Rounding the back
Stop the descent sooner and reduce the weight until you can keep the spine neutral.
Hinge · Barbell
Good Morning
A barbell hinge with the bar on your upper back, bowing forward at the hips with soft knees. It works the hamstrings, glutes, and spinal erectors and builds hip strength for squats and deadlifts. Best for intermediate lifters with a solid hinge pattern.
- Primary
- Hamstrings
- Secondary
- Glutes, Back
- Starting rep range
- 8–12 reps
- Target effort
- 2 reps in reserve
- Progression
- 5 kg jumps
Muscles worked
The hamstrings and glutes lengthen as you hinge and extend the hip to bring you back up. The erector spinae work hard to keep the spine from rounding, more so than in an RDL because the load sits higher.
How to set up
- Set the bar in a rack at upper-chest height and place it across your upper back as for a squat.
- Unrack, step back, and stand feet hip to shoulder width with soft knees.
- Take a big breath and brace your trunk.
- Pull your shoulder blades tight to hold the bar securely.
How to do each rep
- Push the hips back and lower your torso while keeping a flat back.
- Stop when your hamstrings are fully stretched or your torso is near parallel, whichever comes first.
- Drive the hips forward to return upright.
- Keep the weight in your midfoot; avoid shifting onto the toes.
Common good morning mistakes
Too much knee bend
Keep the knees soft but mostly fixed so it stays a hinge, not a squat.
Loading too heavy too soon
Start with an empty bar and add small jumps; this lift is accessory work, not a max lift.
Sets, reps, and progression
Surpass starts the good morning at 8–12 reps with about 2 reps in reserve. As a compound lift it usually belongs early in the session, when you are fresh.
Keep good mornings in moderate rep ranges (6-12) and add 5-10 lb at a time. If your back fatigues before your hamstrings, use an RDL instead.
Know what to lift next time
Surpass shows what you lifted last time beside a target for this set, and adjusts it from your reps and RIR. Free on iPhone, no account needed.
Good Morning alternatives
These train the same main muscles. Swap when the equipment is busy, something hurts, or progress has stalled for several weeks.
Questions
Are good mornings safe?
They are safe when the load is moderate and your back stays flat. Most problems come from going too heavy or too deep.
Good morning vs RDL?
Both are hip hinges. The good morning loads the bar higher, which works the lower back harder and uses less weight. The RDL is easier to learn and to load heavy.