ProgreviaGood mornings: proper form, muscles worked and common mistakes
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How to do it
Bar on the traps and a hip hinge with nearly fixed knees and a neutral spine. Lower the torso pushing the hips back until you feel the hamstrings and rise by extending the hips; light load.
Muscles worked
Main muscle: lower back. Also worked: hamstrings and glutes. When it plans weekly volume, the generator counts each set of this exercise as one full set for lower back and half a set for each secondary muscle (what is known as fractional counting).
Good mornings with a barbell: the hinge with the load on your back, versus the reverse hyper on bench
The reverse hyper on bench and the good morning both train the back of the body, but in very different ways. In the reverse hyper you lie on the bench and it's your legs that swing up and down, with no bar on your back. In the good morning you stand with the bar across your upper traps, and that load at shoulder height creates a long lever on the hips and lower back: the same weight feels much heavier than in a Romanian deadlift. That's why they train hamstrings, glutes and back extensors with an axial load that demands technique.
Choose them if you already master the Romanian deadlift, if you want an accessory for squat and deadlift, or if you want to train the hinge with the bar fixed on your shoulders. Use light loads, sets of 6 to 12 reps, and do them early in the session, not when you're exhausted. If you have lower back discomfort, back extensions or a reverse hyper are usually gentler options.
Before adding load, practice with just the bar or even without it. Feet go hip-width apart and the knees bend slightly, just enough for the hamstrings to set the depth. To progress, add weight in small jumps and only when the torso lowers and rises at the same speed, and avoid going to your limit: with the bar on your back, a technical breakdown is hard to correct mid-rep.
Technical sheet
- Movement pattern
- Hip hinge
- Minimum level
- Advanced
- Technical demand
- Advanced
- Fatigue it generates
- High (1.6 out of 2.2)
- Risk if technique breaks down
- High
These are the values the generator uses to decide where the exercise goes within the session.
Recommended sets and reps
As a compound lift, it fits in 3–5 sets of 5–12 reps leaving 1–3 reps in reserve (RIR). Prioritize it at the start of the session, when you're fresh.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Hyperextending the lower back at the top of the movement instead of finishing in a neutral position.
- Gripping the bar with each hand at a different distance from the center: one side works harder without you noticing.
- Adding weight before you own the movement: the risk here rises when technique breaks down, so only go heavier once every rep looks the same.
What the research says
This is a multi-joint lift, and with these the rep range matters less than it seems: Schoenfeld and colleagues (2021) concluded that muscle growth is similar with heavy or moderate loads as long as sets end close to failure, while maximal strength improves more with heavy loads.
On how hard to push: the meta-analysis by Refalo and colleagues (2023) found no clear advantage in going to failure over stopping just short of it. That is why the generator programs it with reps in reserve (RIR) instead of asking for failure on every set.
- Schoenfeld BJ, Grgic J, Van Every DW, Plotkin DL. Loading recommendations for muscle strength, hypertrophy, and local endurance: a re-examination of the repetition continuum. Sports. 2021;9(2):32.
- Refalo MC, Helms ER, Trexler ET, Hamilton DL, Fyfe JJ. Influence of resistance training proximity-to-failure on skeletal muscle hypertrophy: a systematic review with meta-analysis. Sports Medicine. 2023;53(3):649-665.
How Good mornings compares with other lower back exercises
Of the 6 lower back exercises in the catalogue, ranked from least to most fatiguing by the values the generator uses, Good mornings is number 6.
With that fatigue it is best placed early in the session, while you are fresh, without stacking equally demanding exercises for the same group after it.
With different equipment, the same movement pattern offers 3 alternatives, such as Back extensions, 45° back extension machine and Reverse hyper on bench.
| Exercise | Equipment | Fatigue | Technique |
|---|---|---|---|
| Back extensions | bodyweight | Moderate (0.8 out of 2.2) | Basic |
| 45° back extension machine | machine | Moderate (0.9 out of 2.2) | Basic |
| Reverse hyper on bench | machine | Moderate (1 out of 2.2) | Needs coaching |
| Good mornings | barbell | High (1.6 out of 2.2) | Advanced |
Related guide
The best back exercises: a zone-by-zone guide
Alternative exercises
More hip hinge exercises
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Frequently asked questions
What muscles does Good mornings work?
Good mornings mainly works the lower back muscle group, plus synergist and stabilizer muscles depending on the variation.
How many sets of Good mornings should I do?
Between 3 and 5 sets per session, adjusting the total weekly volume for lower back to your level (about 10–20 sets per muscle per week).
Are good mornings dangerous for your back?
Not in themselves, but with the bar high on your back, any technical slip is paid for in the lower back. With a light load, a neutral spine and a range you can control, it's a reasonable exercise. If in doubt, start with an empty bar or no weight, and if pain appears, stop and get it checked.
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