Back · Barbell
Good Morning Squat
How to do the good morning squat, the muscles it works, and the mistakes to avoid. Pulled straight from the Kovo app's exercise library.
- Equipment
- Barbell
- Difficulty
- Advanced
- Logged as
- Weighted reps
- Movement
- Hinge
- Mechanic
- Compound
How to do it
Stand with your feet about shoulder-width apart. Push your hips back and bend your knees to lower until your thighs are at least parallel to the ground, keeping your chest up. Drive through your heels to return to standing.
- 1Feel your hamstrings and glutes engage as you hinge and squat
- 2Your back stays flat and your chest stays up
- 3Keep your core braced to support the weight throughout the motion
Common mistakes
- Don't round your spine, keep a neutral back
- Avoid pushing your knees too far forward or collapsing your chest
- Don't relax at the bottom; maintain tension
Muscles worked
The good morning squat mainly works the lower back and hamstrings, with the glutes assisting.
- Lower BackPrimary
- HamstringsPrimary
- GlutesSupport
- Upper AbsMinor
Good Morning Squat strength standards
See how your good morning squat ranks, from Bronze to Champion. These are the same standards the Kovo app uses to rank your lifts.
Bronzee1RM70 lb
Silvere1RM130 lb
Golde1RM212.5 lb
Platinume1RM300 lb
Diamonde1RM352.5 lb
Champione1RM397.5 lb
Find your rank
Enter your best set. We estimate your 1RM and match it to a tier.
Kovo tracks this rank automatically as you train, across every lift, and levels you up as you get stronger.
Kovo programs the good morning squat for you and tracks it every session.
We build your whole program, drop the right lifts into each workout, and adjust your weights as you get stronger. Free on iOS and Android.
More back exercises
- How to do the archer pull-up
- How to do the resistance band assisted pull-up
- How to do the machine assisted pull-up
- How to do the back extension bench back extension
- How to do the machine back extension
- How to do the back lever
Last reviewed April 2026.