Good Morning
How to do the Good Morning
- 1
Begin with a bar on a rack at shoulder height. Rack the bar across the rear of your shoulders as you would a power squat, not on top of your shoulders. Keep your back tight, shoulder blades pinched together, and your knees slightly bent. Step back from the rack.
- 2
Begin by bending at the hips, moving them back as you bend over to near parallel. Keep your back arched and your cervical spine in proper alignment.
- 3
Reverse the motion by extending through the hips with your glutes and hamstrings. Continue until you have returned to the starting position.
How to program the Good Morning
Sets and reps
As a compound movement, the Good Morning responds well to heavier loading. For strength, work in the 3–5 sets of 4–8 reps range with 2–3 minutes of rest between sets. For muscle growth, 3–4 sets of 8–12 reps with 90 seconds of rest is the classic hypertrophy zone. Place it early in your session, when you're freshest, and leave 1–3 reps in reserve on most sets.
Progression
The Good Morning is rated intermediate. Earn the right to progress: only add load when every rep of every set moves with consistent technique. Video your sets or use a mirror to check positions, and use double progression (add reps to the top of your range, then add load and reset) rather than jumping weight.
Secondary muscles worked
Put the Good Morning into a plan
Generate a free, personalized workout plan that programs this and hundreds of other exercises around your goals.
Frequently asked questions
What muscles does the Good Morning work?
The Good Morning primarily targets the Hamstrings. It also recruits the Abdominals, Glutes, Lower Back as supporting muscles.
What equipment do I need for the Good Morning?
You need Barbell. Difficulty level: Intermediate.
How many sets and reps of the Good Morning should I do?
For strength, do 3–5 sets of 4–8 reps with 2–3 minutes rest. For muscle growth, do 3–4 sets of 8–12 reps with about 90 seconds rest.
