The name sounds like a friendly way to start the day instead of a weightlifting move, but “good mornings” are a beast of an exercise that can help you build iron-clad hamstrings, glutes, abs, and back muscles.

As great as good mornings are, however, there is one downside — if done improperly or too quickly, they do come with a risk of back injury.

Read this blog to learn about what good mornings are, their benefits, and how to do them at our Thornton gym.

How to Do Good Mornings at the Gym

No one knows exactly where the name “good mornings” came from. Some people believe it looks like you’re telling someone, “Good morning,” with a formal bow, while others say it resembles a stretch you might do when you’re getting out of bed.

Good mornings are typically done with a barbell, but beginners should start with a light weight or no weight at all to establish good form. It’s considered an advanced exercise even when an unweighted, 45-pound barbell is used. You definitely want to make sure you have adequate strength and mobility before performing a good morning with a barbell.

Here’s how to do the good morning exercise:

1. Stand with your feet hip-width apart and your knees slightly bent. Turn your toes slightly outward.
2. Place a barbell of appropriate weight on your shoulders. The barbell should be resting on the trapezius muscles of your upper back, near your shoulders.
3. Set your hands so your pinkies are on either the first or second knurling ring.
4. Squeeze your shoulder blades together, brace your abdominal muscles and upper back, and breathe in.
5. Exhale as you hinge at the hips, sending your hips backward and your upper body forward. You’ll look like you’re doing a deep, straight-backed bow.
6. Keep your back straight and stop once your upper body is parallel with the floor. Your hamstrings should feel engaged.
7. Maintain a rigid back as you inhale and slowly thrust your hips forward until you’re standing up again.
8. Flex your glutes hard at the top.
9. Repeat for the desired number of reps.

Benefits of the Good Morning Exercise at the Gym

Good mornings are all about back stabilization. This compound exercise targets your spinal erectors (the muscles that run down the length of your spine), hamstrings (the backs of your thighs), glutes (buttocks), abdominals, and adductor magnus (inside thigh), all of which receive a solid workout.

This back-loaded, hip-hinge exercise offers advantages for lifters who are looking to get bigger, stronger, and protect their lower backs. The main benefits of good mornings include:

• You’ll work your abdominal muscles (obliques and rectus abdominus) because they act as stabilizers during the exercise.
• They work your spinal erectors which are a key component of your core, as well. Stronger spinal erectors mean you’ll have a better ability to brace your core and protect your spine.
• They help to create stability in your upper and lower back.
• They engage your entire posterior chain, which are all the muscles you need to keep your back in good form.
• Good mornings recruit the same muscles as the squat, deadlift, clean and jerk, and snatch, and can improve your performance in all these lifts.
• The glute and hamstring development that you’ll get from good mornings can help you with hip thrusts, any type of squat or deadlift variation, and upper body exercises like bench presses and overhead presses. If you’re an athlete, stronger glutes and hamstrings can also improve your sprinting and jumping performance.
• Their enhancement of upper and lower back strength can help lifters who tend to fall forward during squats and deadlifts.

Research shows that using at least 50% of your one-rep maximum increases the activation of your hamstrings and spinal erectors while also increasing your knee flexion.

How Many Good Morning Sets and Reps Should I Do at the Gym?

As previously mentioned, it’s best to start with bodyweight good mornings to practice your form. Bodyweight good mornings are an extremely effective training tool. If you’re just beginning, a good place to start is 3 sets of 3 reps.

When you’re ready to add weight, you probably won’t load the barbell to your one-rep max, but that doesn’t mean you can’t ever go heavy. Just make sure you’re not lifting heavy without preparing yourself first, as this can increase your injury risk.

• To warm up — Do 2-3 sets of bodyweight good mornings with 12-15 reps each set as you get stronger. Move slowly and concentrate on activating your glutes and hamstrings.
• To build muscle — Add enough weight so that you can perform 2-3 sets of 8-12 reps.
• To build strength — Using a fairly heavy weight, build up to performing 3-4 sets of 6-8 reps.

To reduce your risk of injury, good mornings are not a move that you want to perform to muscle failure. Keep this in mind as you plan your weights and rep routine.

Common Good Morning Mistakes at the Gym

As many benefits as good mornings offer, this exercise does come with a relatively high risk of injury. Avoiding the following errors will help you perform good mornings safely and effectively.

Using Poor Form

Before you add weight to your good mornings, practice without any weight to make sure your form is perfect and consistent throughout each rep. It’s important to do the lift safely every time.

Overdoing It

How low can you go? That all depends on how flexible your hamstrings, glutes, and lower back are. Yes, you want to improve your fitness level and challenge yourself — but take it easy. Don’t push yourself too hard or too fast.

Lifting Too Heavy

To get the benefits of this exercise, you don’t need to lift the barbell with the heaviest weight possible. Start with a lighter weight, or no weight at all, and then increase slowly from there.

Once you get the hang of good mornings and know your form is on point, you can load up the barbell fairly heavy. Make sure your back maintains a neutral, locked position throughout every rep. Hinge at your hips to keep the bar moving, and don’t curve your back on the way down or on the way up.

Skipping a Warmup

Not warming up before strength training can be a serious mistake. If your muscles aren’t properly warmed up, you risk muscle strain or worse. Warm up for at least 5 minutes to supply your muscles with oxygen and make them more flexible before lifting any weights.

Collapsing Your Chest or Curling Your Back

Using too much weight on the barbell can cause you to collapse your chest or curl your back at the bottom of your good morning hinge. This might help you feel like you’re getting the exercise done faster, but focus on form instead of speed. If you feel like you need to rush the reps or compensate by curving your back or collapsing your chest, you’re probably using too much weight. Reduce the weight on your barbell right away and focus on pushing your hips back while maintaining a steady, straight spine.

Forgetting About the Hinge

Avoid focusing on dropping your chest forward. Instead, focus on pushing outward and backward with your hips — that’s the whole point of the exercise. Keep a slight bend in your knees as you concentrate on the hip hinge and sending your hips back during the exercise. This will engage your hamstrings and maximize the exercise’s safety and effectiveness.

Not Being a Good Candidate for the Exercise

Good mornings are not recommended for everyone. Avoid good mornings if you:

• Are pregnant or recovering from childbirth
• Are injured or recovering from an injury to your spine, back, neck, feet, or knees
• Tend to get low back pain doing squats or deadlifts
• Have recently had surgery or don’t have medical clearance from your doctor

If you experience pain from doing good mornings, you should speak to a certified personal trainer or licensed physical therapist who can review your form and suggest modifications.

What Are Some Good Morning Variations I Can Try at the Gym?

As you get accustomed to the good morning movement, there are numerous variations for beginners and intermediate exercisers. Some examples include:

Good mornings without weights

Place your hands on your hips, crossed over your chest, or behind your head for bodyweight good mornings.

Good mornings on one leg

Single-leg good mornings without weights are more difficult than standing on two legs but still easier than with a barbell. Standing on one leg requires greater stability, strength, balance, and focus.

Seated good mornings

The seated version of good mornings is another good variation that works your back without putting too much pressure on it. Being seated also takes your hamstrings and glutes out of the movement, making it a purely lower-back and core exercise. You can do the seated version with or without weights.

Resistance band good mornings

With this variation, loop a long resistance band under your feet and then around your neck or shoulders. A thicker band will increase resistance.

Dumbbell good mornings

Grab two dumbbells and hold one on each shoulder during the good morning exercise.

Different stances

Whether you’re doing bodyweight good mornings or using a barbell, one simple adjustment you can make is to widen or narrow your stance. A narrow stance works your hamstrings more, while a wider stance works your glutes.

Deeper Knee Bend

Increasing the bend in your knees will intensify the stretch good mornings give you while protecting your lower back.

Have a Good Morning, Afternoon, or Evening Workout at AFAC Gym

No matter what time of day you exercise at AFAC gym, if you want to work your posterior chain, good mornings might be the move for you. Even if you don’t use a heavy weight, you can learn and perform good mornings for an excellent back, glute, and hamstring warmup.

When you integrate good mornings into your program, make sure you’re using the proper form for optimal results. If you’re a beginner and/or want to make sure your technique is correct, feel free to ask the personal trainers at AFAC gym for assistance. They can coach you through good mornings and many other strength training and cardiovascular exercises to ensure you’re working toward the results you’re hoping for. Our dedicated staff is always here to support you!

To learn more about becoming a member of AFAC gym — the best gym in Thornton, Colorado — please stop by or give us a call anytime. We’ll be happy to assist you. You can also contact our gym owner, Susan, at 720-849-0245 or susan@adventurefitness.club for assistance.