3 Best Good Morning Alternatives (with Pictures!)

Like most other hinge exercises, the good morning has its own set of inherent disadvantages and dangers that may make it incompatible with an athlete or their training goals.

So long as the alternative targets the erector spinae, glutes or hamstrings through a similar movement pattern, it can readily substitute the good morning.

Good examples include:

• The Back Extension Machine
• Reverse Hyperextensions
• Romanian Deadlifts

If No Free Weights are Available: Back Extension Machine

The back extension is a compound posterior chain exercise involving the lifter hinging atop a back extension rack as their legs remain immobile. 

This largely eliminates the involvement of the core musculature outside of the erector spinae and portions of the lower back, replicating the general hinging mechanics and recruitment pattern of the good morning.

Unlike the good morning, the back extension machine does not require any sort of free weight equipment, and is frequently performed entirely unweighted. In certain cases, the back extension may even be safer than the good morning.

Equipment Needed

All that’s needed is the back extension rack itself - though more advanced exercisers may grip a weight plate or dumbbell between their hands as well.

Sets and Reps Recommendation

Unless performing back extensions loaded, sticking to higher repetition ranges will help keep training intensity sufficient for growth.

2-4 sets of 10-20 repetitions is a good starting point.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

As always, lifters should ensure they are in fact hinging through their hips rather than curving the lower back forwards. 

The glutes and hamstrings should remain engaged throughout each repetition, and the lower back kept neutral through core bracing and proper hip positioning.

How-to:

1. To perform a repetition of the back extension, the lifter begins by positioning their hips against the pads of the machine, feet hooked beneath the pegs and their heels set against the baseplate.
   The hip pad itself should be adjusted so that the upper half of the hips are freely jutting above it, allowing for a full range of motion to be achieved.
2. Once positioned securely within the machine, the lifter hinges the trunk forward at the hips as they keep their core solidly braced - lowering themselves until reaching the limits of their hamstring mobility.
3. From this point in the repetition, the lifter squeezes their glutes and drives their hips into the pad so as to lever the trunk back upwards into its original upright position. This completes one repetition.

For Similar Non-Axial Loading: Reverse Hyperextensions

The reverse hyperextension is yet another posterior chain movement targeting the glutes, hamstrings and erector spinae.

Unlike good mornings, reverse hyperextensions do not involve any actual movement of the trunk, and will instead lever the legs through hinging at the hips. 

Apart from targeting the same muscles as good mornings, this also allows the lifter to further expand upon the latter movement’s non-axial loading of the back - nearly eliminating strain on the spine.

Equipment Needed

Reverse hyperextensions will require a reverse hyperextension rack, machine, or a similarly high object to suspend the trunk off the floor - like a bench.

Sets and Reps Recommendation

Similar to back extensions, reverse hyperextensions are most often performed unloaded due to the difficulty of actually loading the lower body without involving the arms. As such, volume is amped up to compensate.

2-4 sets of 12-20 repetitions should be sufficient.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Lifters may be mis-cuing the exercise by thinking of the movement as a leg curl. Instead, driving the hips into the pads will help achieve the sort of gluteal activation needed to perform the exercise correctly.

How-to:

1. To perform a repetition of reverse hyperextensions, the lifter begins by lying stomach-down atop the flat section of the rack, gripping the handles (if available) for stability.
   If performing the exercise weighted through a reverse hyperextension machine, ensure that the legs are hooked beneath the ankle pads securely.
2. Keeping the hips flush against the pads, the knees relatively straight and the lower back neutral, the lifter then squeezes their glutes and drives their hips forwards so as to slowly kick their legs upwards.
   This should form a nearly flat plane with the body, starting from the ankles to the upper back.
3. Once the legs are raised sufficiently high enough, the lifter slowly releases tension in their glutes and lowers their legs back down towards the floor - controlling the eccentric as much as possible.
4. With the legs hanging back downwards, the repetition is considered complete.

For a More Compounded Movement: Romanian Deadlifts

The end-all be-all of posterior chain hinge exercises; Romanian deadlifts are a variation of barbell deadlift where the knees are bent as minimally as possible, maximizing emphasis on the glutes and hamstrings while replicating the same benefits of good mornings.

The Romanian deadlift is less a substitute and more of a direct upgrade to the good morning, as it is both more effective yet also significantly more fatiguing to perform. 

Rather than acting as a secondary compound movement, Romanian deadlifts are better utilized in situations where the good morning is found to be insufficiently stimulating as far as strength and hypertrophy development goes.

Equipment Needed

Romanian deadlifts require only a barbell and a set of weight plates.

Sets and Reps Recommendation

Like all forms of deadlift, the Romanian variant can be quite taxing when performed for high volume.

3-5 sets of 5-8 repetitions should be the general range of volume most non-specialized athletes aim for.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Lifters performing a Romanian deadlift should refrain from locking out their knees completely. 

Aim to keep a slight amount of flexion, but to avoid complete extension as this will limit hamstring engagement and lead to a breakdown in overall form.

How-to:

1. To perform a repetition of the Romanian deadlift, the lifter begins by positioning themselves facing a loaded barbell, hips hinged back, knees slightly bent and arms set around shoulder-width apart along the bar using a pronated grip.
2. The lifter then drives through their heels and raises the bar up to mid-shin height. This is the starting position of each repetition, rather than pulling the bar from the floor.
3. With the bar suspended at the front of the shins, the lifter squeezes their glutes and hinges their trunk back into an upright position - pulling the bar up to the hips.
4. Concentric phase now complete, the lifter once again levers their trunk forwards by pushing their hips back and creating a small amount of bend in their knees. Once the bar has returned to mid-shin height, the repetition is considered complete.
   Don’t forget to start and end each repetition with the bar suspended off the ground, keeping tension in the hamstrings.

Which Good Morning Alternative is Best?

With how similar the majority of good morning alternatives can be, the “best” one is simply whichever fits your current equipment and training situation. 

For a machine-based lower risk exercise, machine reverse hyperextensions will work best. Likewise, for a more intense strength-focused workout, swapping for Romanian deadlifts is a solid substitute.

References

1. Dicus JR, Ellestad SH, Sheaffer JE, Weber CA, Novak NC, Holmstrup ME. A Comparison of Muscle Recruitment Across Three Straight-Legged, Hinge-Pattern Resistance Training Exercises. Int J Exerc Sci. 2023 Jan 1;16(4):12-22. PMID: 37113509; PMCID: PMC10124728.