Bird Dog
Extending opposite arm and leg from all-fours with a still trunk — back-friendly core stability and hip-extension control.
Also called: quadruped
Illustrations: Exercise data by RepDB (repdb.co)
Setup
On hands and knees — hands under shoulders, knees under hips, back flat like a table.
How to do the Bird Dog
- Reach one arm forward and the opposite leg back until both are level with the torso.
- Hips and shoulders stay square to the floor — imagine balancing a drink on your lower back.
- Pause a beat fully extended.
- Return quietly and switch sides.
Bird Dog muscles worked
The Bird Dog works the core, glutes and back extensors.
Common Bird Dog mistakes
- Hiking or rotating the hips as the leg lifts.
- Overarching the lower back with an over-lifted leg.
- Speeding through without the pause.
Scale it
Easier: Extend only the leg, or only the arm.
Harder: Elbow-to-knee touch under the body between reps, or a 5-second hold.
Pairs well with
Back Squat
The barbell squat — the heaviest-loadable lower-body strength lift, building quads, glutes, and trunk strength together.
Deadlift
Lifting a barbell from the floor by hinging at the hips — the fundamental full-body strength lift for the posterior chain.
Farmer's Carry
Walking tall with heavy weights in hand — grip, trunk, and postural strength with almost nothing to get wrong.
Goblet Squat
A front-loaded squat holding one weight at your chest — the friendliest way to load the squat pattern with an upright torso.