Good Mornings
Bodyweight good mornings are a hip-hinge activation drill that fires up the hamstrings, glutes, and spinal erectors. They teach the fundamental hip-hinge pattern that carries over to deadlifts, kettlebell swings, and everyday bending.
Setup
- Stand with feet hip-width apart, hands placed behind your head or crossed over your chest.
- Maintain a soft bend in the knees — they stay in this position throughout the movement.
- Hinge forward at the hips, pushing your glutes back as though closing a car door with your backside.
- Lower your torso until you feel a firm stretch in your hamstrings, typically when your torso is close to parallel with the floor.
- Drive your hips forward to return to standing, squeezing your glutes at the top.
Coaching Cues
What to feel:
- A lengthening stretch in the hamstrings as you hinge forward
- Tension through the entire posterior chain — glutes, hamstrings, and lower back
- Core engaged to protect the spine throughout the movement
Common mistakes:
- Rounding the lower back — maintain a neutral spine by keeping your chest proud
- Bending the knees excessively — this turns it into a squat rather than a hinge
- Not hinging deep enough — if your hamstrings aren’t stretching, push your hips further back
- Looking up at the bottom — keep your neck neutral, gaze following the floor
Tip
Imagine you have a dowel rod along your spine. It should contact your head, upper back, and tailbone throughout the entire movement. If any point loses contact, your spine is moving out of neutral.
Video and animated demos coming soon.
Programming
| Parameter | Recommendation |
|---|---|
| Reps | 10–15 per set |
| Sets | 2–3 |
| Frequency | Before every lower body or posterior chain session |
| When to do it | Pre-workout warmup, lower body focus, hamstring rehab |
Progressions
- Beginner: Hands on hips, shallow hinge to about 45 degrees. Focus on the hip-hinge pattern.
- Intermediate: Hands behind head, full range of motion to parallel or slightly below.
- Advanced: Add a resistance band around the neck and under the feet, or progress to barbell good mornings with light weight.