The good morning is a hip hinge: with your hands on your head, push your hips back and lower your chest until your torso is just above parallel to the floor, then drive your hips forward to stand. It needs no equipment, works four muscle groups when done with good form, and suits beginners, at home, in the gym or outdoors.

This guide accompanies our video lesson above. The video teaches the movement at the speed it is really performed, mostly from the side, where the flat back and the hinge at the hips are easy to see. Then it explains the muscles at work, the tempo and where the breath goes, and names the four most common mistakes, each with the cue that fixes it. Last come twelve repetitions at full speed, from all four camera angles, for you to follow along with.

How to do a good morning, step by step

  1. Set up. Stand tall with your feet hip-width apart. Rest your hands on your head with your elbows wide, keep your chest lifted and engage your core.
  2. Push your hips back. Start the movement at the hips: push them back and let your chest come down, keeping your back flat.
  3. Keep your knees soft. Your knees stay slightly bent the whole time, neither locking straight nor bending further as you lower.
  4. Stop just above parallel. Take about two seconds to lower until your torso is just above parallel to the floor and you feel a stretch in your hamstrings. Keep your gaze down so your neck stays in line with your spine.
  5. Drive your hips forward. With no pause at the bottom, drive your hips forward and return to standing in about two seconds.
  6. Repeat. Both legs work together, so every repetition is the same. Keep your chest lifted and your back flat from the first repetition to the last.

Muscles worked in a good morning

The good morning is a hip-hinge movement, and four muscle groups share the work: the hamstrings and glutes are its target muscles, with the hamstrings in the lead, and the lower back and hip abductors assist them.

  • Hamstrings: these three muscles at the back of the thigh (biceps femoris, semitendinosus and semimembranosus) lengthen as you lower and help bring you back up.
  • Glutes: the gluteus maximus drives your hips forward to stand.
  • Lower back: the erector spinae keep your back flat the whole way.
  • Hip abductors: on the outer hip, the gluteus medius and minimus steady you.

Tempo and breathing: 2-0-2

Every repetition follows the same rhythm and takes about four seconds:

  • Down, 2 seconds: breathe in as you hinge forward.
  • No pause: at the bottom, go straight back up.
  • Up, 2 seconds: breathe out as you drive your hips forward to stand.

That rhythm is what turns movement into training: two controlled seconds each way keep your muscles working instead of letting momentum do the job. Keep the same tempo on every repetition, and don’t speed up as you tire.

4 common good morning mistakes and how to fix them

  • Rounding the back. If your back rounds, lift your chest and lower only as far as your back stays flat. Cue: “back flat”.
  • Knees bending too far. If your knees bend too far, keep them soft, only slightly bent. Cue: “knees soft”.
  • Not hinging at the hips. If you bend from your back instead of your hips, start each repetition by pushing your hips back. Cue: “hips back first”.
  • Moving too fast. If you rush, take two seconds each way. Cue: “two seconds each way”.

Sets, reps and variations

For general fitness, 2 to 4 sets of 10 to 15 repetitions are typical, with about 60 seconds of rest between sets. Adjust the volume and the rest to your fitness level and your goal, and keep every repetition slow and controlled. A good first set is the one in the video: twelve repetitions at the 2-0-2 tempo.

  • Easier: don’t lower as far, or rest your hands on your hips for balance.
  • Harder: add weight with dumbbells or a barbell, or lower through a bigger range of motion while your back stays flat.

Safety

Keep your back flat and never let your spine round, keep your gaze down so you don’t strain your neck, and keep your knees soft, neither locked nor deeply bent. If you have a history of lower-back injury, consult a professional before doing good mornings.

Your turn

Play the video above and do twelve repetitions with the coach, at the speed you would really train, with your back as flat on the last repetition as on the first. If this lesson helped, subscribe to HealthyShape on YouTube for a new exercise lesson every week. Every exercise in the HealthyShape app carries the same muscle view and tempo guide you see in the video.