Bird Dog Push Up 101 Video Tutorial
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Overview
The Bird Dog Push-Up is a challenging bodyweight exercise that primarily targets the chest while also engaging the abs, shoulders, and triceps. It combines the traditional push-up with the bird dog movement, where one arm and the opposite leg are extended simultaneously while maintaining a stable core. This variation enhances balance, coordination, and core stability, making it an effective full-body workout. The exercise requires no equipment, relying solely on bodyweight, and is great for building upper body strength and improving overall functional fitness.
How to Perform
Start by positioning yourself on the floor in a tabletop stance, with your hands aligned beneath your shoulders, knees beneath your hips, and toes tucked.
Engage your core to stabilize your body as you extend one leg fully behind you, while maintaining balance.
At the same time, extend the opposite arm straight in front of you, keeping your body in a straight line from head to heel. Ensure your head stays neutral, with your gaze directed toward the floor.
Lower your body by bending your elbows and bringing your chest toward the floor, while gently retracting your shoulder blades. Continue until your upper arms are parallel to the ground or your chest touches the floor.
Press back up to the starting position by straightening your arms and pushing through your palms to lift your chest off the ground.
While performing the push-up, ensure that you hold the extended arm and leg position, maintaining balance without letting your hips rotate. Keep your core engaged to avoid any twisting motion.
Repeat the movement for the desired number of reps, alternating the arm and leg extensions with each push-up.
Tips
When in the bottom position, make sure your arms form a straight line, resembling an arrow, rather than creating a “T” shape.
Keep your spine stable and straight throughout the entire movement, imagining the push-up as a dynamic plank. This helps maintain core stability and prevents excessive movement.
Before lowering your body, engage your glutes and brace your abs to keep your ribcage neutral and prevent arching in your lower back.
Keep your chin tucked and avoid looking ahead. Your gaze should stay focused on the floor to maintain a neutral head position.
Focus on pressing your palms and thumbs into the floor as if you’re trying to bring them together. This mental cue can help activate the chest muscles (pecs) more effectively.
Ensure your head doesn’t extend forward—your chest and nose should touch the ground simultaneously, maintaining a smooth and controlled descent.
Visualize pushing yourself as far away from the floor as possible to maximize the push-up’s power and range of motion.
At the top of each rep, fully extend your arms and press through the floor, allowing your shoulder blades to move around your ribcage as you push upward.
Avoid cutting the repetition short. Perform the movement through its full range to fully engage the target muscles and reap the full benefits of the exercise.
How Not to Perform
Don’t let your spine arch or sag: Avoid excessive curvature in your lower back or a sagging midsection. Keep your body in a straight line from head to heels. This will prevent unnecessary strain on the back and core while maximizing chest and tricep activation.
Don’t let your head jut forward: Keep your head neutral, with your gaze directed toward the floor. Looking forward or tilting your head up can cause neck strain and misalign your body, reducing the effectiveness of the exercise.
Don’t collapse your chest too soon: Ensure your chest and nose touch the floor at the same time, not before. Letting your chest fall too early reduces the full range of motion and underworks the chest muscles (pecs).
Don’t allow your hips to rotate: Keep your pelvis squared to the floor as you extend the opposite arm and leg. Rotating the hips undermines balance and stability, reducing core and chest engagement.
Don’t cut the movement short: Avoid performing shallow push-ups. Fully extend your arms at the top of each rep and press through the floor to fully activate the chest and triceps. Failing to complete the range of motion will prevent maximum muscle engagement and waste energy.
Don’t overlook core engagement: If you fail to brace your core (abs and glutes), your body will lose stability, and you risk compensating with other muscle groups, leading to energy waste and potential injury. Keep your core tight throughout the movement.
Don’t forget to breathe: Holding your breath can lead to unnecessary tension and fatigue. Breathe steadily throughout the exercise, exhaling as you push up and inhaling as you lower yourself down.
Don’t allow your elbows to flare out too much: Keep your elbows slightly tucked to your sides (about a 45-degree angle) as you lower yourself, rather than allowing them to flare out wide. This reduces shoulder strain and keeps focus on the chest and triceps.
Don’t neglect leg and arm extension alignment: Ensure that your extended arm and leg are in a straight line with your torso. Letting either sag or overextend can throw you off balance, decreasing effectiveness and potentially causing strain in your shoulders or hips.
Variations
Variations of fitness exercises refer to different ways of performing a specific exercise or movement to target various muscle groups, intensities, or goals. These variations aim to challenge the body differently, prevent plateaus, and cater to individuals with varying fitness levels.
Alternatives
Alternative exercises in fitness refer to different movements or activities that target similar muscle groups or serve the same training purpose as the primary exercise. These alternative exercises can be used as substitutes when the original exercise is unavailable or challenging to perform due to various reasons such as equipment limitations, injuries, or personal preferences.
