Exercise guide · Intermediate · Compound

Smith Bent Knee Good Morning: How to Do It & Muscles Worked

The smith bent knee good morning is a lower body exercise performed on a Smith machine. It primarily targets the glutes, with secondary emphasis on the hamstrings and lower back.

Primary muscles
Glutes
Secondary muscles
Hamstrings
Equipment
Smith Machine
Level · type
Intermediate · Compound
Demonstration of the smith bent knee good morning
Front view: muscles worked by the smith bent knee good morning. Primary: glutes. Secondary: hamstrings.
Back view: muscles worked by the smith bent knee good morning. Primary: glutes. Secondary: hamstrings.
Primary Secondary

How to do the smith bent knee good morning

  1. Step 1: Start by standing with your feet shoulder-width apart, toes pointing forward.
  2. Step 2: Place the barbell across your upper back, resting it on your traps.
  3. Step 3: Bend your knees slightly and hinge forward at the hips, keeping your back straight.
  4. Step 4: Lower your torso until it is parallel to the ground, feeling a stretch in your hamstrings.
  5. Step 5: Engage your glutes and hamstrings to raise your torso back up to the starting position.
  6. Step 6: Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

Sets, reps and programming

Suggested sets, reps and rest for the smith bent knee good morning by training goal
Goal Sets Reps Rest Effort
Strength 3–5 3–6 3–5 min 1–3 reps in reserve
Muscle growth 3–4 6–12 2–3 min 1–2 reps in reserve
Muscular endurance 2–3 12–20 1–2 min 1–3 reps in reserve

Ranges follow the ACSM position stand on progression in resistance training. Muscle grows across a wide range of loads when sets end close to failure (Schoenfeld et al., 2017), longer rests between heavy sets support strength and size (Schoenfeld et al., 2016), and stopping a rep or two short of failure works about as well as training to failure (Grgic et al., 2022). Estimate your working weights with the strength calculators.

Smith Bent Knee Good Morning alternatives

More exercises that train the glutes as their main target:

More glutes exercises

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Sources

  1. American College of Sports Medicine. Progression models in resistance training for healthy adults. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2009;41(3):687-708.
  2. Schoenfeld BJ, Grgic J, Ogborn D, Krieger JW. Strength and hypertrophy adaptations between low- vs. high-load resistance training. J Strength Cond Res. 2017;31(12):3508-3523.
  3. Schoenfeld BJ, Pope ZK, Benik FM, et al. Longer interset rest periods enhance muscle strength and hypertrophy in resistance-trained men. J Strength Cond Res. 2016;30(7):1805-1812.
  4. Grgic J, Schoenfeld BJ, Orazem J, Sabol F. Effects of resistance training performed to repetition failure or non-failure on muscular strength and hypertrophy: a systematic review and meta-analysis. J Sport Health Sci. 2022;11(2):202-211.

Step-by-step instructions and demonstration media are from the ExerciseDB exercise dataset.

This guide is general fitness information, not medical advice. Stop if an exercise causes pain and speak to a doctor or physiotherapist about injuries or health conditions before starting a new programme.