In today’s article, I want to show you how to setup the iron cross good morning.

Most lifters have seen good mornings with the barbell, but they don’t typically associate good mornings with an effective way to warm-up and activate the posterior chain in preparation for an effective workout.

But, as you will see, the simple good morning (against band-resistance) has a TON of benefits that you need to train better and get stronger.

Benefits of the Good Morning:
– teaches hip hinge pattern (with a straight back / neutral torso)
– gets the glutes to fire (with a co-contraction of the hamstrings)
– reinforces full hip extension
– drives posterior tilt of pelvis
– dynamic stretch of typically tight (and weak) hip flexors

While the simple good morning is a great exercise, if we can further facilitate and add tension to a fixed neutral spine, we can begin the transition from a simple warm-up exercise to a loaded strength pattern with heavier loads and greater intensity.

Enter the iron cross good morning.

The iron cross good morning is the same movement as the band-resisted good morning with a little twist. You will hold an isometric band pull apart – with a second band – against your chest throughout the entire set.

This increases the tension across the entire upper back and essentially ‘locks’ down a good neutral spine while you’re performing the movement. This will help groove the hip hinge with greater tension so the lifter / athlete can begin to understand the bracing / tension needed when they have a bar on their back.

In the video below, I show a quick progression I use with my clients.

Here are the 3 levels of the hip hinge / good morning drill for activation / warm-up:

Band-Resisted Good Mornings

Iron Cross Good Mornings

Iron Cross Back Extensions

IRON CROSS GOOD MORNING