10 Best Barbell Seated Good Morning Alternatives for Glute Strength
If you can’t do the Barbell Seated Good Morning, use hip-hinge and hip-extension substitutes that target the glutes and hamstrings. Top swaps include Romanian deadlifts, barbell hip thrusts, standing good mornings, single‑leg RDLs, and cable pull‑throughs. Cue a neutral spine, hinge from the hips, and drive the hips into full extension to load the glutes.
Original Exercise: Barbell Seated Good Morning
How to Perform Barbell Seated Good Morning
- Sit on a bench with your feet flat on the ground and a barbell resting on your upper back.
- Keep your back straight and your chest up.
- Slowly hinge forward at the hips, lowering your torso towards the ground.
- Pause for a moment at the bottom, then push through your heels to return to the starting position.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Best Barbell Seated Good Morning Alternatives
1. Barbell Stiff Leg Good Morning
81.7% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and your knees slightly bent.
- Hold the barbell across your upper back, resting it on your traps.
- Keeping your back straight, hinge forward at the hips, pushing your glutes back.
- Lower your torso until it is parallel to the ground, feeling a stretch in your hamstrings.
- Engage your glutes and hamstrings to return to the starting position.
2. Barbell Deadlift
76.7% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and the barbell on the ground in front of you.
- Bend your knees and hinge at the hips to lower your torso and grip the barbell with an overhand grip, hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
- Keep your back straight and chest lifted as you drive through your heels to lift the barbell off the ground, extending your hips and knees.
- As you stand up straight, squeeze your glutes and keep your core engaged.
- Lower the barbell back down to the ground by bending at the hips and knees, keeping your back straight.
3. Barbell Romanian Deadlift
76.7% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and your toes pointing forward.
- Hold the barbell with an overhand grip, hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
- Bend at the hips, keeping your back straight and your knees slightly bent.
- Lower the barbell towards the ground, keeping it close to your body.
- Feel the stretch in your hamstrings as you lower the barbell.
4. Barbell Hip Thrust
76.4% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Begin seated on the ground with a bench directly behind you. Have a loaded barbell over your legs. Using a fat bar or having a pad on the bar can greatly reduce the discomfort caused by this exercise.
- Roll the bar so that it is directly above your hips, and lean back against the bench so that your shoulder blades are near the top of it.
- Begin the movement by driving through your feet, extending your hips vertically through the bar. Your weight should be supported by your shoulder blades and your feet. Extend as far as possible, then reverse the motion to return to the starting position.
5. Barbell Lying Lifting (on Hip)
76.4% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Lie flat on your back on a bench with your feet flat on the ground and your knees bent.
- Hold the barbell with an overhand grip and position it on your hips.
- Engaging your glutes, lift your hips off the bench until your body forms a straight line from your knees to your shoulders.
- Pause for a moment at the top, then slowly lower your hips back down to the starting position.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
6. Barbell Glute Bridge Two Legs On Bench (male)
76.4% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Start by sitting on the edge of a bench with your upper back resting against it and your feet flat on the ground, hip-width apart.
- Place a barbell across your hips, holding it securely with both hands.
- Engage your glutes and core muscles, then press through your heels to lift your hips off the bench, creating a straight line from your knees to your shoulders.
- Pause for a moment at the top, squeezing your glutes.
- Slowly lower your hips back down to the starting position.
7. Barbell Sumo Deadlift
72.2% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Stand with your feet wider than shoulder-width apart, toes pointing outwards.
- Place a barbell on the ground in front of you, centered between your feet.
- Bend your knees and lower your hips, keeping your back straight and chest up, to grip the barbell with an overhand grip.
- Engage your core and drive through your heels to lift the barbell off the ground, extending your hips and knees simultaneously.
- As you lift, keep your chest up and back straight, and push your hips forward to fully engage your glutes.
8. Barbell Glute Bridge
71.7% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Start by lying flat on your back on the ground with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor.
- Place a barbell across your hips, holding it securely with both hands.
- Engage your glutes and core muscles, then lift your hips off the ground until your body forms a straight line from your knees to your shoulders.
- Pause for a moment at the top, squeezing your glutes.
- Slowly lower your hips back down to the starting position.
9. Barbell Good Morning
70.9% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Start by standing with your feet shoulder-width apart and the barbell resting on your upper back.
- Keeping your back straight and your core engaged, hinge forward at the hips, pushing your buttocks back as if you were trying to touch the wall behind you with your glutes.
- Lower your torso until it is parallel to the ground, feeling a stretch in your hamstrings.
- Pause for a moment, then return to the starting position by squeezing your glutes and pushing your hips forward.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
10. Arms Apart Circular Toe Touch (male)
69.8% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and arms extended to the sides.
- Keeping your legs straight, bend forward at the waist and reach down towards your toes with your right hand.
- As you reach down, simultaneously lift your left leg straight up behind you, maintaining balance.
- Return to the starting position and repeat the movement with your left hand reaching towards your toes and your right leg lifting up behind you.
- Continue alternating sides for the desired number of repetitions.
Why You Might Need a Barbell Seated Good Morning Alternative
You may substitute the Barbell Seated Good Morning for several reasons: lower‑back pain, limited barbell availability, mobility limits, or a desire for greater glute hypertrophy. The seated version reduces spinal shear but restricts hip range; standing RDLs increase eccentric hamstring loading, while hip thrusts bias glute max concentric force. For example, if lumbar tolerance is the issue, choose a barbell hip thrust and cue posterior pelvic tilt at top to emphasize glute contraction. If you lack a barbell, a heavy kettlebell or loaded single‑leg RDL preserves the hip‑hinge pattern and posterior chain activation.
How to Choose the Right Substitute
Match the substitute to your limiting factor, training goal, and equipment. For strength and overload use barbell Romanian deadlifts or hip thrusts and progress load, sets, or tempo; cue a slight knee bend and push the hips back to emphasize hamstrings. For rehab or low spinal load, pick banded hip bridges or supported single‑leg RDLs and keep a neutral spine. If you want unilateral stability, choose single‑leg RDLs and keep hips square. Consider range of motion, ability to load progressively, and which exercise best reproduces hip extension torque for your goal.
Frequently Asked Questions
What muscles does Barbell Seated Good Morning work?
The Barbell Seated Good Morning primarily targets the gluteus maximus and hamstrings through hip flexion/extension torque. It also recruits the lumbar erectors and core for spinal stability; cue a neutral spine and feel the posterior chain lengthen through the eccentric phase.
What is the best bodyweight alternative to Barbell Seated Good Morning?
A single‑leg Romanian deadlift (bodyweight) closely replicates the hip‑hinge pattern while adding stability demands. Hinge at the hips with a slight knee bend, keep hips level, and reach toward the floor to feel hamstring and glute loading.
Can I build muscle without doing Barbell Seated Good Morning?
Yes. You can build glute and hamstring mass with exercises like barbell hip thrusts, Romanian deadlifts, and progressive‑overload single‑leg RDLs. Focus on loading, sufficient volume, and controlled tempo to maximize time under tension and muscle activation.
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