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Good Morning Strength Standards

Quick Answer Good Morning

A 180 lb male with an Intermediate-level Good Morning of 191 lbs ranks at the 50th percentile (FVCP), stronger than ~50% of lifters. An Advanced lifter at this weight lifts 288 lbs (1.6x bodyweight).

FitnessVolt Competition Percentile (FVCP), based on 2.5M+ verified competition results

Good Morning demonstration
Competition-Verified

How strong is your Good Morning? Compare your 1RM against standards for 21 bodyweight categories, from Beginner to Elite.

Primary Muscles Core, Glutes, Hamstrings, Lower Back
Equipment Barbell
Data Points 71 rows
Difficulty Intermediate
Type Compound

How Strong Is Your Good Morning?

Your FVCP:
FitnessVolt Competition Percentile, based on 2.5M+ verified results
th percentile
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to track your progress over time.

How Much Should You Good Morning?

1RM weight (lbs) you should be able to lift at each standard, based on your bodyweight.

BW (lbs) Beginner Novice Intermediate Advanced Elite
110 17 50 104 178 266
120 22 59 117 195 288
130 28 69 131 212 308
140 34 78 143 228 328
150 40 87 156 244 346
160 47 97 168 259 364
170 53 106 180 274 382
180 59 114 191 288 398
190 66 123 203 302 415
200 72 132 214 315 430
210 78 140 224 328 445
220 84 148 235 341 460
230 91 157 245 353 474
240 97 165 255 365 488
250 103 172 265 376 501
260 109 180 274 388 514
270 115 188 283 399 527
280 120 195 292 410 540
290 126 202 301 420 552
300 132 210 310 430 564
310 138 217 319 441 575

How Does Age Affect Good Morning Strength?

How Good Morning standards change across different age groups. Values represent a 1RM in lbs.

Age Beginner Novice Intermediate Advanced Elite
15 45 93 163 252 355
20 51 106 186 288 406
25 52 109 191 296 416
30 52 109 191 296 416
35 52 109 191 296 416
40 52 109 191 296 416
45 50 104 181 280 395
50 47 97 170 263 371
55 43 90 157 243 343
60 39 82 144 222 313
65 36 74 130 201 283
70 32 67 116 180 254
75 29 60 104 161 227
80 26 53 93 144 203
85 23 48 83 129 182
90 21 43 75 116 164

What Do Good Morning Strength Standards Mean?

Beginner

Stronger than 5% of lifters. You are developing the hip-hinge pattern for the Good Morning, learning to load your hamstrings and glutes while keeping a neutral spine under tension.

Novice

Stronger than 20% of lifters. You can perform the Good Morning with a consistent hinge pattern and controlled eccentric. You are building posterior chain strength and grip endurance through progressive loading.

Intermediate

Stronger than 50% of lifters. Your Good Morning leverages a strong hip drive and solid lockout. You program variations strategically, use RPE to manage intensity, and have built serious hamstring and glute development.

Advanced

Stronger than 80% of lifters. You have optimized your Good Morning setup, grip strategy, and bracing sequence for maximal output. You train with periodized blocks and manage recovery to handle high-intensity pulling sessions.

Elite

Stronger than 95% of lifters. Your Good Morning is competition-caliber. You have dialed in every variable from stance width to breathing cadence and can execute near-maximal pulls with technical consistency.

How to Progress Your Good Morning

Tier-specific training recommendations to move your Good Morning to the next level.

Beginner → Novice Building Your Foundation
  • Train the Good Morning 1-2x per week, drilling the hip-hinge pattern with moderate loads.
  • Focus on keeping a neutral spine throughout the entire range of motion.
  • Use linear progression: add 5-10 lbs per session while form remains solid.
  • Build grip endurance with holds at the top of each set.
Track your E1RM progress →
Novice → Intermediate Structured Progression
  • Add a hinge variation (deficit, pause, or tempo) to address weak positions.
  • Program the Good Morning with RPE 7-8 working sets and occasional heavier singles.
  • Strengthen your grip separately if it becomes a limiting factor.
  • Begin tracking volume load to manage posterior chain fatigue.
Plan your RPE-based sessions →
Intermediate → Advanced Periodized Training Blocks
  • Run 4-6 week blocks alternating between volume accumulation and intensity peaks.
  • Use RPE 8-9 for top sets, with calculated backoff sets at RPE 7.
  • Address posterior chain weak points with targeted Romanian deadlifts, hip thrusts, or glute-ham raises.
  • Manage weekly hinge volume (10-16 hard sets) to avoid CNS fatigue.
Program your backoff sets →
Advanced → Elite Competition-Level Peaking
  • Run peaking cycles with precise RPE targets for each session.
  • Optimize your setup: stance, grip, hip height, and bracing sequence.
  • Manage recovery carefully - heavy hinge work has high systemic fatigue.
  • Test your Good Morning in competition or mock-meet conditions.
View RPE-to-percentage chart →

How to Perform Good Morning

  1. Start by standing with your feet shoulder-width apart and a barbell placed across your upper back.
  2. Engage your core and keep your back straight.
  3. Begin the movement by hinging at your hips, pushing your buttocks back while keeping your knees slightly bent.
  4. Lower your torso until it is almost parallel to the ground, ensuring your back remains straight throughout the movement.
  5. Reverse the motion by driving your hips forward and returning to the starting position.
  6. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

Read the complete Good Morning guide on FitnessVolt →

Tips for Good Morning

  • Maintain a neutral spine throughout the movement to avoid injury.
  • Engage your core to support your lower back.
  • Do not round your back; keep it straight to ensure proper form.
  • Start with a lighter weight to master the form before progressing to heavier loads.

Where Do These Good Morning Standards Come From?

These Good Morning standards are based on 2.5M+ verified competition results from powerlifting, weightlifting, and strongman federations worldwide. Every number comes from a sanctioned meet with certified judges - not self-reported gym lifts. Data is sourced from OpenPowerlifting and other verified competition databases, ensuring accuracy you can trust.

Last Updated: March 30, 2026

Reviewed by the Fitness Volt Editorial Team, certified strength training analysts.

Is Your Good Morning Good for Your Weight?

Strength standards help you objectively measure your Good Morning performance relative to other lifters of the same bodyweight and sex. Here is how to interpret them:

  1. Find your bodyweight in the left column of the table above.
  2. Look across the row to find which strength level your 1RM falls into.
  3. Use the age tab to see how your strength compares within your age group.
  4. Switch between Male and Female standards using the toggle - each has its own dataset.

If you do not know your 1RM, use the E1RM Calculator to estimate it from any rep set. For example, if you can Good Morning 185 lbs for 5 reps, the calculator will estimate your max.

These standards are derived from 2.5M+ competition results across powerlifting, weightlifting, and strongman federations worldwide, combined with community training data.

Frequently Asked Questions

A "good" Good Morning depends on your bodyweight, sex, and training experience. As a general benchmark, an Intermediate-level lift (stronger than 50% of lifters) is a solid goal for most recreational athletes. Check the table above for your specific bodyweight.
Most lifters can reach Intermediate level on the Good Morning within 1-2 years of consistent training with progressive overload and proper nutrition. Genetics, training program quality, and recovery all play a role.
Yes. Our standards are calculated from 2.5M+ verified competition results and community-reported data. They are adjusted for bodyweight and age to give you an accurate comparison.
These standards are based on raw (unequipped) lifts. If you use supportive equipment like a bench shirt or squat suit, your equipped numbers will be higher than these standards reflect.

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Related Calculators

E1RM Calculator Estimate your one-rep max from any rep set Benchmarks Compare against competition data RPE Chart Training load percentages by RPE