The Bird Dog is a beginner-friendly bodyweight strength exercise that targets the abdominals and lower back, with the glutes and shoulders working alongside. Here's how to do it right — and what to stop doing.
Primary musclesAbs, Lower Back
Secondary musclesGlutes, Shoulders
EquipmentBodyweight
LevelBeginner
TypeStrength
3D demo in the EGON app
01 Execution
How to do the Bird Dog
Kneel on a mat and set each hand below its shoulder and each knee below its hip.
Brace your abdominals and set your spine flat with your neck in line with your back.
Extend one leg straight behind you until it is roughly parallel to the floor.
At the same time reach the opposite arm forward to shoulder height, keeping the hips level.
Hold briefly while resisting any rotation through the pelvis.
Return the hand and knee to the floor under control, then repeat on the other side.
02 The payoff
Why it earns its spot
Trains the trunk to stay stable while the arms and legs move independently.
Requires no equipment and no floor space beyond a mat, so it suits home programming.
Loads the spine lightly, which makes it usable early in low back conditioning.
03 Don't do this
Common mistakes
Letting the hips rotate toward the lifted leg, which removes the anti-rotation demand entirely.
Lifting the leg above hip height, which arches the lower back instead of loading the core.
Letting the chest sag between the shoulder blades, which shifts support onto the shoulder joints.
Rushing the reps, which replaces core control with momentum and balance corrections.
EGON Put it on record
Track it in EGON.
Log every set of the Bird Dog, get your PRs detected automatically, earn aura for the work — and climb five leagues of statues, from Stone to Ego.
