Kettlebell Good Morning

The Kettlebell Good Morning is a hip-hinge exercise that builds strength in the hamstrings, glutes, and lower back while teaching proper lifting mechanics. By holding the weight against your chest, it reinforces core stability and protects the spine, making it an excellent variation for developing posterior chain power.

How Iridium Helps

Because the lower back is sensitive to accumulated fatigue, our AI analyzes your recovery metrics like HRV and recent training volume to prescribe safe load limits for this hinge movement. If you have a history of back discomfort, the app can detect risky spikes in training intensity and suggest lighter loads or alternative exercises to prevent strain. By tracking your RPE and consistency, the system ensures you are strengthening your posterior chain without exceeding your structural capacity.

Form Cues

Do
  • Hug the kettlebell tight against your chest with elbows tucked.
  • Unlock your knees slightly and keep them fixed at that angle.
  • Push your hips backward as if trying to close a door behind you.
  • Keep your spine neutral and chest up throughout the descent.
  • Drive your hips forward and squeeze your glutes to return to standing.
Don't
  • Don't round your lower back or shoulders forward.
  • Don't bend your knees excessively into a squat pattern.
  • Don't let the kettlebell drift away from your body.
  • Don't hyperextend your lower back at the top of the movement.

Common Mistakes

  • Squatting instead of hinging
  • Rounding the spine
  • Crane-ing the neck upward
  • Insufficient core bracing
  • Going too heavy too soon

Muscles Worked

This exercise primarily targets the posterior chain, specifically the hamstrings and glutes, by loading them through a deep stretch. It also places a significant demand on the erector spinae and deep core muscles to maintain spinal integrity against the anterior load.

Primary

HamstringsGlutesErector Spinae

Secondary

General CoreUpper Trapezius

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