Good Morning (Band)
The Band Good Morning is a hip-hinge exercise that uses variable resistance to strengthen the lower back, hamstrings, and glutes. It builds posterior chain stability and reinforces proper hinge mechanics without the heavy spinal loading of a barbell.
Since resistance bands provide variable tension that is hard to quantify in pounds, our AI relies heavily on your RPE and recovery data to optimize this movement. If your lower back recovery score is low from previous heavy lifting, the system can prescribe this exercise as a lower-load activation tool rather than a strength builder. Furthermore, if you report lower back pain with conventional deadlifts, the AI remembers this association and suggests Band Good Mornings to maintain posterior chain volume safely while your recovery trends improve.
Form Cues
- Place the band under the arches of your feet and rest the loop across your upper traps
- Initiate the movement by pushing your hips backward toward the wall behind you
- Maintain a slight, soft bend in your knees throughout the entire range of motion
- Keep your spine neutral and your core braced as your torso lowers
- Squeeze your glutes and hamstrings forcefully to return to the standing position
- Don't allow your lower back to round or hunch forward at the bottom
- Don't turn the movement into a squat by bending your knees excessively
- Don't crane your neck upward; keep your gaze neutral
- Don't hyperextend or arch your back at the top of the movement
- Don't let the band sit directly on your neck vertebrae
Common Mistakes
- Turning the hip hinge into a squat
- Rounding the thoracic or lumbar spine
- Locking the knees out completely
- Hyperextending the neck to look forward
- Using a band with insufficient tension
Muscles Worked
This exercise primarily targets the erector spinae and hamstrings, teaching them to work together to extend the hips while maintaining a rigid torso. The gluteus maximus acts as a powerful synergist to finish the movement, while the core stabilizers work isometrically to protect the spine against the band's pulling force.
Primary
Secondary
Get Personalized Coaching for Good Morning (Band)
Don't guess your way through weights or workouts. Download Iridium for automatic, AI-powered coaching that adapts to your recovery and goals.