For hamstring growth

Glute-Ham Raise vs Good Morning

For hamstring growth, glute-ham raise rates higher on our research criteria: easier on the joints, more of the work on the hamstrings.

Good morning gives more stretch.

Both are good choices, and they train the hamstrings differently. Using both across your week covers more of the muscle than either alone: in studies, varied exercises grew parts of a muscle that one exercise missed. (Fonseca et al., 2014; Costa et al., 2021)

Research score

Target tension

Excellent

Strong

Loaded stretch

Strong

Excellent

Progression

Good

Strong

Low cost

Strong

Fair

See the full hamstrings ranking

What these mean

Target tension.: Whether the muscle you’re training is what gives out first, not your grip, balance or other muscles.
Loaded stretch.: How hard the muscle works while stretched. Training it there is linked to more growth.
Progression.: How easily you can keep adding weight in small steps over months and years.
Low cost.: How easy it is on your joints and recovery, and how quickly you can learn it.

The research score comes from these, scored by hand from the studies. Lifter scores appear once an exercise has 10 ratings. How scores work

When each one fits

Good reasons to choose glute-ham raise

You want something easier on your joints
You want the hamstrings to do the work, not other muscles

Good reasons to choose good morning

You want more load on the hamstrings while they’re stretched
You want to keep adding weight in small steps

Glute-Ham Raise

Good Morning

You need

GHD / back-extension bench

Barbell, squat rack

Skill

Takes some practice

Type

Compound

Why they rank where they do

Glute-Ham Raise. Trains the hamstrings at the knee and hip together, but bodyweight is a lot to start with and hard to add to.

Good Morning. A big hamstring stretch, but the bar on your back makes it demanding on the lower back.

Questions

Which is better for hamstring growth, glute-ham raise or good morning?

For hamstring growth, glute-ham raise rates higher on our research criteria: easier on the joints, more of the work on the hamstrings. Good morning gives more stretch. Both are good choices, and they train the hamstrings differently. Using both across your week covers more of the muscle than either alone: in studies, varied exercises grew parts of a muscle that one exercise missed.

Is glute-ham raise or good morning easier to learn?

About the same: both take some practice.

Can you do glute-ham raise or good morning at home?

Glute-ham raise needs a GHD or back-extension bench, so for most people it’s a gym exercise. Good morning needs a barbell and a squat rack, so for most people it’s a gym exercise.

Which is easier on the joints, glute-ham raise or good morning?

Glute-ham raise: it rates Strong for joint and recovery cost in our research rubric, against Fair for good morning.

More comparisons

Glute-Ham Raise Good Morning All hamstrings exercises

Glute-Ham Raise vs Good Morning

For hamstring growth, glute-ham raise rates higher on our research criteria: easier on the joints, more of the work on the hamstrings.

Good morning gives more stretch.

What these mean

Target tension.: Whether the muscle you’re training is what gives out first, not your grip, balance or other muscles.
Loaded stretch.: How hard the muscle works while stretched. Training it there is linked to more growth.
Progression.: How easily you can keep adding weight in small steps over months and years.
Low cost.: How easy it is on your joints and recovery, and how quickly you can learn it.

The research score comes from these, scored by hand from the studies. Lifter scores appear once an exercise has 10 ratings. How scores work

When each one fits

Good reasons to choose glute-ham raise

You want something easier on your joints
You want the hamstrings to do the work, not other muscles

Good reasons to choose good morning

You want more load on the hamstrings while they’re stretched
You want to keep adding weight in small steps

Glute-Ham Raise

Good Morning

You need

GHD / back-extension bench

Barbell, squat rack

Skill

Takes some practice

Type

Compound

Why they rank where they do

Glute-Ham Raise. Trains the hamstrings at the knee and hip together, but bodyweight is a lot to start with and hard to add to.

Good Morning. A big hamstring stretch, but the bar on your back makes it demanding on the lower back.

Questions

Which is better for hamstring growth, glute-ham raise or good morning?

Is glute-ham raise or good morning easier to learn?

About the same: both take some practice.

Can you do glute-ham raise or good morning at home?

Glute-ham raise needs a GHD or back-extension bench, so for most people it’s a gym exercise. Good morning needs a barbell and a squat rack, so for most people it’s a gym exercise.

Which is easier on the joints, glute-ham raise or good morning?

Glute-ham raise: it rates Strong for joint and recovery cost in our research rubric, against Fair for good morning.