Alright, you’re here because you’ve heard about the “Good Morning exercise.” Maybe you’re thinking, “Wait, what? Good Morning is an exercise, not just a greeting?” Oh yes, it is, and it’s about to become one of your favorites. This move is the unsung hero of the fitness world.

So, what exactly is the Good Morning exercise? Picture this: you’re hinging forward from the hips like you're bowing to the fitness gods, while your back, glutes, and hamstrings do the heavy lifting. It's not just any move—it’s THE move that will save your back, tone your hamstrings, and boost your overall strength like nobody’s business. 

Great question! Picture yourself waking up early, stretching those tight muscles from a night of sleep, and giving a respectful "good morning" bow. That’s pretty much what your body is doing during this exercise! A deep, controlled bow, hinging at the hips—except, instead of bowing to the sun, you’re bowing to better posture, stronger glutes, and a happier lower back.

The Good Morning exercise primarily targets the posterior chain, which includes the muscles on the backside of your body. Here’s a breakdown of the key muscles worked:

Hamstrings – These muscles at the back of your thighs play a big role in controlling the hip hinge movement. During the lowering phase, they lengthen, and when you rise back up, they contract, helping to extend the hips.

Glutes (Gluteus Maximus) – The largest muscle of the buttocks, the glutes are activated when you push your hips forward to return to a standing position. They are crucial for hip extension and overall lower-body strength.

Lower Back (Erector Spinae) – The muscles along your spine help keep your back straight during the exercise. They work to prevent the rounding of your back, ensuring proper form and posture.

Core Muscles (Abs and Obliques) – Though not the primary movers, your core muscles engage to stabilize your torso throughout the exercise. Keeping the core tight is essential to maintaining balance and protecting your lower back.

Adductors – The inner thigh muscles, or adductors, assist in maintaining stability and controlling the motion, especially during the descent.

Upper Back (Trapezius and Rhomboids) – If you perform the Good Morning with a barbell, the muscles in your upper back (especially the traps and rhomboids) help stabilize the weight and maintain an upright posture.

If you’ve got a body, this exercise is for you. Whether you’re a desk-bound office worker suffering from bad posture, a gym junkie looking to boost your hamstring game, or a beginner trying to figure out how to start building a strong foundation—Good Mornings have your back (literally).

But wait, I hear you—“I’ve never done this before, and it sounds like something only pros should be doing.” Nope! This is a beginner-friendly exercise, and I’m about to show you how easy it is to start adding it to your home fitness routine.

Okay, enough talking. Let’s get into the action. Here’s how you do the Good Morning exercise without hurting yourself or making your neighbors think you’ve lost it:

1. Start with No Weights: This isn’t about how much you can lift—especially not at the start. Focus on form first. Stand tall with your feet shoulder-width apart, hands on your hips, or clasped behind your head.
2. Hinge at the Hips: Slowly bend at your hips, pushing your butt back like you’re trying to close a car door with it. Keep your chest up and your back flat—no hunching! Imagine you have a broomstick running down your spine. Your goal is to keep your upper body in a straight line.
3. Go as Low as Comfortable: As you hinge, you’ll feel a stretch in your hamstrings. Don’t force it. Lower your torso until you’re about parallel to the ground, but go only as far as you can without rounding your back. No one’s winning any prizes for how low they can go.
4. Squeeze Your Glutes: Now for the fun part—stand back up by squeezing your glutes (aka your butt muscles). Think of it as trying to pop a balloon between your cheeks. Weird visual? Maybe. But it works.
5. Repeat for 10-15 Reps: Start with 3 sets of 10 reps and slowly build up as you get more comfortable. And once you're feeling good about your form, you can introduce weights. A barbell, dumbbells, or even resistance bands can be added to increase the difficulty.

Nobody’s perfect, but that doesn’t mean we can’t try. Here are the most common mistakes people make with Good Mornings and how to fix them:

Good Mornings strengthen your back, glutes, and hamstrings, improving posture and flexibility. They help protect your lower back from strain, boost your core stability, and target your glutes for a stronger, more toned look. Plus, they’re a great move for building a solid foundation for other lifts like deadlifts and squats.

Here are 6 good morning variations for you to choose from：

Holding a barbell across your upper back, follow the same movement as the bodyweight version. This adds resistance and increases the challenge for your glutes, hamstrings, and lower back.

Hold a dumbbell in each hand, or one against your chest, as you perform the hip hinge. This version offers more control and is great for home workouts without a barbell.

Sit on a flat bench with a barbell or weights, feet flat on the ground. Hinge forward at your hips while keeping your back flat. This variation focuses more on the lower back and reduces strain on the legs.

Step on a resistance band with both feet, loop the other end over your shoulders, and perform the hip hinge. This adds tension throughout the movement, especially in the hamstrings and glutes.

Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the ground, hip-width apart. Press through your heels, lift your hips towards the ceiling, and squeeze your glutes at the top. Lower back down slowly.

Stand in a wider-than-shoulder-width stance (sumo stance) with your toes slightly pointed out. Perform a Good Morning by hinging at the hips, lowering your torso forward, and then rising back up. Use a barbell or bodyweight.

• How to do it: Holding dumbbells or a barbell, stand tall, then hinge at your hips while keeping the weights close to your legs. Lower until you feel a stretch in your hamstrings, then return to standing.
• Why it’s a good alternative: Targets similar muscles to Good Mornings but focuses more on building hamstring and glute strength while improving your hip hinge movement.

• How to do it: Hold a kettlebell with both hands. Swing it between your legs as you hinge at the hips, then use the power from your glutes and hamstrings to swing it back up to chest level.
• Why it’s a good alternative: Focuses on explosive hip extension while engaging the hamstrings, glutes, and core, offering a more dynamic workout.

• How to do it: Sit with your upper back on a bench and weight across your hips. Drive through your heels, lift your hips up, and squeeze your glutes at the top.
• Why it’s a good alternative: Targets the glutes more directly than Good Mornings while still working the hamstrings and core, and it places less strain on the lower back.

• How to do it: Stand away from a low cable machine with a rope attachment between your legs. Hinge forward at the hips, allowing the rope to pull back between your legs, then thrust your hips forward to stand.
• Why it’s a good alternative: Simulates the hip hinge of Good Mornings while focusing on the glutes, hamstrings, and lower back with constant tension from the cable.

• How to do it: Holding a dumbbell or kettlebell, balance on one leg and hinge at the hips while lowering the weight toward the floor. Return to standing, focusing on stability.
• Why it’s a good alternative: Builds unilateral (one-sided) strength and balance, while engaging the hamstrings, glutes, and core similar to Good Mornings.

Alright, now you know what the Good Morning exercise is, how to do it, and what to avoid. But where does it fit in your home workout routine?

You can sneak Good Mornings into your workout in various ways, depending on your goals. Here are some ideas:

• As a Warm-Up: Start your session with 2-3 sets of Good Mornings to wake up your hamstrings, glutes, and lower back. Your body will thank you for getting those muscles moving before heavier lifts.
• Part of Your Leg Day: Throw Good Mornings into your leg day routine, right alongside squats, lunges, and deadlifts. This will add more focus to your hamstrings and lower back, ensuring no muscle gets left behind.
• Core Workout Add-On: Pair it with planks, Russian twists, and other core exercises. Your lower back plays a huge role in core stability, and Good Mornings can complement those core moves.
• Recovery Days: If you’re sore from previous workouts, Good Mornings can double as a gentle stretch and strength move. Go lighter on the reps and weights, and focus on getting that sweet hamstring stretch.

And that’s the end of Good Mornings – they are not to wake up only, but to strengthen up also! It’s the perfect exercise if you’re in a mission to improve your posture, build brawn booty or maintain your back health. The next time you are working out at home, do this move and offer your back, glutes, as well as the hamstring muscles an intense workout.

So get your mat, do a couple of sets and reps and the next thing you know, Good Mornings are an exercise you’re already familiar with. Oh, your back will start thanking you for that once you start doing it. Well developed legs for the long hours of sitting especially on the driver’s seat. Well, the future you will be thankful for it.

Good morning, indeed!