Smith Machine Good Morning

Setup

1. 01Set the Smith bar at upper-back height and position it across the traps, not the neck.
2. 02Unrack by rotating the hooks and set the feet at hip width, slightly in front of the bar path.
3. 03Soften the knees and brace the trunk with the chest up.

Execution

1. 01Push the hips straight back while the bar slides down the rails.
2. 02Hinge the torso forward toward parallel, keeping the spine neutral.
3. 03Stop when the hamstrings reach a strong stretch.
4. 04Drive the hips forward to return to standing without hyperextending the back.

Checkpoints

• -Hips travel backward as the torso lowers; the knees barely change angle.
• -Spine stays neutral from hips to head at every depth.
• -The bar rests on the meat of the traps, never the cervical spine.
• -The rep ends with the glutes squeezed, not the lower back arched.

Common mistakes

• -Rounding the lower back at the bottom of the hinge.
• -Bending the knees so much it becomes a squat.
• -Descending deeper than the hamstrings allow with a neutral spine.
• -Loading it like a squat; good mornings need far less weight.