Bird Dog
The bird dog is a hands-and-knees core exercise in which you reach one arm forward and the opposite leg back while holding your spine still. It trains the back extensors, glutes and obliques to keep your trunk level and square, and it is a common warm-up and core-control drill.
Also called: Quadruped Reach, Quadruped Contralateral Limb Raise, Quadruped Arm/Leg Raise, Pointer Dog · Equipment: bodyweight · Pattern: compound
Step by step
- Kneel on all fours with your hands under your shoulders and your knees under your hips. Set a flat back with your neck in line and your eyes on the floor.
- Brace your abdominals gently and level your pelvis, as if a glass of water were balanced on your low back.
- Slowly reach one arm forward and the opposite leg back until both are in line with your torso, no higher.
- Keep your hips and shoulders square to the floor as the limbs extend, so your spine neither arches nor twists.
- Hold the reach for 2–5 seconds with your trunk still.
- Bring the arm and leg back under your body with control, keeping your hips level.
- Repeat on the other side and alternate for the set.
- Reach long, not high
- Hips square to the floor
- Glass of water on your low back
- Long neck, eyes on the floor
- Brace first, then move
In VALDA, these cues are one tap away on the exercise while you train.
What it trains
| Muscle | Role | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Erector spinae: lumbar multifidus | Prime mover | C |
| Erector spinae: longissimus / iliocostalis (thoracolumbar) | Prime mover | C |
| Gluteus maximus | Prime mover | C |
| Obliques (internal/external) | Prime mover | C |
| Rectus abdominis | Secondary | C |
| Hamstrings: biceps femoris (long head) | Secondary | D |
| Transverse abdominis | Stabiliser | C |
| Gluteus medius/minimus | Stabiliser | C |
| Anterior deltoid: anterior | Stabiliser | D |
Evidence grades: A = strong research base · B = good · C = limited · D = coaching consensus.
What goes wrong, and the fix
Lifting the arm or leg too high
Fix: Reach the arm and leg until they are in line with your torso, no higher.
Hip opening to the side
Fix: Keep both hip bones pointing at the floor as the leg reaches back.
Rushing the reps
Fix: Move slowly and hold each reach for 2–5 seconds.
Back sagging between hands and knees
Fix: Press the floor away and set a flat back before each reach.
Craning the neck
Fix: Keep your neck long and your eyes on the floor below you.
What the research says
Rehab & prehab · first choiceGeneral fitnessSport performanceEndurance
- Muscle activity — EMG studies of the bird dog record moderate activity in the back extensors and glutes, and higher oblique activity than versions with both hands and knees down. One study named it as a possible glute-strengthening exercise among nine common bodyweight exercises.
- Core programmes — The bird dog is one of the three exercises in McGill's core programme, alongside the curl-up and side plank, built around holding a neutral spine.
- Holds and reps — A common approach is 6–10 slow reps per side with a 2–5 second hold, often in a warm-up. There is no direct research comparing hold times or rep schemes for the bird dog.
- Progression — Once the reach is steady, lifters commonly add an ankle weight or a dumbbell row, or perform it from a plank. There is no outcome research comparing these progressions.
Swap it mid-workout
With VALDA Pro, FLEX offers alternatives like these when you swap an exercise mid-workout.
Log the bird dog in VALDA, with these cues one tap away while you train and your history for it in one place.
General information about exercise technique, not medical advice. If you have an injury or a health condition, your healthcare provider is the right person to ask.