Core · Bodyweight
Bird Dog
How to do the bird dog, the muscles it works, and the mistakes to avoid. Pulled straight from the Kovo app's exercise library.
- Equipment
- Bodyweight
- Difficulty
- Beginner
- Logged as
- Reps
- Movement
- Isometric
- Mechanic
- Compound
How to do it
Start on all fours with hands under shoulders and knees under hips, spine neutral. Brace your core and extend the opposite arm and leg until both are in line with your torso, keeping your hips and shoulders square to the floor. Hold briefly, return under control, and alternate sides.
- 1Deep core and lower-back engagement holding you level
- 2The glute firing as the leg extends
- 3Hips and shoulders staying square, no twist
Common mistakes
- Rotating the torso or letting a hip drop
- Arching the low back as the leg lifts
- Rushing the reps and losing balance
Muscles worked
The bird dog mainly works the lower abs, lower back, and glutes, with the upper abs, obliques, lower traps, and hamstrings assisting.
- Lower AbsPrimary
- Lower BackPrimary
- GlutesPrimary
- Upper AbsSupport
- ObliquesSupport
- Lower TrapsSupport
- HamstringsSupport
- LatsMinor
- Mid TrapsMinor
- QuadsMinor
- Front DeltsMinor
- Hip FlexorsMinor
Kovo programs the bird dog for you and tracks it every session.
We build your whole program, drop the right lifts into each workout, and adjust your weights as you get stronger. Free on iOS and Android.
More abs & core exercises
- How to do the ab wheel rollout
- How to do the ankle tap plank
- How to do the ankle taps
- How to do the resistance band dead bugs
- How to do the resistance band pallof press
- How to do the rollout
Last reviewed June 2026.