# Zercher Good Morning

A barbell hip hinge with the bar held in the bend of your elbows in front of your body. Trains the hamstrings and glutes, and the bar in front makes it harder to keep your back flat.

- Advanced · Compound
- Equipment: Barbell
- HD video: https://media.seto.fit/exercises/barbell-zercher-good-morning/video/female.mp4
- HTML: https://seto.fit/exercises/zercher-good-morning/

## Muscles worked

- Hamstrings: 9/10
- Glutes: 7/10
- Hip adductors: 4/10
- Calves: 2/10

## How to do the Zercher Good Morning

1. Hold the bar in the bend of your elbows, hands clasped.
2. Push your hips back, keeping your back straight.
3. Lower until you feel a stretch in your hamstrings, then return to standing.
4. Drive your hips forward to stand up, finishing tall and controlled.

### Full technique — 8 steps

1. Set the bar in a rack at about the height of your abdomen.
2. Rest the bar in the bend of your elbows and clasp your hands in front of your chin.
3. Stand up to lift the bar out of the rack and step back.
4. Place your feet about hip to shoulder width apart with a slight knee bend.
5. Tighten your stomach and keep your elbows and the bar close to your chest.
6. Push your hips straight back and let your torso fold forward, staying balanced over the middle of your foot.
7. Lower until your hamstrings reach their end range while your spine stays neutral.
8. Drive your hips forward to stand tall, finishing without leaning back at the top.

## Common mistakes

- Turning it into a squat
- Rounding through the lower back
- Letting the elbows drop and the bar slide
- Overextending at the top

## Form cues

- Push hips straight back
- Stop at hamstring limit
- Tighten stomach each rep
- Keep elbows close
- Slight knee bend

## How much to do

- **Strength** (good fit): 3–4 sets of 5–6 reps · rest 2 min 30 s · 2 reps in reserve · lower 3 s, lift 1 s
- **Muscle growth** (good fit): 3–4 sets of 8–10 reps · rest 1 min 30 s · 2–3 reps in reserve · lower 3 s, lift 2 s
- **Endurance**: 2–3 sets of 12–15 reps · rest 1 min · 3–4 reps in reserve · lower 2 s, lift 2 s

Reps in reserve: how many more you could still do when you end the set.

## Substitutes by equipment

Same muscles, same movement — pick the version you have the gear for.

- **Dumbbells**: [Single Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift](https://seto.fit/exercises/single-dumbbell-romanian-deadlift/), [Staggered Stance Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift](https://seto.fit/exercises/staggered-stance-dumbbell-romanian-deadlift/)
- **No equipment**: [Bodyweight Good Morning](https://seto.fit/exercises/bodyweight-good-morning/), [Feet Elevated Glute Bridge](https://seto.fit/exercises/feet-elevated-glute-bridge/)
- **Weight plates**: [Plate Romanian Deadlift](https://seto.fit/exercises/plate-romanian-deadlift/), [Plate Good Morning](https://seto.fit/exercises/plate-good-morning/)
- **Resistance bands**: [Resistance Band Pull Through](https://seto.fit/exercises/resistance-band-pull-through/), [Single Leg Resistance Band Romanian Deadlift](https://seto.fit/exercises/single-leg-resistance-band-romanian-deadlift/)

## Where to start and where to go next

Same muscles, same movement. Too hard for now — step down; once it gets easy — step up.

- Easier: [Feet Elevated Staggered Stance Barbell Glute Bridge](https://seto.fit/exercises/feet-elevated-staggered-stance-barbell-glute-bridge/) — Intermediate
- Easier: [Romanian Deadlift](https://seto.fit/exercises/romanian-deadlift/) — Intermediate
- **This exercise: Zercher Good Morning — Advanced**
- Harder: [Single Leg Deadlift (Barbell)](https://seto.fit/exercises/single-leg-deadlift-barbell/) — Advanced

## Quick answers

### What muscles does the Zercher Good Morning work?

Primary: Hamstrings 9/10, Glutes 7/10. Also works: Hip adductors 4/10, Calves 2/10.

### When should I do the Zercher Good Morning in a workout?

Second big lift. Goes after the main lift, while there is still energy for heavy work. ≈ 10 min with rest.

### How many sets and reps of the Zercher Good Morning?

Strength: 3–4 sets of 5–6 reps, rest 2 min 30 s, 2 reps in reserve. Muscle growth: 3–4 sets of 8–10 reps, rest 1 min 30 s, 2–3 reps in reserve. Endurance: 2–3 sets of 12–15 reps, rest 1 min, 3–4 reps in reserve.

### What can I do instead of the Zercher Good Morning?

Dumbbells: Single Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift, Staggered Stance Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift. No equipment: Bodyweight Good Morning, Feet Elevated Glute Bridge. Weight plates: Plate Romanian Deadlift, Plate Good Morning. Resistance bands: Resistance Band Pull Through, Single Leg Resistance Band Romanian Deadlift.

### What is an easier version of the Zercher Good Morning?

Romanian Deadlift (Intermediate), Feet Elevated Staggered Stance Barbell Glute Bridge (Intermediate).

### What is a harder version of the Zercher Good Morning?

Single Leg Deadlift (Barbell) (Advanced).

How we rate exercises: https://seto.fit/guides/methodology/

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