- Hamstrings
- Barbell
- Advanced
Barbell good morning
The barbell good morning works your hamstrings and lower back, with your glutes and inner thighs helping. Start with 2 to 3 sets of 8 to 12 reps, stopping with about 3 reps in reserve. To build muscle, do 2 to 4 sets of 6 to 12 reps.
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We film every move with real women. Until then, follow the steps and the 3 tips.
- Tip 1Hips go back
- Tip 2Flat back
- Tip 3Light load, form first
Where you should feel it
In your hamstrings, which stretch on the way down, and along your back, which works to stay flat. Your glutes help on the way up.
- Main muscles
- Semitendinosus and semimembranosus, biceps femoris, and spinal erectors
- Also working
- Gluteus maximus and adductor magnus
How to do it
Unrack the bar onto your upper back, as for a squat, and set your feet hip-width apart.
Soften your knees, brace your core and keep your back flat.
Push your hips back and tip your torso forward until you feel your hamstrings stretch, usually with your torso around 45 degrees.
Drive your hips forward to stand back up without rounding your back.
Common mistakes
Mistake
Rounding your back to go lower.
How to fix it
Only go as low as your back stays flat. For most people, that's around 45 degrees.
Mistake
Bending your knees a lot and turning it into a squat.
How to fix it
Knees slightly soft and still. The movement is at the hips.
Mistake
Starting with a heavy load.
How to fix it
Start with an empty bar or a dowel and only add weight once your back stays flat on every rep.
Sets and reps for your goal
| Goal | Sets | Reps | Reps in reserve | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Getting started | 2 to 3 | 8 to 12 | 3 | 60 to 120 s |
| Muscle and definition | 2 to 4 | 6 to 12 | 2 to 3 | 1.5 to 2.5 min |
Technique before load: start light and keep 2 to 3 reps in reserve.
Reps in reserve: how many more reps you could still do with good form when you end the set.
Variations
Same movement, other equipment
Dowel hip hinge
The same movement without load, to learn to hinge with a flat back.
Barbell Romanian deadlift
The load is in your hands instead of on your back. Easier to set down if you need to.
At home or with more support
At home: good morning with a broomstick or backpack
A broomstick across your back for technique, or a weighted backpack on your shoulders for light load.
Prefer more stability? 45-degree hip extension
Rather not carry a bar on your back? On the 45-degree bench, your hips are supported and you do the same hinge.
Taken? Swap it for one of these
They work the same main muscle.
Barbell Romanian deadlift
Gluteus maximus · Barbell
Intermediate45-degree hip extension
Gluteus maximus · Machine
BeginnerDumbbell Romanian deadlift
Gluteus maximus · Dumbbell
Beginner
Keep exploring
Hamstrings
18 exercises
Leg exercises with a barbell
6 exercises
Sources
Sets and reps
Currier BS, D'Souza AC, et al. American College of Sports Medicine Position Stand. Resistance Training Prescription for Muscle Function, Hypertrophy, and Physical Performance in Healthy Adults: An Overview of Reviews. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2026;58(4):851-872.
Technique
Vigotsky AD, Harper EN, et al. Effects of load on good morning kinematics and EMG activity. PeerJ. 2015;3:e708.
Muscles worked
Martín-Fuentes I, Oliva-Lozano JM, et al. Electromyographic activity in deadlift exercise and its variants. A systematic review. PLoS One. 2020;15(2):e0229507.
Muscles worked
Delgado J, Drinkwater EJ, et al. Comparison Between Back Squat, Romanian Deadlift, and Barbell Hip Thrust for Leg and Hip Muscle Activities During Hip Extension. J Strength Cond Res. 2019;33(10):2595-2601.
Review
Draft. This guide is waiting for review by a certified strength and conditioning professional.
Updated October 31, 2026