Bird Dog

CoreBW

One of Stuart McGill's 'Big 3' exercises for spine health. From a quadruped position, opposite arm and leg extend simultaneously while the spine stays perfectly still, training resistance to both rotation and extension.

Demo: General S&C / McGill Big 3 demo

Sets

3

Reps

8-10 per side

Rest

30s

Contraindications

None significant — this is a core rehab staple for low back pain per McGill.

Setup

Start on hands and knees, hands under shoulders, knees under hips, spine neutral.

Execution

  1. 1Brace the core before moving any limb
  2. 2Extend one arm straight forward and the opposite leg straight back simultaneously
  3. 3Keep the hips and shoulders level, not rotating or tilting
  4. 4Hold briefly at full extension
  5. 5Return to the start with control and switch sides

Key cues

  • Imagine a glass of water on your low back — don't spill it
  • Reach long, don't just lift
  • Hips stay level, no rotation
  • Move slow, control every inch

Common faults

  • Hips rotating or hiking as the leg lifts
  • Low back arching as the limbs extend
  • Moving too fast and losing the brace
  • Leg lifted higher than the hip, forcing lumbar extension
  • Shoulders shrugging or rotating during the arm reach

Tweaks

  • Remove the arm reach and just do leg extensions as a regression
  • Add a resistance band around hands and feet
  • Progress to weighted or dead bug bird dog combos

Regressions

Bird Dog (Knee Reach, No Arm)

Progressions

Banded Bird DogWeighted Bird Dog

Muscles

Primary: Erector Spinae, Transverse Abdominis, Glutes

Secondary: Obliques, Shoulders

Notes

ANTI-ROTATION + ANTI-EXTENSION. One of McGill's Big 3 spine-health exercises; also a foundational FMS drill.

Sources

Attribution: Stuart McGill (Big 3) / Gray Cook (FMS)