Deadlift or good morning

The deadlift is at the center of most strength focused programs. The good morning is usually used as accessory work for experienced lifters with lower back weaknesses. This article outlines the pros and cons of both lifts and whether they cover your needs.

What are your goals

Why are you looking into the deadlift and good morning? Do you want to do better in powerlifting? Have you identified a weakness in your lower back? Are you afraid of back squats? Whatever the reasons it is important that you know what your goals are. Only this way you can make a detailed plan to achieve your goal. When I talk to beginners the goals can be divided in three categories

Looks
Performance
Health

If you are all about looks you have a certain end goal in mind. You have seen someone you model your aspirations from. Maybe some movie star or athlete. Keep in mind that you are embarking on a hard road. Achieving these ideals takes a lot of care and discipline. Little to no alcohol and a very restrictive diet will get you there. That is not for everyone and also not always fun. The choices you will make will come at the expense of health and performance when you optimize for looks.

The other group is the performance camp. If you belong to this group you mainly care about personal records. You care about the numbers in the board and how to improve them. Shave off another second. Lift two milligrams more. One shot more per session. To excel it is important to have intensity in your training. Diet becomes an important but supporting factor. You will use food as a source of energy. Not as one of the main modifications for your results. When optimizing for performance you might not always look the best or make the healthiest choices.

The last group is all about health. The main focus is a balance. Making yourself feel better is the main priority. You will detox your body, stay away from supplements and extreme training methods. While this is the most sustainable and healthy goal set, it is also the least exciting.

As you are comparing the deadlift and the good morning you are most likely in the performance camp. It is even likely that you are an aspiring powerlifter or weightlifter as this comparison is very specific to these sports.

The barbell deadlift

The barbell deadlift is one of the most iconic movements in the gym. You have probably seen some big lifts and found them inspiring. When you talk about the deadlift most people think about the conventional barbell deadlift. Other variations are the sumo and trap bar deadlift.

The deadlift starts with the barbell on the ground. Place your mid feet right under the bar. Grip the bar with both hands just outside your legs. Build tension by pulls my the bar into you and up. The deadlift is initiated by pushing your feet into the ground. Make the world bent around you.

The biggest advantages of the deadlift are its comprehensiveness and manliness. There are little things as satisfying as picking up some heavy weight of the ground. While you do this you also activate most of your muscles. This makes the deadlift one if the best heavily loaded movements out there.

The biggest disadvantages of the deadlift are its risk of injury and the lack of explosiveness. A poorly performed deadlift can snap your back. It is also not the best choice for athletes who want to improve their speed. The clean, clean and jerk and snatch might be better choices.

The barbell good morning

The good morning is a variation on the barbell back squat. You see this movement a lot less than the three big lifts. Greg Everett, one of the most known Olympic lifting coaches, is a huge fan.

The good morning starts with the weight in the squat rack. You will use considerably less weight than for the barbell back squat. Unrack the barbell and do a three-step walk out. Instead of descending into a squat you bend forward. The barbell stays under control on your back. Bend as far as your flexibility allows. From there move back to an upright position. This is one repetition. One repetition maximums should never be attempted on this exercise.

The biggest advantages of the good morning are its specificity and ability to be loaded heavy. Especially for powerlifters who have problems with back squats can benefit. The good morning is more specific to their needs than working with bands. As you use a barbell you can also go fairly heavy on this exercise, if needed.

Which is better the deadlift or the good morning?

It depends on your goals. If you see weightlifting as an addition to your overall schedule you will prefer the deadlift. If you are mainly focused on barbell work, the good morning might be the focus of one of your later training cycles.

For overall strength go for the deadlift. If you specifically want to target the lower back go for the good morning.