Core · Bodyweight
Bird Dog Plank
How to do the bird dog plank, the muscles it works, and the mistakes to avoid. Pulled straight from the Kovo app's exercise library.
- Equipment
- Bodyweight
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
- Logged as
- Reps
- Movement
- Isometric
- Mechanic
- Compound
How to do it
Start in a quadruped position on your hands and knees with a flat back. Brace your core and extend one arm forward and the opposite leg back until both are in line with your torso. Hold the extended position with hips and shoulders square, then return and switch sides.
- 1Your core bracing hard to keep the hips and shoulders level
- 2The extended arm and opposite leg reaching long and straight
- 3The glute of the lifted leg switching on at the top
Common mistakes
- Do not let the hips rotate or drop to one side
- Avoid arching the lower back as the leg lifts
- Do not rush; move slowly and hold the balance
Muscles worked
The bird dog plank mainly works the lower abs and lower back, with the upper abs, obliques, glutes, lower traps, and front delts assisting.
- Lower AbsPrimary
- Lower BackPrimary
- Upper AbsSupport
- ObliquesSupport
- GlutesSupport
- Lower TrapsSupport
- Front DeltsSupport
- ForearmsMinor
- LatsMinor
- Upper TrapsMinor
- Mid TrapsMinor
- HamstringsMinor
- Rear DeltsMinor
Kovo programs the bird dog plank 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.