Exercise Guide
Bird Dog
From all fours, extending one arm and the opposite leg while the torso stays still. A staple of lower-back rehab and a genuinely useful warm-up.
BeginnerStrengthStaticCompound
Form
Start
Mid
End
Illustrations by Bryl Lim for Workout Guide, after Everkinetic. Used unchanged under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Details
Primary Muscle
Core
Equipment
Bodyweight
Difficulty
Beginner
Category
Strength
Force
Static
Mechanic
Compound
Secondary Muscles
GlutesShoulders
How to Perform
- 1
Start on all fours with your hands under your shoulders and knees under your hips.
- 2
Brace your core so your back is flat, not arched or rounded.
- 3
Reach your right arm forward and your left leg back until both are level with your torso.
- 4
Return under control and repeat with the opposite pair.
Tips
- ★The hips must not rotate - imagine balancing a glass of water on your lower back.
- ★Reach long rather than lifting high; height is not the goal.