Good Morning
An advanced hip-hinge exercise using a barbell across the upper back, building hamstring and lower-back strength through a bowing motion at the hips.
Equipment: Barbell
How to do it
- 1Position a barbell across your upper back as you would for a squat, standing with feet shoulder-width apart.
- 2Keeping a slight bend in your knees and your back flat, hinge forward at the hips until your torso is close to parallel with the floor.
- 3Feel a stretch through your hamstrings at the bottom of the movement.
- 4Drive your hips forward to return to standing.
Common mistakes
- Rounding the lower back instead of maintaining a flat, neutral spine throughout.
- Using too much weight before mastering the hip-hinge pattern with light loads.
Sets & reps by goal
| Goal | Sets | Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Strength | 3-4 | 6-10 | 90-120 sec |
| Build muscle | 3-4 | 8-12 | 90-120 sec |
| General fitness | 3-4 | 12-15 | 45-60 sec |
Ranges reflect the same goal-based logic used by the workout plan tool. These are practical starting ranges rather than exact requirements; actual set count in a generated plan also depends on how often this muscle group appears elsewhere in your week.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Good Morning safe for beginners?
The Good Morning is tagged advanced, meaning it generally works best once you already have some legs training experience. If you're new to training, the Romanian Deadlift builds the same kind of movement with less demand, which makes it a reasonable place to start.
See the Romanian DeadliftWhat muscles does the Good Morning work?
The primary mover is your hamstrings. As a legs movement, it also involves your glutes and lower back.
What can I substitute if I don't have a barbell for the Good Morning?
The Single-Leg Romanian Deadlift trains the same muscle with a similar movement, so it's a reasonable swap if you don't have a barbell available. The loading won't match exactly, so expect to adjust the weight or reps.
See the Single-Leg Romanian DeadliftRelated exercises
Learn more
Want a full plan built around exercises like this one? Try the workout plan tool.