How to Do Good Morning
Start and end of one clean rep of Good Morning.
Quick facts
| Primary muscle | Hamstrings |
|---|---|
| Secondary muscles | Core, Glutes |
| Equipment | Barbell |
| Category | Powerlifting |
How to perform Good Morning
- 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.
- 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.
- Reverse the motion by extending through the hips with your glutes and hamstrings. Continue until you have returned to the starting position.
Muscles worked
- Hamstrings (primary): bends the knee and extends the hip through hinges and pulls.
- Core (secondary): braces the trunk and resists twisting to protect the spine.
- Glutes (secondary): extends and stabilises the hip — the engine behind hinges, squats and sprints.
Sets & reps by goal
| Goal | Sets × reps | Load | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Strength | 3–5 × 3–5 | Heavy (~85%+) | 2–3 min |
| Hypertrophy | 3–4 × 8–12 | Moderate (~65–75%) | 60–90 s |
| Endurance | 2–3 × 15–20 | Lighter (~50–60%) | 30–45 s |
Pick the row that matches your goal. If you're newer, anchor in the hypertrophy range while you groove the form.
Form tips
- Lead with the hips, keep a soft knee and hold a long, flat back through the hinge.
- Keep the bar path close and stacked over your mid-foot; letting it drift forward wastes force and loads the lower back.
- Rehearse your setup identically on every rep; dependable strength is built on one groove you can trust.
- Control the lowering phase — a 2–3 second descent builds more than dropping the weight.
Common mistakes
- Rounding the lower back to reach lower instead of hinging at the hips.
- Loading the bar heavier than your form allows and turning strict reps into a whole-body heave.
- Changing your setup rep to rep so the groove never becomes automatic.
Frequently asked questions
What muscles does Good Morning work?
Good Morning mainly works the hamstrings, with the core, glutes helping as secondary movers.
What equipment do I need for Good Morning?
Good Morning needs a barbell and plates (plus a rack or bench where the movement calls for one).
How many sets and reps should I do for Good Morning?
It depends on your goal: about 3–5 sets of 3–5 heavy reps for strength, 3–4 sets of 8–12 for muscle growth, or 2–3 sets of 15–20 for endurance. Pick the row that matches your goal. If you're newer, anchor in the hypertrophy range while you groove the form.
Train Good Morning with a coach in your pocket
Gimmy is your AI gym buddy — it programs Good Morning into recovery-aware workouts, tracks your sets, and shows one score that tells you if it's working.
Get early access