Strength Training · Calisthenics
Bird Dog
The bird dog is a hands-and-knees exercise that trains your core to keep your trunk steady as you reach with an opposite arm and leg.
- Beginner
- Compound
- Low injury risk
- Rest 30 sec
How to do it
- Start on all fours on your mat, with your hands under your shoulders and knees under your hips.
- Reach your right arm forward and left leg backward until both are roughly level with your torso.
- Hold this position briefly.
- Return your right hand and left knee to the mat.
- Repeat the reach with your left arm and right leg.
Form cues
- Gently tighten your belly.
- Keep breathing through the reach.
- Look down between your hands.
- Push through your supporting hand.
Common mistakes
- Arching your lower backReach farther outward rather than lifting higher, stopping before your back position changes.
- Opening your hips to the sideKeep both hip bones facing the mat, shortening your reach if needed.
- Rushing the returnBring your limbs back slowly enough to place them down quietly.
Safety
Reaching beyond your control can aggravate your lower back. Pressure through your supporting hand and knee may irritate sensitive wrists or knees.
- Use a stable, cushioned surface rather than a thick pad that makes balancing harder.
- Stop the set when fatigue prevents you from keeping your trunk steady.
- Stop if you feel sharp pain rather than normal muscular effort.
If wrist, knee, or back discomfort persists with a shorter reach, get guidance from a physiotherapist before continuing.
Muscles worked
Primary muscles
Secondary muscles
Equipment
- Exercise Mat
Sets and reps
- Sets
- 2–3
- Target
- 10–16 reps
- Rest
- 30 sec
Count each opposite-arm-and-leg reach as one rep, for 5–8 reps per side.