Bodyweight Good Morning Row

Muscles worked

Setup

1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and a slight bend in your knees.
2. Place your hands behind your head or reach them straight out in front of you for balance.
3. Engage your core and pull your shoulder blades down and back to set a neutral spine.

How to do it

1. Inhale and hinge at the hips by pushing them straight back, lowering your torso until it is nearly parallel to the floor.
2. While holding the bottom of the hinge, reach your arms forward then pull your elbows back toward your ribcage, squeezing your shoulder blades together forcefully.
3. Exhale as you drive your hips forward to return to a standing position, keeping your back flat throughout.
4. Maintain a controlled tempo: 2 seconds to hinge down, 1 second for the row, and 2 seconds to stand.

Form checklist

• Keep your weight centered over your mid-foot and heels, not your toes.
• Maintain a flat back; do not allow your lower back to round as you hinge.
• Ensure the movement comes from the hips, not by bending further at the knees.
• Keep your neck neutral by looking at a spot on the floor about 3-5 feet in front of you.

Pro tips

• To maximize the row without weight, imagine you are pulling a heavy resistance band toward you to create internal tension in the lats.
• Focus on the 'mind-muscle connection' by actively squeezing your glutes at the top of the movement and your rhomboids during the row.

Make it harder

• Perform 3-5 row repetitions during every single hip hinge to increase time under tension for the hamstrings.
• Transition to a single-leg stance to significantly increase the stability demand on the ankles, hips, and core.

Frequently asked

What muscles does the bodyweight good morning row work?

The bodyweight good morning row primarily targets the glutes, hamstrings, rhomboids, and trapezius, and also works the erector spinae as secondary muscles.

What equipment do you need for the bodyweight good morning row?

The bodyweight good morning row requires no equipment — just your body weight.

Is the bodyweight good morning row good for beginners?

The bodyweight good morning row is rated intermediate. Build a base with simpler variations first, then progress to it with light load and strict form.

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