Bird dog

Also called bird-dog exercise, quadruped opposite arm and leg raise.

What is a bird dog?

A bird dog is a hands-and-knees exercise in which you extend one arm and the opposite leg, then return them to the floor. The aim is to move the limbs while keeping your back and pelvis steady. Your back, glutes and abdominal muscles work during the reach.

Two anatomical views of a man on one hand and the opposite knee, reaching the free arm forward and leg backward, with back and glute muscles shaded.

How do you perform a bird dog?

Set up

Start on all fours, with your palms below your shoulders and knees below your hips. Use a mat if you need padding for your knees.
Look at the floor between your hands and gently brace your abdomen, keeping your back in a comfortable position.

Execution

Reach one arm forward as you extend the opposite leg behind you. Stop around torso height, with your hips facing the floor.
Pause briefly without leaning to the supporting side or lifting your chin. Keep breathing.
Bring your hand and knee back beneath you, then repeat with the other arm and leg.

Common mistakes

Lifting the leg as high as possible
Stop the reach before your lower back arches or your pelvis tips.
Rushing straight into the next side
Regain the hands-and-knees position before changing sides.

Where it fits in a session

Use it in a warm-up or alongside other trunk exercises.

Start with a reach you can repeat without shifting your hips. A short, steady pause is more useful here than chasing a high leg position.

Muscles worked

Front

Back

Primary

Secondary

Select a muscle name to locate it.

Schematic surface view. Some muscles are partly visible or not shown.

The back and abdominal muscles help keep the trunk steady while the glutes move the raised thigh behind you.

Variations

Leg-only bird dog — Keep both palms down and reach one leg back when lifting an arm makes the position hard to control.
Dead bugReach opposite limbs while lying on your back rather than balancing on a hand and knee.

Frequently asked questions

How is a bird dog different from a dead bug?

A bird dog starts on hands and knees; a dead bug starts on your back. Both guides teach an opposite-arm-and-leg reach, but the support position and direction of the reach differ.

Should I touch my elbow to my knee?

This guide returns the hand and knee to their starting places. Bringing the elbow and knee together under your body adds a separate rounding movement; it is not required.

Can bird dogs treat back pain?

This is an exercise guide, not a treatment plan. If you are using the movement for a back problem, follow the version and limits agreed with your clinician.

Sources

J. Gordon Betts and colleagues, OpenStax. Anatomy and Physiology 2e, section 11.4: Axial muscles of the abdominal wall and thorax. 2022. https://openstax.org/books/anatomy-and-physiology-2e/pages/11-4-axial-muscles-of-the-abdominal-wall-and-thorax
OpenStax. Anatomy and Physiology 2e, section 11.6: Appendicular muscles of the pelvic girdle and lower limbs. 2022. https://openstax.org/books/anatomy-and-physiology-2e/pages/11-6-appendicular-muscles-of-the-pelvic-girdle-and-lower-limbs
Richard A Ekstrom; Robert A Donatelli; Kenji C Carp. Electromyographic analysis of core trunk, hip, and thigh muscles during 9 rehabilitation exercises. 2007. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18560185/
J. Gordon Betts and colleagues, OpenStax. Anatomy and Physiology 2e, section 11.3: Axial muscles of the head, neck and back. 2022. https://openstax.org/books/anatomy-and-physiology-2e/pages/11-3-axial-muscles-of-the-head-neck-and-back