Video Demonstration
Looking to strengthen your core and work on your cardiovascular system at the same time?
If so then the Bird Dog Plank is what you need to start adding into your training routine.
This stabalization exercises has been used heavly over the last decade since it was made popular by functional training experts Stuart McGill, Gray Cook and Mike Boyle. It is shown to help reinforce proper spinal alignment and core recruitment.
This article will cover how to perform the Rotating Plank with video, image and a written step by step description on how you do the movement.
Its difficulty level, optional and required equipment, and the different muscles that get worked.
The Benefits you get from adding it to your training routine, and some training tips to make sure you get the most out of doing this exercise.
Bird Dog Plank How to Guide
Image Example
Step by Step Description
Step 1: Begin by moving to the floor on your knees facing towards the ground. Place your palms on the ground with your finger pointing forward under your shoulders with your arms extended.
Step 2: Move your knees, so they are under your hips and flex them.
Step 3: Keep your back flat and parallel to the floor and tighten your abdominals bringing them in towards your spine. You are now in the starting position.
Step 4: Exhale, raise and straighten your left arm and right leg at the same time. Do not over lift your limbs. Lift your arm until it is in line with your shoulder (while keeping your shoulders parallel to the floor). Lift your leg until it is in line with your hips.
Step 5: Inhale, Hold this position for three to five seconds and use a slow and controlled movement to lower your limbs back to the floor.
Step 6: Repeat the same movement using your Right arm and left leg to complete one repetition.
Repeat the movement for ten times or more on both sides.
Difficulty Level
The Kneeling Bird Dog Plank gets rated as an intermediate exercise.
The modified version Where your foot gets placed on the ground has a rating of advanced intermediate.
Equipment Required
To perform this exercise, the only necessary piece of gear needed is your body.
You can use equipment to increase the difficulty of this lift. A weighted vest of cuffed ankle/wrist weights to further enhance the difficulty of this exercise.
Muscles Worked
The primary muscles used when you perform this lift are your Upper Abs, Lower Abs, Transverse Abdominis.
The secondary muscles involved are the Front of your Shoulders, the Lats (back), and your Glutes (butt).
Benefits of the Bird Dog Plank
It is a calisthenic exercise, so you only need your body to do it.
The Bird Dog Plank is a full body exercise that will help you to tighten your Core while also strengthening parts of your lower and upper body.
The position this activity uses will assist to prevent lower back pain and improves your body's posture and balance.
Moving your arm and opposite leg also know as contralateral movement will train your body to coordinate upper and lower body movements. Training with contralateral movement is critical aspect in increasing your athletic performance.
The exercise not only increases your core muscle functionality but also helps to strengthen your neck, upper back.
You will be able to perform more and more repetitions as your body gets stronger, after a certain point, this lift will be training your cardiovascular system as well.
Training Tips
Focus on contracting your Core and Glutes as much as possible when you are performing this movement.
Your Spine, head, and neck all need to be aligned and kept in the neutral position. Make sure that your back is kept flat and your hips level. If your back does not stay maintained in the neutral position, there is a high chance of increasing lower back pain instead of improving it.
If your back is not parallel to the floor, most of your body weight will get transferred to the knees. Being in this position will prevent your hips central movement and decrease the effectiveness of the exercise.
Make sure to control your breathing and that you are performing it continuously. Proper breathing will help ensure optimal blood circulation throughout your body.
There are multiple ways for you to increase the difficulty level.
You can move from having one of your knees on the mat to extending your leg and resting on your foot instead. Being in this position increases the work of your stabilizing muscles to keep your body balanced.
You can use weighted clothing and weighted cuffs to increase the difficulty or mix the two together.
Over time you may find that the Bird Dog Plank is not challenging enough anymore. At this point you should move to more challenging variations like the superman plank.
Variations of Bird Dog Planks
We will cover each variation in a future article. The common variations of the Bird Dog Plank are
Bird-Dog Crunch
Bird-Dog on Exercise Ball
Alternate Exercises
- Superman Plank
- Spiderman Plank
- Reverse Plank
Inclosing
The Bird Dog Plank is a great exercise to strengthen your core and help protect your lower back from injury.
You do not need any equipment to start using it. Making it very useful as a supplement exercise on days when you can not get to your local gym.
If you have never used this lift before. Try it out for a few weeks to see first hand all the benefits that it has to offer.
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