Barbell Good Morning
With the bar on the back and soft knees, hinge forward to a flat-back stretch, then drive the hips back to stand.
See your setup in four steps
Demo video from YouTube, played in its own player.
- Muscles worked
- Hamstrings, Glutes, Lower back
- Equipment
- Barbell
- Movement
- Hinge
How to do the Barbell Good Morning
The good morning hinges forward with a barbell on your upper back and stands back up. It loads the hamstrings and lower back strongly in a long position and is a common accessory for stronger squats and deadlifts.
Set up
- 1Set the bar on your upper back as for a back squat, using a lighter load.
- 2Stand with your feet hip width apart and your knees slightly bent.
The movement
- 1Brace and push your hips back so your torso tips forward.
- 2Keep your back flat and the bar over the middle of your feet.
- 3Lower until you feel a strong stretch in your hamstrings, often with your torso a little above parallel.
- 4Drive your hips forward to return to standing.
Cues
- Hips back, chest stays proud
- Flat back the whole time
- Soft knees, not a squat
- Stand by driving the hips
Common mistakes
- Rounding the back at the bottom.
- Reduce the depth and the load until your spine stays neutral.
- Bending the knees more as you go down.
- Set a slight knee bend at the start and keep it fixed.
- Cranking the head up to look ahead.
- Keep your neck in line with your torso and look at the floor a few feet ahead.
Also works: Adductors, Upper back, Core
Make it easier
Learn the movement with the Band Good Morning or the Dumbbell Good Morning.
Make it harder
Add a two-second pause at the bottom, then raise the load gradually.
Start light: the bar sits far from your hips, so even modest loads place a large demand on your lower back.
Sets and reps
- For strength: 3 to 5 sets of 3 to 6 reps, resting 2 to 3 minutes between sets.
- For muscle: 3 to 4 sets of 6 to 12 reps (up to 15 on smaller lifts), resting 1 to 2 minutes, ending each set 1 to 3 reps short of failure (RPE 7 to 9).
- Add a rep or a small amount of weight once every set reaches the top of the range at the same effort.
General ranges, not medical advice. Stop if anything hurts.
Variations
The same movement with other equipment or a different angle.
Alternatives
Other exercises for the hamstrings, for when the barbell is taken or you want a change.
Questions
- What muscles does the Barbell Good Morning work?
- The Barbell Good Morning mainly works the hamstrings, glutes and lower back.
- What equipment do you need for the Barbell Good Morning?
- A barbell.
- How many sets and reps of the Barbell Good Morning?
- For strength: 3 to 5 sets of 3 to 6 reps, resting 2 to 3 minutes between sets. For muscle: 3 to 4 sets of 6 to 12 reps (up to 15 on smaller lifts), resting 1 to 2 minutes, ending each set 1 to 3 reps short of failure (RPE 7 to 9). Add a rep or a small amount of weight once every set reaches the top of the range at the same effort.
- What can I do instead of the Barbell Good Morning?
- Cable Romanian Deadlift, Downward Dog, Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift and Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift Single-Leg B-Stance work the same main muscle.
Program it for your clients
Coaches add the Barbell Good Morning to any workout in CoachVana, set the sets, reps, load and rest, and clients see this demo as they train.
See your setup in four steps
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