Bird dog
Spinal erectors, glutes and core (stability).
How to do it
- Get on all fours: hands under your shoulders and knees under your hips.
- Neutral back (neither arched nor rounded) and abs braced.
- Extend one arm forward and the opposite leg back at the same time, to horizontal.
- Hold for 2 s and return. Do all the reps on one side or alternate.
Cues
- Imagine a glass of water on your lower back that mustn't fall.
- Push your heel back, not up.
- Hips level, no twisting.
Common mistakes
- Raising the leg above horizontal (it arches the lower back).
- Rotating the hips.
- Going fast.
It teaches you to move your hip and shoulder without your lower back arching.
Photos: free-exercise-db (public domain).
Want a plan that includes this exercise?
AppGym builds a plan that fits you, tells you what weight to use on every set and lets you know when to go up, deload or ease back in after a break.
Create my plan