Bird dogs are one of the most underrated ways to awaken deep core muscles, fire up your glutes and build a core that supports you for life.
By Kelan Ern Updated: 08/04/26
Back in 2008, I slipped a disc in my low back while lifting a 165-pound barbell.
It sucked.
It took months to recover and resume normal activity. One key exercise for rehabbing my low back and building much needed core strength was the bird dog exercise. Ever since then, it's been a staple core exercise in my workout programs.
In fact, I've had client's swear by them whenever their low back pain flares up. There's a reason it's called one the "BIG 3" core exercises by low back expert, Dr. Stuart McGill.
Your mileage may vary.
But it's one of the best ways to restore core strength... learn how to move from the hips (not the lower back)... and activate deep core muscles that planks, sit-ups and crunches can't touch. It packs the core-building power of several exercises combined.
(And in just a moment, you'll see why)
Here's what I've learned after doing (and coaching) birddogs for 16+ years:
What Are Bird Dogs?
Bird dogs are a fundamental core exercise performed on your hands and knees where you raise the opposite arm and opposite leg. It challenges your core stability, spinal stability and even your shoulder stability.
5 Benefits of Doing Bird Dogs
Spine Stability
Many lower back problems are caused by lack of stability in the low back (lumbar spine).
It could be rotating too much… arching too much… rounding too much… or a combination. When you're on your hands and knees doing birddogs, you are teaching your spine how to build stability and maintain good posture. One study found that subjects with chronic low back pain found significant drops in pain and disability from doing birddogs consistently.
TVA Activation
The Transversus Abdominis is a core muscle that lays underneath your abs and obliques.
It's called the "corset muscle" because it runs across your abdomen. Whenever you move your arms or legs, it reflexively stabilizes your spine. That same study found that compared to planks and glute bridges, birddogs had the greatest improvement on TVA function.
Low Muscle Fatigue
Whenever someone does birddogs for the first time they tend to ask, Where should I be feeling it?
That's part of the magic of the exercise: it lights up many core muscles (especially deep ones) without burning out the core like sit-ups or crunches. One study found that it strengthened the abdominals and lower back muscles with less muscular fatigue.
Strengthens Anterior and Posterior Core
Many core exercises only focus on the 'front side' of the core: the six-pack muscles.
Birddogs are unique because they strengthen both: the muscles around your midsection along with your lower back muscles (erector spinae) and the glutes.
Glute Activation
When you reach your leg backwards during birddogs you are activating your glute (largest butt muscle).
Most people have extremely weak and underdeveloped glutes. If your glute isn't firing correctly, your lower back may try to take over, leading to back pain. This is one small way to help "turn on" this muscle.
How to Do Bird Dogs Correctly
The Set-Up
Go onto your hands and knees with your hands under your shoulders and knees under your hips. Maintain a slight curvature at the lower back where someone could place a small water bottle across it.
The Movement From this position, reach your right arm forward as your reach your left leg straight back. Keep your torso stable. Then return to the starting position. Do 10 each side. Then switch to left arm and right leg.
5 Common Bird Dog Mistakes
There are a number of common mistakes when doing bird dogs which can be tricky to catch unless you know what to look for. Here are the most common:
Mistake #1: Head up
Don’t have your tilted head up. Keep it in neutral position. Think: make a double chin.
Mistake #2: Head dropping
On the flip side, don’t let your head drop towards the group. Bring it up and think: make a double chin.
Mistake #3: Lifting your leg too highj
Your leg should be parallel to the ground – don’t raise it higher than that. This increases the likelihood of arching the back
Mistake #4: Hip Jutting
This is where you push your hip to the side. Keep your leg vertical when you do the exercise and don’t lean to the side. One fix is to set a foam roller next to your hip and if you know it over you know that you are learning too far.
Mistake #5: Hip rotation
Your hips should not rotate, and one side should not go up. Sometimes these are hard things to notice without somebody watching your form. One tip is to use a mirror to check that you’re not lifting your head or leg too high. But here’s another fantastic way:
How to Fix Your Form Quickly
Here's an easy way to check your form without someone hovering over you or access to large mirrors.
Grab a foam roller (or a half-filled water bottle) and place it across your low back.
Note: 18-inch foam rollers work great for this, longer rollers are more challenging.
This is your coach. And he’s a stickler for good form. That foam roller will detect any movement at your hips and spine. So if you rotate, hike or round your back you’ll feel it wobble…. and if your form is really wonky it’ll fall off.
Try to do the birddog while the foam roller stays still – or moves minimally. If you can do that, chances are you are stabilizing your spine correctly during the exercise.
Foam roller tipping because of hip rotation
Foam roller stays level
Note: If it’s a struggle to get the foam roller to stay on your low back that means you might be too rounded and you need to arch your back a little bit more. Think: lowering your low back slightly towards the ground (that’s the natural curvature I mentioned earlier)
What if Bird Dogs Are Too Difficult?
Whether the exercise is too challenging or the foam roller keeps falling off your back when you do them, here are three pro tips to help:
Slow Down
Many people move too fast and lose core control – especially when they return their arm and leg back to the starting position. Slow down your motion and it will allow you to control your spine and pelvis better.
Breathe In or Exhale
People tend to hold their breath during challenging movement patterns. This tenses up unnecessary muscles and makes it harder to activate deeper core muscles. In fact, it often recruits the shoulders and neck muscles. Instead breathe during the exercise. Either exhale as you extend the arm and leg. Or inhale. Use whichever one helps you more.
Switch to One Arm/ One Leg This will bring the exercise down a notch while still reaping core-strengthening benefits. In the birddog position, just raise one arm and then return. Then do the other arm. Then one leg and the other. One of these movements is usually much harder than the others. Do more reps on the harder one.
How to Make Bird Dogs More Challenging?
Narrow your base of support - this is where you bring your hand closer to your midline which increases the demands on your stability
10 second holds - I love this variation from Dr. Stuart McGill, where you go into a birddog position and then proceed to hold the position for 10 seconds before returning. Do 5 reps each side.
When to do Bird Dogs in Your Workout?
Bird dogs are perfect for the warm-up section of a workout.
I've found they are great after foam rolling, hip bridges and other mobility exercises. They fire up muscles in your core, low back and glutes in a way that supports your spine the rest of the workout. If they are extremely difficult for you, they can be part of the main workout itself. Either way, they are one of the highest ROI exercises for building functional core strength.
Don't make my mistake.
I can't tell you how many times during a training session, I've caught myself thinking:
This person is probably too advanced for bird dogs.
Even though they could crank out push-ups or lift hundreds of pounds - when they tried birddogs they wobbled, twisted and struggled to stay steady. The exercise doesn't leave much room to compensate - especially if you use "coach foam roller".
Whenever I think if someone's beyond them (myself included), it's a cue-to-pause and check my assumptions. Because the vast majority struggle with this movement and have huge room for improvement. Even more advanced lifters still benefit from returning to them.
Over the years, I've searched high and low for better ways to train the core, but I've always circled back to this exercise because it works.
Kelan Ern Elite Fitness Coaching
P.S. For more functional fitness tutorials to help you build a stronger core, bullet-proof your body and get in shape - without wrecking your body, join my 'mind-body community' where I share mindset-infused fitness tips and a whole lot more in my weekly newsletter.
