Good Mornings

Set barbell across upper back. Brace core, soft knees, and hinge at the hips with a neutral spine until hamstrings stretch; keep shins vertical. Drive hips forward to stand, building hamstrings, glutes, and lower-back strength.

Muscles worked

Equipment

Good Mornings exercise demonstration

How to do it

  1. Set the bar across the upper back and brace the core.
  2. Soften the knees and hinge at the hips while keeping a neutral spine.
  3. Lower the torso forward until the hamstrings stretch and the back stays flat.
  4. Drive the hips forward to stand without leaning back at the top.
  5. Keep the bar over the midfoot and the shins close to vertical.
  6. Reset the brace before the next rep.

Watch for

  • Low back rounding under load.
  • Knees shooting forward like a squat.
  • Bouncing out of the bottom.

Breathing

Inhale and brace before the hinge, exhale after passing the hardest point.

Tip

Start light. The lever is long and the load on the low back is much higher than the bar weight suggests.

Track this exercise in the SmartReps app

Log sets, reps and weight, and let the AI coach plan your progression — free on iOS and Android.

Log this exercise in SmartReps

Related exercises