Reps Only exercise

Bird Dog form, muscles worked, and workout tracking

The bird dog is a quadruped stability exercise in which the opposite arm and leg extend while the trunk stays motionless, training the spinal erectors, glutes, and deep core to resist rotation and extension. It is a cornerstone of low-back rehabilitation and lifting warm-ups because it grooves a neutral spine under limb movement, building the trunk stiffness that protects the lower back during squats, deadlifts, and carries.

Bird Dog illustration

How to do Bird Dog

  1. 1Set up on all fours with your hands under your shoulders, knees under your hips, and spine in a neutral line.
  2. 2Brace your core lightly, as if preparing for a gentle push to the ribs.
  3. 3Exhale as you extend one arm forward and the opposite leg back until both are level with your torso.
  4. 4Keep your hips and shoulders square to the floor; do not let your lower back arch or your torso rotate as the limbs reach.
  5. 5Pause for a second at full extension, then inhale as you return to the start under control and repeat on the other side.

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Track Bird Dog in Plates

Save this movement to a workout template, log sets and rest periods, and keep your training history in one focused gym tracker.