Good Morning

What It Is

The Good Morning is a barbell hip hinge exercise that primarily targets the hamstrings and lower back. The bar sits across the upper back — the same position as a back squat — and you hinge at the hips until the torso is roughly parallel to the floor, then drive back up to standing. It looks simple. Done correctly, it is one of the most demanding posterior chain exercises in existence.

It is called the Good Morning because the movement resembles a bow of greeting. It was a staple of strength training programmes for decades and features in the training of some of the strongest athletes in history. For reasons nobody can satisfactorily explain, it has largely disappeared from modern gyms. That is a mistake.

How to Perform It

1. Set the bar in a squat rack at shoulder height. Place it across the upper back — not the neck — exactly as you would for a back squat.
2. Step back from the rack. Feet shoulder-width apart, slight bend in the knees. Brace the core.
3. Push the hips back and hinge forward at the hips — not the waist — lowering the torso until it is parallel to the floor or until you feel a strong stretch in the hamstrings.
4. Keep the back flat throughout. The spine does not round at any point. If it does, the weight is too heavy or the hamstring flexibility is insufficient.
5. Drive the hips forward to return to standing. Squeeze the glutes at the top.

Common Mistakes

• Rounding the lower back — the most dangerous error. The back must remain flat. If it rounds, reduce the weight immediately.
• Too much weight too soon — this exercise must be learned at very light weight. The bar alone is enough to begin with. Master the movement before adding load.
• Bending the knees too much — the knees should have a slight bend but remain relatively fixed. Excessive knee bend turns this into a squat, not a hip hinge.
• Not hinging at the hip — the movement comes from pushing the hips back, not from bending the torso forward. If you are not feeling it in the hamstrings, you are not hinging correctly.

Muscles Worked

• Hamstrings — primary target. The stretch and load on the hamstrings is significant.
• Erector spinae — the lower back muscles work hard to maintain a flat back position throughout.
• Glutes — drive the hip extension on the way back up.
• Core — bracing the core throughout protects the spine and improves force transfer.