Good Morning Squat: Causes, Risks, and Corrective Strategies

Why does my squat look like a good morning?

If your squat often culminates with your hips rising significantly faster than your shoulders, causing your torso to lean excessively forward, you are experiencing a common kinematic fault known as a "good morning squat." This compensation typically stems from a combination of insufficient posterior chain strength, poor core stability, and/or limited mobility in key joints like the ankles and thoracic spine.

Understanding the "Good Morning Squat"

The "good morning squat" describes a deviation in squat mechanics where, particularly during the ascent phase, the hips elevate much more rapidly than the chest. This results in a pronounced forward lean of the torso, effectively transforming the latter half of the squat into a good morning exercise. While the good morning is a valuable exercise for hip hinge mechanics and posterior chain development, its unintentional appearance during a squat indicates a breakdown in form that can compromise lifting safety and effectiveness.

Anatomical & Biomechanical Causes

Several factors, alone or in combination, can contribute to the "good morning squat" pattern:

• Weak Glutes and Hamstrings (Posterior Chain Insufficiency): The glutes and hamstrings are critical for hip extension, which drives the hips forward and upwards during the squat. If these muscles are weak or not adequately engaged, the body compensates by shifting more load to the lower back and relying on the lumbar extensors to initiate the lift, causing the hips to shoot up prematurely.
• Weak Core Stability: A strong and stable core (encompassing the abdominal muscles, obliques, erector spinae, and diaphragm) is essential for maintaining a rigid torso and neutral spine throughout the squat. If the core musculature is insufficient to resist the shearing forces created by the load, the spine may round or extend excessively, leading to a forward lean to maintain balance.
• Poor Ankle Dorsiflexion Mobility: Limited ankle dorsiflexion (the ability to bring your shin forward over your foot) can restrict your ability to achieve adequate squat depth while keeping your heels down. To compensate, your torso must lean further forward to maintain balance, placing you in a mechanically disadvantaged position from which to ascend.
• Insufficient Thoracic Mobility: Stiffness in the thoracic spine (upper back) can prevent you from maintaining an upright chest position. If the upper back rounds, it becomes difficult to keep the bar over the midfoot, forcing the hips to shift back and the torso to lean forward to counteract the bar's leverage.
• Improper Bar Placement:
  • Bar Too High (High Bar Squat): If the bar is placed too high on the traps but the lifter's mobility or strength dictates a more forward lean, it can increase the leverage against the lower back.
  • Bar Too Low (Low Bar Squat): While a low bar squat naturally involves a more forward torso lean, if the bar is placed too low for the individual's comfort or mobility, it can exacerbate the issue, especially if the posterior chain isn't robust enough to support the position.
• Quad Dominance: Lifters who primarily rely on their quadriceps for squatting, perhaps due to underdeveloped glutes/hamstrings or a habit of initiating the lift with knee extension, may find their hips rising too quickly as the quads contribute disproportionately to the initial ascent.
• Anthropometry (Limb Lengths): Individuals with relatively long femurs (thigh bones) compared to their torso or tibia may naturally exhibit a more forward torso lean in a squat. While this isn't inherently a "fault," it accentuates the need for robust posterior chain strength and core stability to prevent it from turning into a good morning squat.

The Risks of a "Good Morning Squat"

Failing to address this squat fault carries several risks:

• Increased Lumbar Spine Stress: The excessive forward lean places significant shear and compressive forces on the lower back, increasing the risk of muscle strains, disc bulges, or herniation.
• Reduced Training Efficacy: The intended target muscles (glutes, quads, hamstrings) may not be adequately stimulated, as the load is shifted away from them and onto the lower back.
• Compromised Lifting Capacity: The mechanically disadvantaged position limits the amount of weight you can safely and effectively lift, hindering progress.
• Chronic Pain and Injury: Repeatedly squatting with this faulty pattern can lead to chronic lower back pain and increase susceptibility to acute injuries.

Corrective Strategies & Exercises

Addressing the "good morning squat" requires a multi-faceted approach focusing on mobility, strength, and motor control.

• Assess and Adjust Bar Placement: Experiment with high-bar vs. low-bar positions. The high-bar squat typically promotes a more upright torso, while the low-bar squat allows for a slightly greater forward lean, leveraging the posterior chain more. Find what best suits your individual biomechanics and mobility.
• Improve Ankle Dorsiflexion Mobility:
  • Ankle Mobility Drills: Perform exercises like wall ankle stretches, banded ankle mobilizations, and elevated heel squats (using weightlifting shoes or small plates under the heels temporarily).
  • Calf Stretches: Regular stretching of the gastrocnemius and soleus muscles.
• Enhance Thoracic Mobility:
  • Thoracic Spine Extensions: Use a foam roller to extend the upper back.
  • Cat-Cow Stretches: Improve spinal articulation.
  • Overhead Reaches: Practice reaching overhead to promote thoracic extension.
• Strengthen the Posterior Chain:
  • Romanian Deadlifts (RDLs): Excellent for hamstring and glute development with a hip hinge focus.
  • Glute Bridges & Hip Thrusts: Directly target glute activation and strength.
  • Hyperextensions (Back Extensions): Strengthen the erector spinae and glutes.
  • Good Mornings: Ironically, performing good mornings as an accessory exercise can strengthen the muscles needed to prevent the squat from becoming one.
• Boost Core Stability:
  • Planks (and variations): Develop anti-extension and anti-flexion strength.
  • Pallof Presses: Improve anti-rotation stability.
  • Bird-Dog: Enhances spinal stability and motor control.
  • Dead Bugs: Focus on maintaining a neutral spine while moving limbs.
• Practice Proper Bracing: Learn to effectively perform the Valsalva maneuver (taking a deep breath into your belly and holding it, creating intra-abdominal pressure) to stabilize the spine before initiating the squat.
• Utilize Cues and Feedback:
  • "Chest Up!": Focus on keeping your sternum elevated.
  • "Drive Through the Heels/Midfoot!": Emphasizes glute and hamstring engagement.
  • "Push the Floor Away!": A mental cue to drive through the entire foot.
  • Video Analysis: Record your squats from the side to objectively identify form breakdown.
• Consider Squat Variations:
  • Box Squats: Help reinforce proper depth and teach controlled descent and powerful ascent, often emphasizing posterior chain engagement.
  • Tempo Squats: Slowing down the eccentric (lowering) and/or concentric (lifting) phases can improve motor control and identify weak points.
  • Pause Squats: Pausing at the bottom of the squat eliminates the stretch reflex, forcing greater muscle activation to initiate the ascent.
  • Front Squats: Naturally enforce a more upright torso due to bar placement, significantly challenging core stability and thoracic mobility.

When to Seek Expert Guidance

If you consistently struggle with the "good morning squat" despite implementing corrective strategies, or if you experience pain during or after your squats, it is highly recommended to consult with a qualified professional. A certified personal trainer, strength and conditioning coach, physical therapist, or kinesiologist can provide a personalized assessment, identify specific limitations, and design an individualized program to correct your squat mechanics safely and effectively.