Bird dogs are one of the most fundamental exercises out there. However, I bet most coaches would say bird dogs are an exercise that most people perform VERY incorrectly. This includes people of all fitness levels, ages, genders, and backgrounds. When performed correctly, bird dogs are extremely effective.
With bird dogs, aside from your moving arm and leg the rest of your body should remain in a fixed position for the duration of the exercise. You will frequently see people flailing about and hyperextending their back, flaring their ribs, rotating in their torso, hips, and spine, and basically just going through the motions. This is not proper bird dog form!
Regular Bird Dogs:
Coaching Tips:
- Get on your hands and knees. Your head, torso, and hips should be in a stacked position, and thighs in a vertical position.
- Place your hands so they are underneath your shoulders. Spread your fingers, and pretend you are suctioning or screwing your hands and fingers to the floor.
- Before each rep, take a deep breath in (360 degrees of air around your spine), brace your core (360 degree brace around your spine), and tuck your ribs towards your hips (close the space in your midsection/wrinkle the front of your shirt).
- Now lead with your heel and extend one leg backwards, and simultaneously reach forward with your opposite arm. Pause for a count when you are in this extended position, and really squeeze your glutes.
- Return your arm and leg to the starting position. You may either alternate sides, or you may perform all of the reps on one side before switching sides.
- Do not lift your arm or leg too high as this can cause your spine to hyperextend. Parallel to the floor (or slightly lower) is a good benchmark.
- Your extending arm and leg should remain close to the midline of your body.
- Pay attention to your supporting side. For the duration of the exercise, press your body away from the floor and protract your shoulder blade (move it away from your spine and around your ribcage). Do not mindlessly hang out.
- When you return to the starting position, pause and do a proper reset. Most people rush and do not do a proper reset, and this makes the exercise quite ineffective.
- For the duration of the exercise, your head, torso, and hips should remain in a stacked position. Do not allow your lower back to hyperextend, round, or flex laterally, ribcage to flare, torso, spine, or hips to rotate, hips to pike or collapse, or weight to shift from knee to knee.
- For the duration of the exercise, aside from your moving arm and leg, the rest of your body should remain still.
- In terms of breathing, do what works and feels best for you.
Once you can do regular bird dogs proficiently, here are two more advanced variations you can sink your teeth into.
Bird Dog Using Long Band
In this more advanced variation I have a long band looped around my foot, and I’m holding the band in my opposite hand. This makes the exercise significantly more difficult in terms of lumbo-pelvic stability (including glutes), shoulder and scapular stability, and mindfulness.
Bird Dog With Band Around Feet
In this more advanced variation I have a band around my feet. This requires more lumbo-pelvic stability (including glutes), and mindfulness.
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