Videos
Instructions
- Stand with feet hip-width apart, hands behind your head or crossed over your chest.
- Keep a slight bend in the knees and maintain a neutral spine.
- Hinge at the hips by pushing them backward while lowering your torso forward.
- Lower until your torso is nearly parallel to the floor or as far as your mobility allows.
- Engage your glutes and hamstrings to return to the starting position.
Technical Tips
- Keep your back straight and core engaged throughout the movement.
- Do not round your back or hyperextend your neck.
- Move slowly and with control to maintain form and avoid injury.
Breathing Tips
- Inhale as you hinge forward and lower your torso.
- Exhale as you engage your glutes and return to standing.
Medical restrictions
- Lower back pain or herniated discs
- Hamstring strain
- Sciatica
The Good Morning is a powerful posterior chain bodyweight exercise that emphasizes hip hinging mechanics to strengthen the glutes, hamstrings, and lower back. Named for its resemblance to the motion of bowing forward, the Good Morning is highly effective in developing foundational strength and stability through the hips and spine. This movement helps improve posture, balance, and spinal alignment while reinforcing proper hip hinge mechanics essential for many compound lifts such as deadlifts and squats. It can be integrated into warm-ups, mobility drills, or strength workouts. Executed without equipment, it is a versatile option for functional training, home workouts, or beginners learning proper form. The Good Morning promotes muscular endurance, enhances posterior flexibility, and reduces injury risk by training the core and posterior chain in a coordinated fashion. With correct technique and control, it serves as a valuable tool for building resilient, functional movement patterns that carry over into daily activities and athletic performance.
What muscles do Good Mornings work?
Good Mornings target the hamstrings, glutes, and lower back, making them ideal for developing posterior chain strength and reinforcing hip hinge mechanics.
Is the Good Morning exercise safe for my back?
When performed with proper form and without rounding the spine, Good Mornings are safe and beneficial for building lower back endurance and resilience.
Can I do Good Mornings without equipment?
Yes, bodyweight Good Mornings require no equipment and are an effective way to strengthen the posterior chain at home or as part of a warm-up.
Are Good Mornings good for improving posture?
Yes, Good Mornings strengthen the spinal erectors and posterior muscles, which support better posture and reduce the risk of slouching.
How many reps of Good Mornings should I do?
Start with 2–3 sets of 10–15 controlled reps to build endurance and reinforce proper form before progressing to added resistance.