Good Mornings
Stand with hands behind your head and hinge forward at the hips, sending the hips back with a long spine.
Overview
Good Mornings is a beginner hip-hinge drill on Flexor. With hands behind the head you fold forward from the hips and return to standing with control.
What Good Mornings targets
You'll feel the hamstrings lengthen on the way down and the glutes and erector spinae engage on the way up.
Why add Good Mornings to your routine
Reinforces the hip-hinge pattern used in deadlifts and athletic bending.
- Lengthens the hamstrings dynamically through repeated folds.
- Helps you practice neutral-spine hinging without load.
Who it's for
Beginners learning to hinge and anyone warming up before lower-body training.
When to do it
Use in warm-ups or mobility sessions before squats, deadlifts, or running — about 45 seconds.
Good Mornings are a bodyweight hip hinge that lengthens the hamstrings and loads the glutes and erector spinae. Fold forward with a neutral spine, then return to standing with control.
Setup cue
Stand tall with feet hip-width apart and lace your fingers behind your head. Hinge forward at the hips, sending your seat back while keeping your spine long.
Practice notes
In Flexor, Good Mornings is typically prescribed as about 45 sec per round, 1 rep, and 1 set. Adjust the dosage to what feels sustainable, breathe steadily, and ease off if anything feels sharp or unsafe.
Guidance
How to perform, tips, mistakes, safety notes, and benefits for Good Mornings.
Follow these cues in order. Move with control and stay in a comfortable range.
- Stand tall with feet hip-width apart and fingers laced behind your head.
- Hinge forward at the hips, sending your seat back while keeping your spine long.
- Stop when you feel a mild stretch in the hamstrings or your torso reaches roughly parallel.
- Drive through the heels to rise back to standing and repeat with control.
Cues that help the movement stay smoother and more controlled.
- Send the hips back as if closing a car door with your glutes.
- Keep a neutral spine — think long neck and flat upper back.
- Bend the knees slightly if hamstring tightness pulls the back into rounding.
Patterns to watch for so the shape stays clearer.
- Rounding the upper back instead of hinging from the hips.
- Bending the knees too much and turning it into a squat.
- Rushing the return to standing instead of squeezing the glutes at the top.
Keep things comfortable and stop if something feels wrong.
- Stop if you feel sharp pain, numbness, tingling, dizziness, or symptoms that radiate.
- Stay within a comfortable, controlled range; muscular effort or mild stretch tension should not become pain.
- Move smoothly without bouncing, jerking, or forcing the range.
Why people include this movement in their practice.
- Reinforces the hip-hinge pattern used in deadlifts and athletic bending.
- Lengthens the hamstrings dynamically through repeated controlled folds.
- Activates the glutes and erector spinae to protect the lower back during the hinge.
Similar movements to explore next
-
Cross Leg Fold
Cross one ankle over the other and hinge forward to stretch the hips, hamstrings, and back.
-
Lying Hamstring
Lie on your back, raise one leg toward the ceiling, and gently pull it toward your chest to lengthen the hamstring while keeping the pelvis grounded.
-
Airplane
Prone back extension with arms wide like wings to strengthen the lower back and glutes.
-
Aquaman
Prone opposite arm-and-leg lifts that train spinal extension and glute engagement one side at a time.
-
Bridge
Lie on your back, drive through both feet, and lift the pelvis by extending the hips while the ribs and lower back stay controlled.
-
Butt Kicks
March or jog in place while flicking each heel toward the glute to warm hamstrings, calves, and running cadence.
-
Controlled Butt Kicks
March in place and draw each heel toward the glute at a slow, controlled tempo.
-
Hamstring Scoops
Step forward onto a flexed front foot and sweep both hands toward the toes in a dynamic hamstring hinge.
Common questions
Which body areas does Good Mornings target?
Good Mornings is a dynamic stretching and warm up movement that mainly targets your hamstrings, glutes, and lower back. Move within a comfortable range and skip it if it does not feel suitable for you.
Which muscles does Good Mornings work?
Primary muscles associated with Good Mornings include biceps femoris, gluteus maximus, and erector spinae. Flexor presents this as general wellness guidance, not a clinical assessment.
Is Good Mornings suitable for beginners?
Good Mornings is listed as beginner in Flexor. Choose a smaller range of motion, fewer repetitions, or an easier variation whenever you want more control.
How long should you hold Good Mornings?
In Flexor, Good Mornings runs for about 45 sec per round. Adjust the time to what feels sustainable, breathe steadily, and ease off sooner if anything feels sharp.
How do you do Good Mornings?
Good Mornings has 4 guided steps. Follow them in order on this page, breathe steadily, and keep the movement smooth and within a comfortable range. Stop if anything feels sharp, unstable, or unsafe for you.
Do you need any equipment for Good Mornings?
No. Good Mornings is a no-equipment movement you can do at home with just enough space to move comfortably.
Which Flexor routines include Good Mornings?
Good Mornings appears in guided Flexor sessions such as Hip Comfort, Gentle Nerve-Friendly Mobility, Glute & Hamstring Comfort, and Quick Hamstring Ease. Open a routine page to follow the full sequence, or practise this movement on its own from this guide.
Is this medical advice?
No. Flexor provides general fitness and wellness guidance. It does not diagnose, treat, or prevent medical conditions. Speak with a qualified professional about injuries, persistent pain, or health concerns.
