Good Mornings
- Beginner
- Bodyweight
The good morning is a hip-hinge exercise that bows the torso forward over braced legs. With minimal knee bend, the hamstrings stretch and the lower back stays rigid as the hips drive backward, then power forward to stand back up. It's the cleanest way to teach the hinge pattern that underpins deadlifts, kettlebell swings, and Romanian deadlifts.
How to do the Good Mornings
- Stand tall with your feet hip-width apart, hands crossed at your chest or behind your head.
- Brace your core and unlock your knees with a soft bend, keeping that bend constant through the rep.
- Push your hips backward and bow your torso forward, keeping your back flat from head to tailbone.
- Lower until you feel a deep stretch in the hamstrings or your torso is roughly parallel to the floor.
- Drive your hips forward to lift your torso back up to standing, squeezing your glutes at the top.
- Pause briefly upright before starting the next rep, keeping the same knee angle throughout the set.
Muscles worked
- Primary:
- Glutes and Hamstrings
- Secondary:
- Core
Why train it
- Builds hamstring strength through a controlled stretch.
- Strengthens the glutes and lower back as a connected hinge unit.
- Teaches the hip-hinge pattern used in every deadlift variation.
Common mistakes
- Rounding the back as you bow forward, which loads the spine instead of the hamstrings and glutes.
- Bending the knees more as you go down, turning the hinge into a half-squat and reducing hamstring work.
- Going past parallel before the hips can absorb the stretch, which strains the lower back.
- Standing up by pulling with the lower back instead of driving with the hips and glutes.
Frequently asked questions
What muscles do Good Mornings work?
Good Mornings train the glutes and hamstrings as the main targets. Expect the core to take some of the load as well.
What equipment do I need for Good Mornings?
None. Good Mornings are a bodyweight movement, so your own weight is the resistance and floor space is the only requirement.
Are Good Mornings suitable for beginners?
Yes. Good Mornings are rated beginner: you are the load, so there is no weight to get wrong. Add reps or time only once the position holds from the first of them to the last.
Can I do Good Mornings at home?
Yes, anywhere. There is nothing to buy and nothing to set up, which makes Good Mornings one of the movements worth keeping for days you never reach a gym.
How many sets and reps of Good Mornings should I do?
Three to four sets taken within a rep or two of failure. There is no weight to add here, so progress by slowing the lowering phase, pausing at the hardest point, or moving to a harder variation once you can clear 15 clean reps.
What are good alternatives to Good Mornings?
Band Romanian Deadlift, Dumbbell Deadlift, and Kettlebell Romanian Deadlift train the same primary muscles as Good Mornings. Pick whichever one matches the equipment in front of you.