10 Best Barbell Seated Good Morning Alternatives for Glute Strength

The 10 Best Barbell Seated Good Morning Alternatives

10 substitutes, ranked by how closely each one matches the Barbell Seated Good Morning on movement pattern, muscles worked, equipment and body position. The higher the score, the less you change. Cards with a "How to perform it" link open to show the steps; every card title links to that exercise's own alternatives page. Harder versions are tagged as progressions and kept out of the top spot even when they score higher.

1. Play demonstration

   1. Barbell Stiff Leg Good Morning

   82% match

   Glutes · Intermediate · Compound

   Pick this when you want an easier version that still works the glutes.

   • Barbell

   How to perform it

   1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and your knees slightly bent.
   2. Hold the barbell across your upper back, resting it on your traps.
   3. Keeping your back straight, hinge forward at the hips, pushing your glutes back.
   4. Lower your torso until it is parallel to the ground, feeling a stretch in your hamstrings.
   5. Engage your glutes and hamstrings to return to the starting position.
   6. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

   Sets and reps: 3 to 5 sets of 5 to 8 reps.

   Why this matches

   • Movement: good-morning hinge, the same as the Barbell Seated Good Morning
   • Primary muscle: glutes, the same as the Barbell Seated Good Morning
   • Equipment: free weights, the same as the Barbell Seated Good Morning
   • Body position: standing, not seated
2. 

   Progression

   2. Seated Good Mornings

   79% match

   Erector Spinae · Advanced · Compound

   A looser match: it uses the same equipment, but it works the erector spinae rather than the glutes.

   • Barbell

   How to perform it

   1. Set up a box in a power rack. The pins should be set at an appropriate height. Begin by stepping under the bar and placing it across the back of the shoulders, not on top of your traps. Squeeze your shoulder blades together and rotate your elbows forward, attempting to bend the bar across your shoulders.
   2. Remove the bar from the rack, creating a tight arch in your lower back. Keep your head facing forward. With your back, shoulders, and core tight, push your knees and butt out and you begin your descent. Sit back with your hips until you are seated on the box. This will be your starting position.
   3. Keeping the bar tight, bend forward at the hips as much as possible. If you set the pins to what would be parallel, you not only have a safety if you fail, but know when to stop.
   4. Pause just above the pins and reverse the motion until your torso it upright.

   Sets and reps: 3 to 5 sets of 5 to 8 reps.

   Why this matches

   • Movement: good-morning hinge, the same as the Barbell Seated Good Morning
   • Primary muscle: erector spinae, not glutes
   • Equipment: free weights, the same as the Barbell Seated Good Morning
   • Body position: seated, the same as the Barbell Seated Good Morning
3. Play demonstration

   3. Lever Seated Good Morning

   78% match

   Glutes · Intermediate · Compound

   A good swap when you have a lever machine to work with, and it still works the glutes.

   • Lever

   How to perform it

   1. Adjust the seat height so that your hips are slightly higher than your knees.
   2. Sit on the machine with your back against the pad and your feet flat on the footrests.
   3. Grasp the handles or the sides of the seat for stability.
   4. Keeping your back straight, slowly lean forward from your hips until your upper body is parallel to the ground.
   5. Pause for a moment, then slowly return to the starting position by pushing through your glutes and hamstrings.
   6. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

   Sets and reps: 3 or 4 sets of 6 to 10 reps.

   Why this matches

   • Movement: good-morning hinge, the same as the Barbell Seated Good Morning
   • Primary muscle: glutes, the same as the Barbell Seated Good Morning
   • Equipment: a machine, not free weights
   • Body position: seated, the same as the Barbell Seated Good Morning
   • Balance: easier to stay steady on than the Barbell Seated Good Morning
4. Play demonstration

   Progression

   4. Barbell Deadlift

   77% match

   Glutes · Advanced · Compound

   Pick this when you want a harder version that still works the glutes.

   • Barbell

   How to perform it

   1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and the barbell on the ground in front of you.
   2. 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.
   3. 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.
   4. As you stand up straight, squeeze your glutes and keep your core engaged.
   5. Lower the barbell back down to the ground by bending at the hips and knees, keeping your back straight.
   6. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

   Sets and reps: 3 to 5 sets of 5 to 8 reps.

   Why this matches

   • Primary muscle: glutes, the same as the Barbell Seated Good Morning
   • Equipment: free weights, the same as the Barbell Seated Good Morning
   • Body position: standing, not seated

5. 5. Barbell Romanian Deadlift

   77% match

   Glutes · Intermediate · Compound

6. 6. Barbell Glute Bridge Two Legs On Bench

   76% match

   Glutes · Intermediate · Compound

7. 7. Barbell Hip Thrust

   76% match

   Glutes · Intermediate · Compound

8. 8. Barbell Lying Lifting (On Hip)

   76% match

   Glutes · Intermediate · Compound

9. 9. Smith Bent Knee Good Morning

   74% match

   Glutes · Intermediate · Compound

10. 10. Trap Bar Deadlift

    72% match

    Glutes · Intermediate · Compound