Dumbbell Good Morning

What you'll gain

• Loads the hamstrings through a long eccentric without a barbell.

• The behind-the-neck lever makes a light dumbbell feel heavy enough to coach.

• Teaches the same hip hinge that later barbell good mornings and RDLs use.

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. 1

   Hold one dumbbell across the upper back so each hand cups a weighted head.

2. 2

   Stand tall with the feet about hip width and the knees softly unlocked.

3. 3

   Brace the trunk and keep the spine long from the head to the tailbone.

4. 4

   Push the hips back and lower the torso toward the floor with only a slight knee bend.

5. 5

   Stop where the hamstrings stretch without the lower back rounding.

6. 6

   Drive the hips forward to stand tall and repeat.

Common Mistakes

• Rounding the lower back to chase depth the hamstrings cannot control.

• Bending the knees into a squat, which unloads the hinge.

• Letting the dumbbell roll onto the neck instead of sitting across the traps.

• Using a pair of bells in a front rack, which is not the hold this clip shows.

About This Exercise

The dumbbell good morning is a hip hinge with the load parked on the upper back instead of hanging in the hands. One compact dumbbell sits across the trapezius like a short bar; both hands cup the heads so the bell cannot roll. From a tall stance you push the hips back, keep a slight knee bend, and lower the torso until the hamstrings run out of stretch, then drive the hips forward to stand. Putting the mass behind the neck lengthens the lever, so a light bell is enough. For a catalog this is the dumbbell version of a barbell good morning. It fits posterior-chain accessory blocks, home setups with no bar, and pages that need a hinge that is not an RDL.

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