Earlier this week, I shared a video demonstration of resistance band good mornings. High tension band good mornings are one of my favorite posterior chain movements. And while I’ve written about them before, a new entry may prove useful, particularly as we wait out COVID-19. If you want a quality posterior chain movement that can be performed at home, band good mornings might be just what you’re looking for. The exercise has served me well for many years and has always been worthy of more attention than it receives.
Resistance Band Good Mornings
Below, you’ll see how I stand inside a 41-inch band while the opposing end is looped around the base of my neck. I’m focused on exploding through the band with each repetition.
Band Selection
Whenever I demonstrate band good mornings, I’m always asked about band selection. For this exercise, I prefer using the strongest band that I own which is the Iron Woody Fitness monster band.
I’ve had the same pair of monster bands for over a decade, and Iron Woody still produces them. They’ve just upgraded the band color and logo as seen below.
Using Smaller Bands
If you haven’t performed band good mornings before, I recommend starting with a medium or large band. Good mornings can be deceptively difficult, so don’t assume that the monster sized band is a necessity. Furthermore, as you gain strength, you can always combine multiple bands.
Below is an old video demo where I do just that.
Rep Range
Band good mornings aren’t the type of exercise where you’ll be maxing out with single reps. Instead, the ideal rep range usually lands somewhere in the 15 to 20 range. Don’t confuse the higher rep range with a lack of strength development however. While there’s certainly a strength endurance component to higher reps, you will gain strength as well. Using myself as an example, the exercise remained highly relevant and useful to me when even when I first achieved a 600 pound deadlift. It wasn’t as if I suddenly outgrew the exercise.
Rollout Booster
If you know me, you know that I’m a big fan of standing rollouts with an abdominal wheel. I’ve performed rollouts for over 25 years. Yet, what many don’t realize is that I credit band good mornings for improving my ability with the exercise. Band good mornings are excellent at building strength and endurance throughout the backside, which is exactly what you’ll need when progressing towards higher reps from the standing rollout position.
If backside strength or endurance has been a limiting factor for you while performing rollouts, consider adding a regular dose of band good mornings.
Final Thoughts
The low back strength and endurance that I’ve gained from band good mornings has been invaluable over the years. Whether I’m performing manual labor or high rep sets in the weight room, my low back never seems to run out of steam. I attribute much of that durability to my consistent performance of band good mornings over many years.
In summary, if you haven’t tried the exercise before, I highly recommend it. Don’t view band good mornings as just a workaround to include during the COVID-19 quarantine. This is an exercise that you can continue to use and benefit from indefinitely.
Stay safe and stay strong.
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“If you don’t like how things are, change it! You’re not a tree.” – Jim Rohn