Bird Dog Plank
The Bird Dog Plank is a core stability exercise that engages multiple muscle groups.
- Start in a plank position with your hands directly under your shoulders.
- Extend your right arm forward and your left leg back, keeping your body in a straight line.
- Hold for a moment, then return to the plank position.
- Switch sides, extending your left arm and right leg.
- Continue alternating sides for the desired number of repetitions.
How to perform the Bird Dog Plank
- Set up. Set up in a stable, balanced starting position appropriate for the Bird Dog Plank using your body weight.
- Brace and execute. Brace your core, control the descent, and move through a full pain-free range of motion while emphasizing your abdominals.
- Reset. Reverse the movement under control and reset between repetitions, keeping your form crisp on every rep.
Coaching cues
- Move with intent — every rep should feel deliberate, not rushed.
- Drive force through your abdominals rather than momentum.
- Keep your breathing steady: exhale on the hard part, inhale on the reset.
Common mistakes
- Using too much weight and losing positional control.
- Cutting the range of motion short and missing the target muscle.
- Letting your spine round or hyperextend instead of staying neutral.
Detailed cues, common mistakes, and demonstration video are available in the Fitly app.
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