If you are building out lower back training, the Good Mornings is a beginner-level option that uses bodyweight. Mechanically, the target muscles contribute to the movement — the reason this exercise carries over to overall performance in this pattern. It sits in the calisthenics category, so the emphasis falls on movement quality and repeatable output. The 'Good Mornings' element in the name is the part that matters technically — it defines the exact position and path this version uses, and swapping it changes the training effect. Support comes from the glutes, hamstrings, and calves; the glutes in particular help extend and externally rotate the hip, which is why fatigue there often shows up before the lower back is fully worked. Training this with bodyweight needs no equipment at all and can be done virtually anywhere, though it is harder to load progressively once you outgrow it. Programme it alongside your other lower back work rather than as a standalone. The pattern is accessible enough to learn in a single session, which makes it a sound entry point before progressing to heavier or more complex variations.
Muscles Worked
The Good Mornings is primarily a legs exercise, but it is never only the legs doing the work.
Legs
75%
Glutes
42%
Hamstrings
32%
Calves
22%
Legs (primary) — These fibres contribute to the movement, and they carry the majority of the load in this movement.
Glutes (secondary) — Assists by helping to extend and externally rotate the hip, contributing to hip power, posture and lower-back protection.
Hamstrings (secondary) — Assists by helping to bend the knee and extend the hip, contributing to hip power, sprinting and knee joint balance.
Calves (secondary) — Assists by helping to point the foot downward at the ankle, contributing to ankle stiffness, walking and jumping mechanics.
Benefits of the Good Mornings
Builds strength in the lower back through a hinge pattern, which carries over directly to pushing the hips back and driving them forward.
Reinforces the hamstrings, glutes and spinal erectors as a coordinated unit rather than as isolated parts.
Uses bodyweight, which needs no equipment at all and can be done virtually anywhere.
Strengthens trunk bracing, which protects the spine during heavy compound lifts.
How to Perform the Good Mornings
1
Set your starting position and brace your core before the first rep.
2
Push your hips back and let your bodyweight travel close to your legs.
3
Lower until you feel a strong stretch through the lower back, keeping your back flat.
4
A good Good Mornings rep looks identical to the one before it; when it doesn't, the set is done.
5
Drive your hips forward to stand, finishing tall without leaning back.
6
Keep every rep at the same tempo — when speed drops noticeably, end the set.
Your Goal General Fitness
Sets
2–3
Reps
10–15
Rest
60s
Breathing Technique
The general rule for the Good Mornings is simple: inhale at the top, brace, exhale as you drive the hips forward. For heavier sets, take a breath in at the start position, brace as though bracing for a punch, and hold that pressure through the hardest part of the rep before exhaling. Getting this right stabilises your trunk and keeps blood pressure in a sensible range.
Tips for Proper Form
Keep the range of motion consistent across every rep so you can compare sessions honestly.
Set your position before the first rep rather than correcting it mid-set.
Control the lowering phase — most of the lower back stimulus comes from resisting the weight, not lifting it.
Keep the spine neutral and let the hips travel back rather than the chest dropping.
Push your hips back rather than bending down. The lower back only loads properly when your shins stay near vertical.
Log your Good Mornings numbers each session. The lower back responds to gradual, tracked increases far more reliably than to hard sessions you can't repeat.
Because there's no external load to hide behind, form is the only variable. Regress the movement before you let it get sloppy.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Jerking the weight off the floor or out of the stretch.
Do this insteadTake the slack out first, then move — a smooth start keeps tension where it belongs.
Treating the Good Mornings as a warm-up movement and never progressing it.
Do this insteadGive it real working sets — the lower back needs a genuine stimulus, not a token effort.
Letting the glutes compensate once the lower back tires.
Do this insteadStop the set at that point — past there you're training the compensation.
Variations by Experience Level
Beginner
Perform the movement slowly with a light load until the pattern feels automatic. Stay at this level until every Good Mornings rep looks the same as the first.
Intermediate
Add a one- to two-second pause at the hardest position of each repetition. Alternate harder and easier Good Mornings sessions rather than pushing every one.
Advanced
Slow the lowering phase to three or four seconds to accumulate tension without adding weight. At this level the Good Mornings is best programmed after your heaviest lower back work, not before it.
Safety Considerations
The most common way the Good Mornings goes wrong is rounding the lower back as the hips run out of range.
Keep the spine in a neutral position — loaded flexion or forced rotation is where lower-back injuries happen.
Stop the set when technique degrades — a Good Mornings rep that no longer looks like your first one is not building anything.
Warm up with lighter sets of the Good Mornings before your first working set.
Who Should Avoid This Exercise
The Good Mornings suits most healthy trainees, but it is not appropriate for everyone.
Anyone with an acute lower-back injury or disc irritation, until cleared to load the spine again.
Anyone experiencing sharp, localised or radiating pain during the movement — that is a signal to stop, not to push through.
This is general educational information, not medical advice. If you are managing an injury or medical condition, check with a qualified professional before adding this exercise to your programme.
It primarily trains the legs, with the glutes, hamstrings, and calves assisting. The pattern is classified as hinge, so the hamstrings, glutes and spinal erectors share the workload.
Is the Good Mornings suitable for beginners?
Yes. It is rated beginner-level, and the pattern can usually be learned in a single session with light resistance.
How many sets and reps should I do?
A practical starting point is 3 sets of 6-8, resting 2-3 min between sets, roughly 2x per week. Adjust from there based on how you recover.
What equipment do I need for the Good Mornings?
You need bodyweight. This needs no equipment at all and can be done virtually anywhere, though it is harder to load progressively once you outgrow it.
How do I breathe during the Good Mornings?
As a general rule, inhale at the top, brace, exhale as you drive the hips forward. Avoid holding your breath for the entire set.
What is the most common mistake with the Good Mornings?
Rounding the lower back as the hips run out of range. The simplest correction is to keep the spine neutral and let the hips travel back rather than the chest dropping.
What can I do instead of the Good Mornings?
Good substitutes that train the same lower back pattern include Barbell Deadlift High Pull, Barbell Coan Deadlift, and Good Morning Resistance Band. Pick whichever matches the equipment you have available.
How often should I do the Good Mornings?
About 2x per week suits most people. Recovery, not frequency, is what limits progress.
About Training Your Lower Back
Within lower back training, the Good Mornings is the bodyweight variation to reach for when you want a hinge pattern you can repeat consistently.
The lower back — chiefly the erector spinae running along the spine — keeps you upright, stabilises the trunk under load, and works alongside the glutes and hamstrings to extend the hips. A strong, resilient lower back underpins nearly every heavy lift and protects against everyday injury.
The deadlift and its variations are the primary builders, loading the entire posterior chain. Back extensions, good mornings, and rack pulls add targeted strengthening, while bracing during squats and carries trains the spinal stabilisers.
Technique is paramount: maintain a neutral spine, brace the core hard, and hinge from the hips rather than rounding the back. Build load gradually and never sacrifice form for weight.