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Good Morning strength standards

What is a good Good Morning?

For a 180 lb male, an Intermediate Good Morning is about 191 lb (1.06x bodyweight). Advanced starts around 288 lb. Enter your own bodyweight below to get the exact standard and FVCP rank.

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Good Morning Standards by Bodyweight

Estimates from the FitnessVolt standards model. Updated March 29, 2026. Find the row closest to your bodyweight. Beginner is a first target for a new lifter, Novice a few months in, Intermediate about one to two years of structured training, Advanced several years, Elite the top of the table.

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

The Good Morning standard at each level as bodyweight rises, for the sex selected above. Exact numbers in the table above.

Good Morning Standards by Age

How the Good Morning standards change with age, as a 1RM in lb. This table is not tied to one bodyweight, so read it for the trend and use the bodyweight table above for your own number.

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

The Good Morning standard at each level as age rises, for the sex selected above. Exact numbers in the table above.

Check Your Good Morning Level

Intermediate
Level score: 50 of 100
Level score on the FitnessVolt standards: Beginner 5, Novice 20, Intermediate 50, Advanced 80, Elite 95
A 180 lb male lifting 191 lbs (1.06x bodyweight) on the Good Morning is at the Intermediate standard for his bodyweight. Enter your own numbers above to see where you stand.

Over 40? Add your age and the calculator also shows an age-adjusted level and an age-30 equivalent, using the McCulloch age factor to scale your lift to peak age. Every age band is in the standards by age table above.

Level score:
Level score on the FitnessVolt standards: Beginner 5, Novice 20, Intermediate 50, Advanced 80, Elite 95
Age-adjusted score
lb Age-30 equivalent 1RM

of 100
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What the Good Morning Strength Levels Mean

Beginner

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

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

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

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

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 progress with the one rep max calculator →
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

Good Morning demonstration
Primary Muscles Core, Glutes, Hamstrings, Lower Back
Equipment Barbell
Difficulty Intermediate
Type Compound
  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.

Tips

  • 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.

Read the complete Good Morning guide on FitnessVolt →

Where Do These Good Morning Standards Come From?

The levels on this page are estimates from the FitnessVolt strength standards model. The Good Morning table is an editorial FitnessVolt table, not a measured population. There is no competition or gym dataset for the Good Morning itself. Reader-submitted benchmarks appear only after enough entries are logged for this lift.

Standards data last refreshed: March 29, 2026

  • Level tables: the FitnessVolt strength standards model, not meet data.
  • Method: Strength standards methodology - how the level tables are built and where each data source on the site comes from.
Cite this Fitness Volt strength standards model, 2026. Beginner to Elite levels are model values, not competition percentiles. https://fitnessvolt.com/strength-standards/methodology/

Frequently Asked Questions

A "good" Good Morning depends on your bodyweight, sex, and training background. The Intermediate tier is a useful first serious target, while Advanced and Elite represent much harder standards. Use the table above for the number closest to your bodyweight.
Many lifters can reach the Intermediate tier on the Good Morning after steady training, but the timeline depends on starting point, technique, programming, recovery, and bodyweight changes. Treat the tier as a benchmark, not a deadline.
They are estimates from the FitnessVolt strength standards model. The Good Morning table is an editorial FitnessVolt table, not a measured population. Treat the levels as targets.
For weighted lifts, enter a clean raw 1RM or an estimated 1RM from a recent hard set. For rep-based movements, enter controlled full-range reps. Avoid equipped lifts, partial reps, or bounced reps unless you are comparing against the same style every time.

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Written by Tom Miller, CSCS · Reviewed by Editorial Team
Tom Miller, CSCS, is a Sr. Editor & Content Strategist with 10 years of experience in Powerlifting and Personal Training. As a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist, he is dedicated to delivering informative, engaging, and reliable health and fitness content. His work has been featured on websites including the-sun.com, Well+Good, Bleacher Report, Muscle and Fitness, UpJourney, Business Insider, NewsBreak and more.