Pain guide · Back pain

Lower back pain when doing good mornings: the bar, how low you hinge, rounding, load and swaps

Lower back pain when you do good mornings usually comes from the bar sitting so far from your hips that even a light weight makes your back work hard. In one lab study of 13 people at a quarter of body weight, a good morning loaded the lower back about as much as a deadlift with the same bar, and in trained lifters the lower back still bent a little at the bottom. So a heavy or long set, hinging lower than your hamstrings allow so your back rounds, bouncing out of the bottom or a jump in weight can bring on ordinary low back pain, often a pulled muscle, which can hurt a lot and still ease over days to weeks. Where it hurts is the best clue: an ache across both sides is the back muscles, a sudden catch on one side is usually a strain, a pull at the back of the thigh is the hamstring, and pain down a leg is a nerve. A lighter bar or a band, stopping before your back rounds and Romanian deadlifts for a while usually help. No study has counted back pain from good mornings, so this guide says where each piece of advice comes from.

This guide starts with the signs that need help, from a 999 call for numbness around your genitals or bottom, new bladder or bowel trouble, or weakness or numbness in both legs, to a same-day check through the National Health Service's 111 line (NHS 111) or a general practitioner (GP) for back pain with a fever, severe pain that came on suddenly, leg weakness that is getting worse, or a pop near your sitting bone with a large bruise. It then maps the causes by where it hurts, explains what the studies show about the bar, depth, rounding and your hamstrings, and why a scan rarely helps, shows how to change your good morning today, and gives a three-stage plan with a 3D demo of every move, from the hip hinge back to the bar.

3-stage exercise plan When to get help 54 sourcesUpdated 28 October 2026

When to get help first

Exercise is for pain that has been checked or is clearly mild and settling.

Get urgent medical help if

Call 999 or go to A&E: loss of feeling or numbness around the genitals or bottom, new trouble peeing or controlling your bladder or bowels, changes in genital sensation during sex or problems with erections or orgasm, or pain, tingling, weakness or numbness in both legs. These are signs of cauda equina syndrome, which needs treating in hospital urgently. Don't drive yourself.
Call 999 or go to A&E: back pain with chest pain, or back pain that started after a serious accident, such as a car crash.
Call 999: sudden, severe pain in the tummy or back, which can come with breathlessness, pale or grey skin, or collapse. It can be a burst abdominal aortic aneurysm, most common in men aged 65 or over and in people who smoke or used to smoke.
Call 999: shoulder or arm pain with chest pain that feels tight or squeezing, or chest pain that spreads to your arms, neck or jaw, especially with shortness of breath, sweating or feeling sick. It could be a heart attack.
Call 999: a sudden headache that is extremely painful and doesn't go away, during or after a heavy lift or at any other time, or weakness or numbness in one arm or down one side of the body. A bleed on the brain may be more likely when lifting something heavy.
Same day (GP or NHS 111): back pain and you feel hot, cold, shivery or generally unwell, or severe pain that starts suddenly or is getting worse quickly.
Same day (NHS 111): back pain after a new, significant injury in the last 7 days, such as a fall from a height (off a box, a bar or rings) or a direct blow to the back.
Same day: leg weakness that is getting worse; new leg pain with a history of cancer, HIV, TB or inflammatory arthritis; or leg pain with a fever, feeling unwell, loss of appetite, unexplained weight loss or night sweats.
Same day (urgent GP appointment or NHS 111): new difficulty lifting the front of your foot or toes (foot drop), or a foot that slaps down or catches as you walk, especially if it is getting worse. Weakness in both legs, or with numbness around the genitals or bottom or bladder or bowel changes, is the 999 emergency above.
Same day: you have or have had cancer, and new back pain that is severe and doesn't let up, is getting steadily worse, is worse at night and disturbs your sleep, is worse when you cough, sneeze or strain, or comes with tenderness over the spine. Contact your cancer team or GP urgently. With cancer, new weakness, difficulty walking, numbness or bladder or bowel problems are an emergency.
Same day: a pop near the sitting bone, a large bruise high on the back of the thigh, or you cannot put weight on the leg. The tendon may have pulled away from the bone, which needs assessing before you start these exercises.
Get help from NHS 111 if you think you've injured your hamstring and it's very painful, or the pain is getting worse; there's a large amount of swelling or bruising, or the swelling or bruising is getting worse; it hurts to walk or stand using the injured leg; your leg feels very stiff or is difficult to move; it's not feeling any better after treating it yourself; or you have a very high temperature or you feel very hot, but also cold and shivery, which could be signs of an infection.
Same day (call NHS 111, or go to A&E if you feel very unwell): after a big or unusual session, such as hundreds of squats, sit-ups, back extensions or burpees, a challenge or a new class, muscle pain, swelling or weakness far worse than the session explains, and dark pee (red, brown, tea or cola coloured), sometimes starting hours or days later. Dark pee isn't always there, so muscles far sorer, more swollen or weaker than the session explains still need the same-day check. It can be rhabdomyolysis, a breakdown of muscle that can harm the kidneys.
Call 999 or go to A&E now if you have a femoral hernia (a small lump at the top of your thigh, in your groin) and very bad tummy pain, you feel sick or you're being sick, you cannot fart or poo, you have a high temperature or you feel hot, cold or shivery, or you've suddenly become confused. Do not drive to A&E. With any other hernia and pain in or around it, a bloated tummy, feeling or being sick, vomiting blood or vomit that looks like coffee grounds, constipation, a high temperature or feeling hot, cold or shivery, or sudden confusion, get help from NHS 111.

See a doctor or physiotherapist if

Back pain that hasn't improved after a few weeks of looking after it at home, stops you doing day-to-day activities, worries you, or you're struggling to cope.
Pain, tingling or numbness spreading below the knee that isn't settling after a few weeks, is getting worse or stops your normal activities: see a GP.
Pain that is not improving after a few weeks, is getting worse, or is stopping your normal activities.
Pain that doesn't improve with rest or is worse at night, or pain that is worse when you sneeze, cough or poo.
Unexplained weight loss, or a lump, swelling or change in the shape of your back.
Sudden new back pain after a minor fall, lift, cough or sneeze, from 50 or past the menopause, or if you take long-term steroid tablets; or height loss, a curved spine or a change in posture: see a GP. It can be a spinal fracture.
A teenager or young adult whose low back pain is worse arching backwards and hasn't settled after a couple of weeks: stop the lifts that arch the back and get it checked by a GP or a sports medicine doctor or physiotherapist. It can be a stress fracture of the spine (spondylolysis), which usually does well without surgery when it's found.
Back pain that started before 45 and has lasted more than 3 months, especially if it started before 35, wakes you in the second half of the night, comes with buttock pain, gets better with movement or within 48 hours of anti-inflammatory painkillers, or you have or have had arthritis, pain where a tendon attaches to bone (enthesitis) or psoriasis, or a parent, brother, sister or child with spondyloarthritis. These can point to inflammatory back pain (axial spondyloarthritis, such as ankylosing spondylitis). The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) asks GPs to refer people with 4 or more of these 9 features to a rheumatologist, and to do a blood test for the HLA-B27 gene marker if exactly 3 are present, referring if it is positive.
A strain that is getting worse, or isn't feeling better after looking after it yourself: see a GP or physiotherapist. In many areas you can refer yourself to physiotherapy.
Sitting at the sit bone is still painful weeks after a 'pulled hamstring' that started with a pop, especially with weakness bending the knee or bruising that spread down the thigh: ask your GP or physiotherapist about a scan (our suggestion). A tendon pulled off the bone can be missed, and found late it is more often left weak and sore to sit on.
Deep pain low in the buttock with sitting and running that is not settling: possible high hamstring tendinopathy, which has its own guide.
A lump in the groin, upper thigh or tummy, especially one that appears when you cough or strain and goes when you lie down: see a GP, as it may be a true hernia. A femoral hernia (a small lump at the top of the thigh, mainly in women over 50, though it can happen to anyone) needs treating in hospital.

Where does it hurt?

Location narrows the likely causes; it does not diagnose.

Across both sides of the lower back, a burning ache during the set, easing within minutes of racking the bar

Usually the back muscles working hard to hold your trunk against the bar, which is expected; it is why sets stop short of grinding.

The same even ache across the lower back or in the hamstrings a day or two after a new or heavier session, gone within a week

Usually muscle soreness. Light training is fine.

Read: Back pain after a workout →A sudden catch or sharp pain on one side during a rep, or a stiff, sore back the next morning, with no leg symptoms

Usually ordinary low back pain, often a pulled muscle or a spasm. Keep moving; the back spasm guide has the first days.

Read: Back spasm and pulled back muscle →The back of the thigh, a pull or sudden sharp pain at the bottom of the hinge, then tenderness, swelling or bruising

Usually a hamstring strain. A pop near the sitting bone with a large bruise high on the thigh needs a same-day check: see the warning signs.

Read: Hamstring strain →Deep in the buttock at the sitting bone, worse with deep hinging and long sitting, building over weeks

Often the hamstring tendon (high hamstring tendinopathy). A shorter hinge for a while usually helps.

Read: High hamstring tendinopathy →Down one leg, below the knee, often worse than the back, with tingling, numbness or weakness

Sciatica, often from a disc. Ease off anything that sends pain further down the leg.

Read: Sciatica →A scan report says bulging or herniated disc

Disc bulges are common in people without back pain. If leg pain is the main problem, read about sciatica; if the back hurts most, treat it as back pain.

Read: Herniated or bulging disc →Low on one side, just below the belt line, by the dimple

Possibly the sacroiliac (SI) joint.

Read: SI joint pain →Worse leaning back at the top of the lift, or arching

Stand tall without leaning back. Pain on arching has its own guide; in a teenager or young lifter it can be a stress fracture of the spine, so see the warning signs.

Read: Back pain bending backwards →The base of the neck or the top of the back, where the bar sits

Usually the bar sitting on the neck rather than the muscle below it. Our upper back guide covers the muscles there.

Read: Upper back pain →Sudden pain after a modest lift from 50, past the menopause or with long-term steroid tablets

It can be a spinal fracture: see a GP.

Read: Spinal compression fracture →The same back pain in deadlifts, rows or kettlebell swings

Often the same story of a loaded hinge. Our deadlift, row and swing back guides cover those lifts.

Read: Back pain after deadlifts →

Understand it

What a good morning asks of the back, and what no study has countedEmerging evidence

With a bar across your upper back and your knees softly bent, you push your hips back and lower your chest towards the floor, then drive your hips forward to stand. The hamstrings and glutes do the hip work, and the muscles along your spine hold your trunk against the bar for the whole rep.

In 15 trained men lifting single reps at 50% to 90% of their best, the lower back muscles worked at about 51% to 73% of a maximal contraction and the hamstrings at about 20% to 40%; the hips bent about 75 degrees at every load, the knees bent more as the bar got heavier (about 17 to 25 degrees), and the lower back bent about 25 to 28 degrees at the bottom. The authors write that the spine "does not remain neutral during the GM exercise". In a model built on another study, the hamstrings held the knee still while the hips did the work and the quadriceps hardly worked. No study has counted back pain or injury from good mornings, and we found no case reports, so the map on this page comes from what each condition is known to do (our reading).

Sources 1, 2, 3, 4

Why the bar matters: where the weight sitsEmerging evidence

In one lab study of 13 people at a quarter of body weight, told to keep their knees nearly straight, the turning force on the lower back was about the same in the good morning and in a deadlift with the same bar, and higher in a deadlift with half of body weight. That is the only study of lower back load in a loaded good morning, and it reported no compression in newtons.

The rest is our reading of box-lifting studies. In 10 people, the load on the lower back was largely explained by how far the weight sat in front of it, how fast the upper body moved and how much the lower back bent; in 26 men lifting 5 to 15 kg boxes, bending the knees or not made no difference to the peak load on the lower back; and a trap bar, which keeps the weight closer, lowered the peak load at the lower back in a deadlift. In a good morning the bar sits as far from your hips as it can be, so a lighter bar, a shorter hinge and a weight held in your hands (a Romanian deadlift) all shorten the lever.

Sources 2, 5, 6, 7

Rounding, discs and what studies of people showMixed evidence

Repeated bending under compression caused disc herniations in pig neck segments bent tens of thousands of times. In people, a meta-analysis of 11 low-quality studies found that bending the lower back while lifting wasn't a risk factor for back pain, and people with back pain didn't bend more; a review of 41 reviews found no agreement that postures or bending cause back pain; and training about 20,000 workers in lifting technique didn't prevent it. A narrative review of deadlifting puts more weight on sudden jumps in training load than on small changes in back shape.

So a little bending is normal and hasn't been shown to cause back pain, and under a bar far from the hips, stopping before your back rounds further is still sensible (our reading, matching the site's good mornings guide and move page).

Sources 8, 9, 10, 11, 12

The hamstrings, and how low to goMixed evidence

In 41 people bending forward, the lower back did more of the work early and the hips more late, and hamstring flexibility went with how people moved only in those with past back pain. Men with short hamstrings tipped their pelvis less in a toe-touch without bending their lower back more; hamstring stretching in two trials (39 and 36 people) changed hip movement or hamstring length but not lower back movement; and in 122 people, hamstring flexibility was not strongly related to lower back bending.

The practical point: your hamstrings set how far your hips can hinge, and past that point the rest of the bend comes from your lower back. That is why the site's good mornings guide stops when your trunk is about level with the floor or just before your back starts to round, whichever comes first (our reading).

Sources 13, 14, 15, 16, 17

The back of the thigh: stretch-type hamstring strainsEmerging evidence

A good morning is a slow hinge with the knees nearly straight, the position of the stretch-type hamstring strain. In 15 professional dancers hurt during slow, deep hip bending with a straight knee, every injury was close to the sitting bone and most involved one hamstring's tendon; the median time back to their previous level was 50 weeks. In 30 people from 21 sports hurt in the same position, about half ended their sport and the rest returned in a median of 31 weeks. These studies are of dancers and other sports, not lifters, so applying them to good mornings is our reading.

The NHS says a severe hamstring injury may come with a snapping feeling or a pop, and that mild ones usually get better in a few days.

Sources 18, 19, 20, 21

Who gets itEmerging evidence

People who go heavy or grind good mornings, add them after heavy squats or deadlifts when the back is already tired, hinge lower than their hamstrings allow, bounce out of the bottom, or come back to an old working weight after a break (our reading; the site's good mornings guide lists most of these as the common mistakes).

In United States (US) emergency departments, weight-training injuries were mostly sprains and strains (46.1%), with the lower trunk 19.7% of injuries; the data don't name exercises. Weight-training sports have low injury rates compared with team sports, and the lower back is among the commonest sites. In 104 Swedish powerlifters, the lower back and pelvis were among the commonest injury sites, but only 16% of those injured had stopped training completely. None of these studies, and no gym survey we found, names good mornings.

Sources 22, 23, 24, 25

When a scan helps, and what it can't tell youStrong evidence

Not for ordinary back pain from good mornings. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) says not to routinely offer imaging in a non-specialist setting, and the NHS says back pain is very rarely a sign of a serious problem. Scans of people without back pain often show changes: disc wear in 37% at 20 and 96% at 80, and disc bulges in 30% and 84%.

Scans matter for the warning signs: the spine's nerve signs, a suspected fracture, a teenager's stress fracture, cancer or infection, and a pop at the sitting bone with a large bruise, where a tendon pulled off the bone is easily missed.

Sources 26, 27, 28

How it usually goesEmerging evidence

No study follows back pain from good mornings. The NHS says back pain usually improves within a few weeks, and NHS inform that most back problems should have improved within 6 weeks. Across 33 groups of people with new back pain, average pain fell from 52 to 23 out of 100 at 6 weeks, 12 at 6 months and 6 at a year; pain that had already lasted months improved less. It often comes back: 69% of 250 people who had recovered had another episode within a year.

Mild hamstring injuries usually get better in a few days, the NHS says, while severe ones can take weeks or months. No one can promise a date, which is why keeping a hinge in your week is the plan's last step.

Sources 28, 29, 30, 31, 21

What helps, and how strong the evidence is

Good mornings aren't shown to be bad for your back, or good for itMixed evidence

No trial has tested good mornings for back pain or back injury. Weight-training sports have low injury rates compared with team sports, and the only source we found that says to avoid good mornings is one line of expert opinion in a review of gym injuries, not data. Weight for weight, a good morning loaded the lower back about as much as a deadlift in one lab study of 13 people at a quarter of body weight. So a heavy bar far from the hips is the problem, not the hinge (our reading).

Sources 23, 32, 2

Swap to a hinge with the weight closer to your hipsEmerging evidence

In 12 trained men, the Romanian deadlift and the glute-ham raise worked the hamstrings harder than the good morning, and the Romanian deadlift can be loaded far more. Shortening the lever, with the weight in your hands or a trap bar, lowered the load on the lower back in lifting studies (our reading for good mornings). The site's good mornings guide makes the Romanian deadlift the main hinge.

Sources 33, 5, 7

A hinge trains the hips more than the lower backEmerging evidence

A review found that free-weight hinges such as deadlifts and good mornings work the lower back muscles hard, but are less proven to build them over time than machines that hold the pelvis still. In 36 trained men, 10 weeks of Romanian deadlifts raised the lift but not lower back extension strength. So good mornings aren't a back treatment on their own.

Sources 34, 35

Exercise is the best-supported treatment for back painStrong evidence

In a Cochrane review of 249 trials, exercise eased long-lasting low back pain by 15.2 points out of 100 against no treatment, usual care or placebo (moderate certainty). NICE suggests a group exercise programme within the NHS. In 70 people with recurring back pain, deadlift training eased pain about as much as low-load motor control exercise but improved activity less at 2 months, with no difference at 2 years; people with less pain and better back muscle endurance at the start did best.

A 16-week free-weight programme was followed by less pain in 30 people, and a 16-week programme of squats, bench presses, deadlifts and Pendlay rows cut pain by 3.4 points out of 10 in 25 adults; both were uncontrolled. No trial has tested good mornings for back pain, so they come back last in the plan.

Sources 36, 26, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41

Stay active rather than restingStrong evidence

In a Cochrane review (2 trials, 401 people), advice to stay active gave slightly better pain relief and function than advice to rest in bed for new low back pain. The NHS says stay active and don't stay in bed for long periods.

Sources 42, 26, 28

Bracing, breathing and beltsEmerging evidence

In 8 healthy men, an all-round abdominal brace raised the spine's stability by 32% at the cost of 15% more compression, and in standing trunk exercises including the unloaded good morning, bracing stiffened the spine at the expense of more load on it. The health risks of holding your breath under a bar remain unconfirmed in a review, but good mornings don't need to be heavy, so breathe out as you stand.

NICE says not to offer belts or corsets for low back pain, and lumbar supports were no better than nothing at preventing back pain in a Cochrane review. A belt isn't a treatment.

Sources 43, 44, 45, 26, 46

How much pain is OK while you exercise?

Up to about 5 out of 10, settled within an hour, no worse the next morning; leg symptoms are differentEmerging evidence

This guide uses the back hub's rule, as our other back guides do. Some discomfort during exercise is fine, and it does not mean you are doing damage: the WHO counts "hurt does not necessarily mean harm" among the messages people with back pain need. Aim for pain you would call mild to moderate, no more than about 5 out of 10. It should settle within an hour or so, and your back should be no worse the next morning. If it is worse, do less next time (fewer reps, a smaller range, a lighter load), not nothing.

Leg symptoms are the exception: stop or shrink any movement that sends pain, pins and needles or numbness further down your leg. If leg symptoms move back towards your spine, that is a good sign, even if your back aches a little more for a while.

If pain climbs day after day, or you notice any warning sign, stop and get it checked. The 5 out of 10 figure matches this site's other pain guides and has not been tested in a back pain trial; in trials of long-lasting muscle and joint pain, exercise that allowed some pain did no harm.

The NHS sciatica page says that even if moving hurts, it's not harmful, and the NHS back pain page says stop an exercise if your pain gets worse and see a GP: that means pain that keeps climbing, not the passing discomfort this rule allows.

For good mornings (our suggestion, built on the same rule): judge each set by its last reps and by the next morning. Use the step of the ladder (hinge practice, kettlebell deadlift, Romanian deadlift with dumbbells, band good morning, good morning off pins, barbell good morning) and the depth and weight where your back stays at 5 out of 10 or less, and end the set when your back starts to round, whatever the pain. A sharp pull at the back of the thigh isn't a back pain question: stop hinging for that session and follow the hamstring strain guide. Pain down a leg, numbness around the genitals or bottom, a pop with bruising at the sitting bone, or a fever isn't a pain-rule question: see the warning signs.

Sources 47, 48, 28

The exercise plan: 3 stages

Start at the first stage. Each move opens a full guide with a 3D demo.

Stage 1

Keep hinging, take the bar off your back

About days 0 to 7: daily walks and 2 or 3 short sessions. Settle the pain without resting in bed, keep your hips hinging with no load on your back, and find the movement that eases it. With leg symptoms, a hamstring injury or a diagnosed condition, that guide's plan comes first.

Treadmill walking demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoTreadmill walkingBeginner · Cardio machine

5 to 10 minutes, several times a day · As in our deadlift back guide (editorial). Walking outdoors counts

Harder: Treadmill jogging

3D demoCat-cowBeginner · No equipment

8 waves, slower than feels natural · The move page's dose. A small range if it's sore

Harder: Half lord of the fishes (Ardha Matsyendrasana)

Hip-hinge practice demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoHip-hinge practiceBeginner · No equipment

2 to 3 sets of 10, with a dowel along your back touching your head, upper back and tailbone, hinging only as far as all three stay in contact · The sets are our deadlift back guide's (editorial); the dowel is the first step in our good mornings guide

Harder: Kettlebell deadlift

Glute bridge demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoGlute bridgeBeginner · No equipment

2 to 3 sets of 10 · As in our back pain guides (editorial)

Easier: Pelvic tilt into bridge · Harder: Single-leg glute bridge

3D demoBird dogBeginner · No equipment

2 to 3 sets of 6 to 8 each side, 3 to 5 second holds · As in our deadlift back guide (editorial)

Easier: Bird dog, one limb at a time · Harder: Bear crawl

Move on when: You can walk for 10 to 15 minutes and get in and out of bed and the car without catching pain, the dowel hinge passes the pain rule, and your back is no worse the next morning (editorial, as in our deadlift back guide).

Follow along: a timer, a cue and the next move, one step at a time.

Stage 2

Load the hinge with the weight in your hands

About days 7 to 21, 2 or 3 sessions a week: rebuild a loaded hinge with the weight close to your hips, then a light good morning with a band.

Kettlebell deadlift demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoKettlebell deadliftBeginner · A kettlebell

3 sets of 8 to 10, light to start · As in our deadlift back guide (editorial)

Easier: Hip-hinge practice · Harder: Dumbbell Romanian deadlift

Dumbbell Romanian deadlift demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoDumbbell Romanian deadliftIntermediate · A dumbbell

3 sets of 8 to 10, to mid-shin or where your hamstrings stop you · As in our deadlift back guide (editorial)

Easier: Hip-hinge practice · Harder: Single-leg Romanian deadlift

Band good morning demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoBand good morningBeginner · A band

2 to 3 sets of 8 to 12, stopping with 2 or 3 reps in reserve (our editorial starting point). · The move page's dose. A light band, checked for nicks, with both hands on it

Harder: Barbell good morning

Back extension on a 45-degree bench demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoBack extension on a 45-degree benchIntermediate · A bench or box

2 to 3 sets of 8 to 12, rising until your body is straight, not arched · As in our deadlift back guide (editorial)

Easier: Ball back extension · Harder: Horizontal back extension (hyperextension, Roman chair)

Knee side plank demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoKnee side plankBeginner · No equipment

3 holds of 15 to 20 seconds each side · As in our deadlift back guide (editorial)

Harder: Side plank

Move on when: Romanian deadlifts with dumbbells to mid-shin and band good mornings pass the pain rule for 3 sets, and your back is no worse the next morning (editorial).

Follow along: a timer, a cue and the next move, one step at a time.

Stage 3

Back to the barbell good morning

From about week 3, 2 or 3 sessions a week: the bar on your back again, starting each rep from pins, then the free lift, one change at a time by the written steps below. No study has tested a return to good mornings after back pain, so the order is editorial, following our good mornings guide's build-up.

Good morning off pins demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoGood morning off pinsIntermediate · A barbell

2 to 3 sets of 8 to 12, stopping with 2 or 3 reps in reserve (our editorial starting point). · The move page's dose. Pins at about stomach height, an empty bar first

Easier: Band good morning · Harder: Barbell deadlift

Barbell good morning demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoBarbell good morningIntermediate · A barbell

2 to 3 sets of 8 to 12 with 2 or 3 reps to spare, from the empty bar or half your old working weight, whichever is lighter, adding weight in small steps only when every rep looks the same · Our good mornings guide's editorial starting point; the load step is ours, after the American College of Sports Medicine's 2% to 10% steps for healthy lifters

Easier: Dumbbell Romanian deadlift · Harder: Barbell deadlift

Slider hamstring curl demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoSlider hamstring curlIntermediate · No equipment

3 sets of 8 · As in our hamstring strain guide (editorial): the knee-bending half of the hamstrings' job

Easier: Machine leg curl · Harder: Full Nordic curl

Farmer's carry demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoFarmer's carryIntermediate · A dumbbell + A kettlebell

3 walks of 20 to 30 metres · As in our deadlift back guide (editorial)

Harder: Suitcase carry

Move on when: Your usual sessions pass the pain rule for 2 weeks: then heavier sets, then the seated, stiff-legged or safety bar versions, one change at a time. Keep two strength sessions a week, including a hinge, after the pain has gone, because back pain often comes back. If a session flares it, go back a stage for a few days, not to nothing (editorial).

Follow along: a timer, a cue and the next move, one step at a time.

What to change for now

Your good morning for now (written steps)

Our 3D figure can't show how far you hinge, your knee bend, where the bar sits or the load. These steps come from the site's good mornings guide and move pages, lab studies of healthy people and the NHS; no trial has tested a change to the good morning for back pain, and each step names its source or says it is our suggestion.

1. Swap first: Romanian deadlifts, kettlebell deadlifts and band good mornings for the first weeks, with the weight close to your hips (our deadlift back guide; the lab studies above).
2. How low: stop when your trunk is about level with the floor, or just before your back starts to round, whichever comes first (our good mornings guide). For many people that is well above level, which is fine.
3. Knees: a soft bend, kept the same all the way down and up; bending them more as you go turns the lift into a squat (our good mornings guide).
4. The bar: on the muscle below your neck, not on the neck itself (our good mornings guide). A band or a safety squat bar if the bar position hurts your shoulders (our suggestion).
5. Pins: set safety pins just below the lowest point you want, or start each rep from pins at stomach height (our good mornings guide and the off-pins move page).
6. Brace before each rep and breathe out as you stand (our suggestion, from the bracing and breath-holding studies).
7. Tempo: lower under control and stand up smoothly, with no bouncing out of the bottom (our good mornings guide).
8. Load: the empty bar or half your old working weight, whichever is lighter, adding 2% to 10% once you can do 1 or 2 more reps than planned (our suggestion, after the American College of Sports Medicine's steps for healthy lifters).
9. Order: after squats and deadlifts, not before, and not on days your back is already tired (our good mornings guide; our suggestion).

Sources 2, 1, 5, 43, 45, 49

Today: keep moving, heat or ice, and painkillers (written steps)

These come from the NHS and NICE.

1. Stay active and try to carry on with your daily activities; don't stay in bed for long periods (the NHS).
2. An ice pack wrapped in a tea towel for pain and swelling, or a heat pack or hot water bottle wrapped in a tea towel for stiffness or spasm (the NHS).
3. Anti-inflammatory medicine like ibuprofen if it suits you; NICE doesn't recommend paracetamol on its own for low back pain, and the NHS says check with a pharmacist or GP if you're unsure which painkiller suits you.
4. For a fresh hamstring injury, the NHS suggests protection, rest, ice, compression and raising the leg for the first 2 to 3 days, and avoiding heat and massage for the first 3 days.

Sources 28, 26, 21

Everyday life and sport (written steps)

Our suggestions unless a source is named.

1. Walking from the start; swimming, yoga and Pilates if they pass the rule (the NHS lists them).
2. Bending and lifting at home and work: bend and lift as is comfortable. Lifting-technique training didn't prevent back pain in trials, so build confidence rather than avoid bending; our bending guide explains.
3. Sitting and driving: get up and move every 30 to 60 minutes while it is sore; sitting for more than 5 hours a day went with back pain coming back in a cohort study.
4. Gardening and shopping: kneel or squat for low jobs, and split loads between two hands, as the farmer's carry trains.
5. The gym: good mornings after your main squat or deadlift, counted with your other hinges in the week (our good mornings guide); on a sore week, do the Romanian deadlift instead.
6. Sprinting and kicking after a hamstring strain: our hamstring strain guide's stages bring them back.

Sources 28, 11, 31

Positions to swap, and why

Habit or position	Why it matters	Instead
Heavy or grinding good mornings	"Not a lift to grind or max out on. Skip it during a low back flare," the move page says, and weight for weight it loaded the lower back like a deadlift in one lab study of 13 people at a quarter of body weight.	Romanian deadlifts with dumbbells, to mid-shin.Try: Dumbbell Romanian deadlift
Hinging lower than your hamstrings allow	Past that point the bend comes from your lower back (our reading of the bending studies).	Stop at level or before your back rounds.Try: Hip-hinge practice
Bending your knees more as you go down	It turns the lift into a squat, as our good mornings guide says.	The same soft bend all the way, from pins.Try: Good morning off pins
Stiff-legged good mornings while it's sore	"The bar sits far from the hips, so even a light load bends the spine hard if the back rounds," its move page says, and straight knees are the stretch-type hamstring position.	Soft knees and a band.Try: Band good morning
Good mornings after heavy squats or deadlifts while it's sore	The back muscles are already tired (our reading).	Good mornings on another day, or leave them out for now.
Going straight back to your old working weight	Sudden jumps in training load are the usual story in lifting injuries, a review of deadlifting says.	The empty bar or half your old weight.Try: Good morning off pins
A belt for every set	NICE says not to offer belts or corsets for low back pain, and lumbar supports didn't prevent it.	Learn to brace without one.Try: Bird dog
Hinging on through a pull at the back of the thigh	Stretch-type hamstring strains near the sitting bone were slow to heal in dancers and other sports.	Stop the hinge for that session and follow the hamstring strain guide.
Hamstring stretching as the fix	In two trials, stretching changed the hips or hamstring length, not lower back movement.	Hinge practice and the staged plan.Try: Hip-hinge practice
Bed rest and long spells sitting	Advice to stay active does better than bed rest, and the NHS says don't stay in bed for long periods.	Short walks, little and often.Try: Treadmill walking

Routines to follow

Learn to deadlift: hinge to bar workout

A 30-minute session from the hip hinge to your first deadlift: hinge practice, kettlebell deadlifts, slow Romanian deadlifts, a light bar and a carry.

30 minBeginner9 movesA kettlebell, A dumbbell

Posterior chain workout: good mornings, hip thrusts, back extensions and pull-throughs

A 45-minute gym session for the back of your body: light barbell good mornings, hip thrusts, 45 degree back extensions, cable pull-throughs and a carry.

45 minIntermediate8 movesCardio machine, A barbell

Hamstring workout: Romanian deadlifts, curls and Nordics

A 35-minute gym hamstring workout: Romanian deadlifts for the hip, seated leg curls for the knee, single-leg Romanian deadlifts, then Nordic curls when ready.

35 minIntermediate7 movesA dumbbell, Strength machine

Lower back strengthening workout: bird dogs to supermans, no equipment

A 20-minute floor workout for your back muscles: bird dogs and bridges, then a face-down ladder from the locust to the superman, with side planks and dead bugs.

20 minBeginner13 movesNo equipment

McGill big 3 core routine

The McGill big three for the core: curl-ups, side planks and bird dogs, each held for 10 seconds at a time in falling sets of 5, 3 and 1 reps.

12 minBeginner3 movesNo equipment

Lower back stretch routine

Seven gentle stretches and mobility moves for a stiff lower back, done lying and kneeling.

12 minBeginner7 movesA wall

Hamstring flexibility routine

A 12-minute routine to loosen tight hamstrings with strap stretches, PNF, folds and hinges.

12 minBeginner7 movesNo equipment

More moves for this area

Questions people ask

Why does my lower back hurt when I do good mornings?

The bar sits far from your hips, so even a light bar makes your back muscles work hard, and in one lab study of 13 people at a quarter of body weight, a good morning loaded the lower back about as much as a deadlift with the same bar. An ache that eases soon after the set is those muscles working; a sudden catch on one side is usually a strain. Heavy or long sets, going lower than your hamstrings allow and jumps in weight are the usual triggers.

Are good mornings bad for your back?

No trial has tested them either way. Weight-training sports have low injury rates, and the advice to avoid good mornings is expert opinion rather than data. Start with an empty bar, stop before your back rounds, and leave them out while your back is sore.

Is it normal to feel good mornings in my lower back?

Yes: the muscles along your spine worked at about half to three-quarters of their maximum in trained lifters. Sharp pain, pain that builds through the set or pain down a leg isn't normal. Swap to a Romanian deadlift and check the warning signs.

How low should I go in a good morning?

Until your trunk is about level with the floor or your back starts to round, whichever comes first. Your hamstrings set the depth, and for many people that is well above level, which is fine.

Should my knees be bent?

Softly, and the same all the way down and up; bending them more as you go turns it into a squat. Trained lifters bent their knees about 17 to 25 degrees, more as the bar got heavier.

I hurt my back doing good mornings. What should I do?

Keep moving: walk little and often, use heat for stiffness or spasm, and ask a pharmacist whether ibuprofen suits you. Leave the bar for a few days and hinge with no load. Numbness around your genitals or bottom, or new bladder or bowel trouble, is a 999 call.

My hamstring hurts after good mornings. Is it a strain?

A pull or sharp pain at the back of the thigh during the hinge, then tenderness or bruising, is usually a strain. A pop near the sitting bone with a large bruise needs a same-day check, because the tendon may have come off the bone. Stretch-type strains near the sitting bone were slow to heal in studies of dancers and other sports.

What can I do instead of good mornings?

Romanian deadlifts with the weight in your hands, kettlebell deadlifts, band good mornings and back extensions on a 45-degree bench, which shorten the lever on your lower back. The Romanian deadlift also worked the hamstrings harder in a lab study.

Do good mornings help lower back pain?

No trial has tested them. Exercise helps long-lasting back pain, and heavy hinge training helped some people with recurring back pain about as much as gentler exercise, so good mornings can come back once lighter hinges pass the pain rule.

Do I need a scan?

Usually not: NICE advises against routine imaging, and disc changes are common in people without back pain. Leg weakness, numbness around the genitals or bottom, a fall, a fever, or a pop at the sitting bone with bruising change that.

How long will it take?

No one can promise a date. New back pain usually eases a lot within 6 weeks, and the NHS says it usually improves within a few weeks. It often comes back, so keep a hinge in your week.

When should I see a doctor?

Call 999 for numbness around the genitals or bottom, new bladder or bowel trouble, or weakness or numbness in both legs. Get help the same day for a fever, severe pain that came on suddenly, leg weakness that is getting worse, or a pop at the sitting bone with a large bruise, and see a GP if it hasn't improved in a few weeks. In the US, call 911 where this page says 999.

Related exercise guides

How to do good mornings guide

Sources

Exercise education, not a diagnosis or treatment plan. It is written from the guidelines and studies listed above; review by a clinician is pending. If your pain follows an injury, is severe, is getting worse, or comes with any warning sign listed on this page, get it assessed. Health disclaimer.

When to get help first

Get urgent medical help if

See a doctor or physiotherapist if

Where does it hurt?

Understand it

What a good morning asks of the back, and what no study has countedEmerging evidence

Why the bar matters: where the weight sitsEmerging evidence

Rounding, discs and what studies of people showMixed evidence

The hamstrings, and how low to goMixed evidence

The back of the thigh: stretch-type hamstring strainsEmerging evidence

Who gets itEmerging evidence

When a scan helps, and what it can't tell youStrong evidence

How it usually goesEmerging evidence

What helps, and how strong the evidence is

Good mornings aren't shown to be bad for your back, or good for itMixed evidence

Swap to a hinge with the weight closer to your hipsEmerging evidence

A hinge trains the hips more than the lower backEmerging evidence

Exercise is the best-supported treatment for back painStrong evidence

Stay active rather than restingStrong evidence

Bracing, breathing and beltsEmerging evidence

How much pain is OK while you exercise?

Up to about 5 out of 10, settled within an hour, no worse the next morning; leg symptoms are differentEmerging evidence

The exercise plan: 3 stages

Keep hinging, take the bar off your back

Load the hinge with the weight in your hands

Back to the barbell good morning

What to change for now

Your good morning for now (written steps)

Today: keep moving, heat or ice, and painkillers (written steps)

Everyday life and sport (written steps)

Positions to swap, and why

Routines to follow

Learn to deadlift: hinge to bar workout

Posterior chain workout: good mornings, hip thrusts, back extensions and pull-throughs

Hamstring workout: Romanian deadlifts, curls and Nordics

Lower back strengthening workout: bird dogs to supermans, no equipment

McGill big 3 core routine

Lower back stretch routine

Hamstring flexibility routine

More moves for this area

Questions people ask

Related exercise guides

Other pain guides

Sources