Demonstration
Watch the Form Demo
Technique
How to Do the Bird Dog
- Set up on all fours with hands under shoulders and knees under hips.
- Brace your core so your back is flat and your hips are level.
- Extend one arm forward and the opposite leg back until both are level with your torso.
- Pause at full extension for two to three seconds without anything tipping.
- Return under control to all fours.
- Repeat with the opposite pair, alternating sides.
Anatomy
Muscles Worked
Do This
Form Cues
- Extend the opposite arm and leg together and stop when they are level with your torso.
- Keep the hips square. Imagine balancing a glass of water on your lower back.
- Move slowly and pause for a beat at full extension.
- Reach long through the fingertips and heel rather than lifting high. Length keeps the back flat, height breaks it.
Avoid This
Common Mistakes
- Lifting the leg higher than the hips, which arches the lower back.
- Rotating the hip open as the leg extends.
- Rushing through reps, which removes the stability challenge entirely.
- Swinging the limbs out and back quickly, which removes the stillness the exercise exists to train.
More to Explore
Variations & Related Exercises
Variations of this lift
Trains the same muscles
1.5 Rep Barbell Squat
Alternating Dumbbell Bench Press
B-Stance Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift
Barbell Box Squat
Barbell Front Squat
Barbell Good Morning
Put It Into Practice
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