Good Morning off Pins
Muscles worked
Instructions
- 1Begin with a bar on a rack at about the same height as your stomach. Bend over underneath the bar and rack the bar across the rear of your shoulders as you would a power squat, not on top of your shoulders. At the proper height, you should be near parallel to the floor when bent over. Keep your back tight, shoulder blades pinched together, and your knees slightly bent. Keep your back arched and your cervical spine in proper alignment.
- 2Begin the motion by extending through the hips with your glutes and hamstrings, and you are standing with the weight. Slowly lower the weight back to the pins returning to the starting position.
table_chartRecommended sets and reps
These ranges vary depending on your training goal — adjust the load accordingly.
| Goal | Sets | Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|
| boltStrength | 4–5 | 3–6 | 3–5 min |
| fitness_centerHypertrophy | 3–4 | 8–12 | 90 s |
| timerEndurance | 2–3 | 15–20 | 30–45 s |
About Good Morning off Pins
The good morning off pins is a variation of the classic good morning where the bar starts directly from the safety pins of a rack instead of being unracked from a standing position. This starting point removes the setup phase and lets you specifically train the concentric portion of the lift, beginning from a forward-bent position close to parallel with the floor. It's an excellent tool for building the hamstrings and glutes through a loaded hip-hinge pattern, without the stress of unracking a heavy bar from standing. It requires solid lower-back bracing, since the back must stay rigid throughout the hip extension. It's best reserved for lifters who already have solid hip-hinge technique.
check_circleBenefits
- check_circleBuilds the hamstrings and glutes through a loaded hip hinge
- check_circleRemoves the stress of unracking a heavy bar from standing
- check_circleBuilds hip-extension strength from a mechanically disadvantaged position
- check_circleEffectively complements the deadlift and squat
lightbulbExecution tips
- lightbulbSet the pins just below the height needed for the bent-over position
- lightbulbKeep the back flat and braced throughout the extension
- lightbulbPush the hips back before initiating the extension
- lightbulbUse a noticeably lighter load than a standing good morning
warningCommon mistakes
- warningRounding the lower back during the extension
- warningLoading too heavy too soon on this technical lift
- warningExtending through the knees instead of the hips
- warningSkipping precise pin height setup before starting
helpFrequently asked questions
Why start from the pins instead of standing?expand_more
It removes the need to unrack a heavy bar from standing and specifically targets the concentric portion of the hip hinge.
How much weight should I use compared to a standing good morning?expand_more
Start noticeably lighter, since this movement begins from an already disadvantaged position for the lower back.
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