out, you might be wondering, why are good mornings actually called good mornings?
And no, it's not because you're supposed to perform good mornings in the morning!
Good mornings are named because the exercise moves your spine into a position that's similar to the movement of stretching while you re rising out of bed in the morning. A banded good morning is then just a good morning exercise with a band added for extra intensity!
Final thoughts on banded good mornings
Banded good mornings aren't just a great way to start the day, but they are a great way to enhance your posture and to build muscles in your back and glutes.
Resistance bands good mornings can be used as part of a warm-up routine for strength training workouts, or they can be incorporated into functional training workouts to build core muscles and everyday fitness.
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