A Human Web
Join

Gym workouts

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

Your glutes, hamstrings and the muscles along your spine straighten your hips and hold your trunk steady. This session works them through the hip rather than the knee: the good morning, a hip hinge with the bar across your upper back, then hip thrusts, back extensions and pull-throughs, with a carry to finish. Keep the good mornings light: the bar sits far from your hips, so a light weight works hard. For curls and Nordic curls, use the hamstring workout on another day.

45 minIntermediate8 movesCardio machine · A barbell · A bench or box · A cable machine · A dumbbell · A kettlebellQuads · Glutes · Hamstrings · Back · Abs · Forearms
Follow along: a timer, a cue and the next move, one step at a time.

Warm-up (about 6 minutes)

  1. Stationary cycling3 to 5 min easy
    Beginner · Quads, Glutes, Hamstrings · 3D demoEasier: Recumbent exercise bikeHarder: Air bike intervals
  2. Glute bridge12 reps
    Beginner · Glutes, Hamstrings, Abs · 3D demoEasier: Pelvic tilt into bridgeHarder: Single-leg glute bridge
  3. Hip-hinge practice2 sets of 8
    Beginner · Glutes, Hamstrings, Back · 3D demoPush your hips back to tap a wall behind youHarder: Dumbbell Romanian deadlift

Good mornings

Rest 90 s to 2 min

  1. Barbell good morningEmpty bar × 8, then 3 × 8 to 10
    Intermediate · Hamstrings, Glutes, Back · 3D demoSoft knees, hips back; stop when your trunk is about level or before your back rounds, 2 or 3 reps short of failure. Much lighter than your deadliftEasier: Dumbbell Romanian deadliftHarder: Barbell deadlift

Hips

Rest 2 min

  1. Barbell hip thrust3 sets of 8 to 12
    Intermediate · Glutes, Hamstrings, Quads · 3D demoChin tucked, ribs down, pause at the top; 2 or 3 reps short of failureEasier: Glute bridgeHarder: Barbell back squat

Back

Rest 90 s

  1. Back extension on a 45-degree bench2 × 10 to 12
    Intermediate · Back, Glutes, Hamstrings · 3D demoMove slowly; hinge at your hips and stop when your body is in line with your legsEasier: Ball back extensionHarder: Horizontal back extension (hyperextension, Roman chair)

Pull-through

Rest 60 to 90 s

  1. Cable pull-through2 sets of 12 to 15
    Beginner · Hamstrings, Glutes, Back · 3D demoFace away from a low cable with the rope between your legs; push your hips back, then squeeze your glutes to stand tallEasier: Hip-hinge practiceHarder: Dumbbell Romanian deadlift

Carry

  1. Suitcase carry2 walks of 20 to 30 m each side
    Intermediate · Abs, Forearms, Back · 3D demoStand tall, without leaning towards the weightEasier: Farmer's carryHarder: Overhead carry (waiter's walk)

Tips

  • Start the good mornings with the empty bar, and add a little weight only when every rep looks the same.
  • Stop each hinge where your hamstrings stop you or your back starts to round.
  • Back sore after lifting? Leave out the good mornings for now and follow our deadlift back pain guide.
  • Breathe in and brace before each hinge. With high blood pressure, glaucoma or a hernia, breathe out as you stand and keep the weights moderate.
  • Once a week, beside a session with knee-bending hamstring work such as the hamstring workout. Count all your hinges together: good mornings, Romanian deadlifts and deadlifts.
  • With osteoporosis, keep the good mornings light with a long back, learn them with a coach, and leave them out after a spinal fracture.

The doses are suggested starting points, not a prescription. Choose a range you can control and stop for sharp or increasing pain, numbness or tingling. Get individual advice after an injury or surgery, or if you are pregnant or managing a health condition.

Guides that recommend it

Find more moves like these

More gym workouts

Barbell strength workout A

Barbell strength workout A: back squats and bench presses in sets of five, plus rows. Workout B (squat, overhead press, deadlift) is a separate session.

40 minBeginner6 movesA band, A barbell

Leg day workout (gym)

A gym leg day: back squats, leg press, leg curls, Bulgarian split squats, leg extensions and calf raises.

55 minIntermediate9 movesA wall, A barbell

Chest workout (gym)

A gym chest workout: bench press, incline dumbbell press, cable flyes, dips and a push-up finisher.

45 minIntermediate7 movesA band, A barbell

Questions people ask

How long does the posterior chain workout: good mornings, hip thrusts, back extensions and pull-throughs take?

About 45 minutes, including any warm-up and cool-down listed. Shorten it by doing fewer rounds; lengthen it by adding one.

What equipment do I need?

You need: Cardio machine, A barbell, A bench or box, A cable machine, A dumbbell, A kettlebell. Each move links to its guide, where you can find an alternative if you are missing something.

Is it suitable for me?

It is written at intermediate level. 7 of its 8 moves have an easier option listed beside them; use them freely.

How do I make it easier or harder?

Use the easier or harder option listed under each move, change the number of rounds, or adjust the rest. Progress one change at a time.