Cross Leg Good Morning Progressions

Progressions

1. 01

   Narrow-Leg Good Morning

   • Stand with your feet together and toes pointing straight forward, keeping both knees fully extended throughout the exercise.

   • Place your hands behind your head or cross them over your chest to prevent using your arms for momentum.

   • Initiate the movement by pushing your hips back and hinging forward, lowering your torso toward the floor with a flat back.

   • Focus on engaging the outer hamstrings as you descend, feeling a strong stretch along the back and outside of both legs.

   • Lower until you feel a deep but comfortable stretch in your hamstrings, keeping your spine long and avoiding rounding your back.

   • Pause for 1-2 seconds at the bottom of the movement before returning to the starting position by driving your hips forward.

   • Exhale as you hinge down and inhale as you return to standing, maintaining steady breathing throughout.

   • Perform each repetition with a controlled 2-3 second descent and ascent, prioritizing quality of movement over depth.

2. 02

   Back-Leg Cross Leg Good Morning

   • Stand with one leg crossed behind the other, keeping the front knee slightly bent and the back leg fully straight with the foot flat on the ground.

   • Hold a light weight at your chest or place your hands behind your head to maintain an upright torso position.

   • Hinge forward at the hips, lowering your torso over the bent front leg while keeping the back leg extended and the spine long.

   • Keep the majority of your body weight on the bent front knee, which eases the intensity of the stretch on the straight back leg.

   • Focus on feeling a targeted stretch in the outer hamstring of the extended back leg as you fold forward.

   • Pause for 1-2 seconds at the bottom of the movement, then return to standing by driving through the front heel.

   • Exhale as you hinge down and inhale as you stand up, using your breath to maintain core stability throughout.

   • Complete all repetitions on one side before switching legs, ensuring you work both sides evenly.

3. 03

   Front-Leg Cross Leg Good Morning

   • Stand with one leg crossed behind the other, the front knee slightly bent and the back leg fully extended with the foot firmly planted on the ground.

   • Hold a light weight at your chest or place your hands behind your head, keeping your torso upright before initiating the hinge.

   • Hinge forward at the hips, lowering your torso toward the floor while keeping the back leg straight and the spine neutral.

   • Unlike the back-leg variation, deliberately shift more of your body weight onto the straight back leg to intensify the stretch on its outer hamstring.

   • Lower until you feel a deep, targeted stretch along the outer hamstring of the extended leg, keeping your hips square and avoiding rotation.

   • Pause for 1-2 seconds at the bottom of the movement, actively engaging the outer hamstring before returning to standing with control.

   • Exhale during the descent and inhale on the way up, maintaining a braced core to protect your lower back throughout the movement.

   • Complete all repetitions on one side before switching legs, and aim for a controlled 2-3 second tempo in each direction.

Common mistakes

• Rounding the back
• Locking the knees completely
• Uneven weight distribution
• Rushing the movement