Bird / Dog & Variations

Bird Dog Video

3-POINT SET-UP:

1. Place foot strap on the arch/mid foot of the moving leg

2. Hop into tabletop/quadruped position on carriage facing the back

3. Brace your core and fully extend your moving leg to hip level as well as your opposing arm to shoulder height

Body Part • Direction • Action Verb:

• Simultaneously flex your elbow and knee back to a 90 degree angle, keeping both the elbow and knee hovered above the moving carriage. Focus on your deep intrinsic core stabilizers to maintain the body position (ie: keep your torso parallel to the carriage throughout the range of motion.)

Range of Motion:

• Fully extend opposing arm and leg, avoiding lockout of elbow or knee. Resist back in and align back at 90 degree angle, keeping both the elbow and knee hovered over the carriage. The knee will not pass the hip and the elbow will not pass the shoulder. Avoid any flexion of the spine.

 Kinetic Checkpoints:

HEAD:

SAME AS PLANK. DO NOT TUCK YOUR HEAD AND CHIN!

SHOULDERS:

❌ Stabilizing shoulder collapses/shrugs

✅ Keep both shoulders leveled and away from your ears, packed into place (if necessary, place both palms down)

HIPS:

❌ Weight shifts towards stabilizing hip

❌ Moving leg lifts above hip upon full extension, tipping pelvis forward (arching low back)

❌ Hips tuck as knee flexes (knee passes under hip and spine flexes/rounds)

✅ Keep an equal weight distribution, torso is parallel to moving carriage at all times

✅ Align ankle with hip when leg is fully extended, maintaining a neutral pelvis/spine

✅ Align knee with hip at 90 degree angle, maintaining a tabletop position

HANDS/FEET:

✅ Keep stabilizing shoulder slightly behind wrist

✅ If client has extreme difficulty maintaining balance, place both palms flat onto carriage

Talking Points:

• This is not a “crunch” based exercise. Avoid any flexion of the spine throughout the range of motion, focusing more on the deep intrinsic core stabilizers as opposed to the rectus abdominis.