Bird Dog: What It Is And How To Do It Correctly
The bird dog is a bodyweight exercise that is used in multiple disciplines, although the name sometimes changes. It is very complete and involves many muscle groups. Balance and core activation play a fundamental role.
The main objective of the bird dog is to train the erector spinae muscle. The movement also involves the glutes, traps, delts, hamstrings, piriformis, external hip obturator, pectorals, serratus, and triceps, as well as the abdominals (rectus abdominis and obliques).
How to perform the bird dog correctly
The bird dog is performed from the quadruped position, that is, on the knees and with the hands supported. Be careful that your hands are under your shoulders and your knees are under your hips. The back in a neutral position.
From the initial position, the next step is to stretch one leg and the opposite arm, so that both limbs form a continuity with the back and are parallel to the ground. It is held for a few seconds and the starting position is slowly resumed.
The same movement is then carried out with the opposite leg and arm. The challenge of this exercise is to perform the movements while maintaining stability.
A common way to do this is by making a fist and bringing the toe up, keeping the foot flexed. This allows for greater activation and helps balance.
On the other hand, it is not necessary to raise the leg and arm beyond the midline that they form with the back. It is much more important to maintain a stable posture for a few seconds, activating all the muscles.
Keys to good alignment
To maintain good alignment, avoid imbalances and achieve effective exercise, it is important to consider the following:
- The hips must remain aligned, without rotating the pelvis. This is the basis of the entire pose.
- The leg and arm should be raised to line up with the back, not higher. If they are raised more, the lumbar muscles will be involved too much. This is not necessarily a bad thing, but it is not the goal of this exercise.
- Activates the abdomen so that the back does not sag and the pelvic floor for the core .
- Take care of the posture of the chest, preventing it from sagging. To do this, as far as possible, bring your shoulders down and back, bringing your scapulae closer together.
- The neck is an extension of the spine. Bring your head forward, without dropping it or forcing your gaze upward.
- Perform the exercise slowly, maintaining control. This will make it easier to balance if necessary.
If your wrists hurt, clench your fists and lean on your knuckles. In any case , avoid very soft mats, as they force flexion a lot, leaving the heel of the hand lower than the fingers.
Muscles that are exercised with the bird dog
The bird dog is a very complete exercise with which many muscles are exercised. The following are the most relevant:
- Erector spinae: This is a muscle that runs from the skull to the sacrum, along the spine. Its main mission is the extension, rotation and flexion of the vertebrae.
- Rectus abdominis and obliques: they are implicated as antagonists of the erector spinae. They help maintain stability.
- Gluteus maximus: it works by raising the leg.
- Traps and delts: when raising the arm.
- Hamstrings, gluteus medius, gluteus minimus, and external hip obturator: They are involved in stabilizing posture.
- Pectorals, serratus and triceps: also in the stabilization of the posture.
How to include the bird dog in the routine
Depending on the intensity of the routine and the type of training to be carried out, the bird dog can fit in in different ways:
- As part of the warm-up, to activate the muscles and obtain a good alignment.
- As part of a series, complementing other exercises.
- As a return to calm, before doing the stretches.
Precautions to consider
The bird dog is a suitable exercise for people of all levels. In fact, it is very useful to work it for the prevention of injuries, the alignment of the spine and even the cases of chronic low back pain.
However, if there is injury or pain it is important to avoid this exercise or, where appropriate, do it under professional supervision. In fact, in frames of low muscle tone or balance problems, this exercise can be very challenging.
On the other hand, the bird dog should be avoided in case of injury or pain in the shoulder, to avoid aggravations when carrying the weight or when lifting the arm.
