What muscles does bird dog push up work?

Bird Dog Push Up mainly works your chest. It also works your shoulders, triceps and abs.

What equipment do you need for bird dog push up?

You do not need any equipment for bird dog push up. You can do it with just your body.

How do you do bird dog push up?

Here is how to do bird dog push up. Start in a push up position with your hands under your shoulders, your feet about hip-width apart, and your body in a straight line from head to heels. This is an advanced move that combines a push up with a bird dog reach, so build a strong plank base first. Brace your core hard and squeeze your glutes so your hips do not sag or pike. Keeping your body rigid is the foundation for the balance and control the movement demands. Lower into a standard push up by bending your elbows and bringing your chest toward the floor. Keep your elbows tucked to about 45 degrees rather than flaring them straight out. Touch your chest close to the ground while keeping your body in one straight line. Do not let your hips drop or your lower back arch as you descend. Press back up powerfully by driving through your hands until your arms are nearly straight. Keep your core tight and your body flat through the whole push. At the top of the push up, lift your right arm straight forward and your left leg straight back at the same time. This opposite arm and leg reach is the bird dog part, and it hugely challenges your balance and core. Hold the reach for 2 to 3 seconds, keeping your hips level and square to the floor. Fight the urge to twist or let one hip drop, since resisting that rotation is where the core really works. Return your hand and foot to the floor under control back into the push up position. Reset your solid plank before the next rep. Repeat the push up and then reach with the opposite arm and leg, alternating sides each rep. Because this is a demanding, coordinated movement, keep the reps controlled and aim for around 6 to 12 total, stopping before your form breaks.

What are common mistakes to avoid with bird dog push up?

When you do bird dog push up, avoid these common mistakes: letting your hips sag or pike during the push up; twisting your hips during the reach; flaring your elbows straight out on the push up.

Is bird dog push up good for beginners?

Bird Dog Push Up is an advanced exercise. It is an advanced move for experienced lifters.

Bird Dog Push Up Exercise - How To Video & Tips

Bird Dog Push Up Overview

The bird dog push up mixes two moves in one. You do a push up, then lift one arm and the opposite leg. It works your chest, the big muscles on the front of your torso. It also works your shoulders, triceps, and abs. You need no equipment. You just need floor space. This move builds pushing strength and balance at once. The arm and leg lift makes your core work hard. The bird dog push up is an advanced move. You should be good at normal push ups first. It fits well on push days or core days. Use it to build strength and control. Keep your hips level the whole time.

What Is The Point of the Bird Dog Push Up?

The bird dog push up exercise combines a classic push up with core stability work. It builds chest strength while forcing your abs and back to work overtime for balance.

How To Do The Bird Dog Push Up

Start in a push up position with your hands under your shoulders, your feet about hip-width apart, and your body in a straight line from head to heels. This is an advanced move that combines a push up with a bird dog reach, so build a strong plank base first.
Brace your core hard and squeeze your glutes so your hips do not sag or pike. Keeping your body rigid is the foundation for the balance and control the movement demands.
Lower into a standard push up by bending your elbows and bringing your chest toward the floor. Keep your elbows tucked to about 45 degrees rather than flaring them straight out.
Touch your chest close to the ground while keeping your body in one straight line. Do not let your hips drop or your lower back arch as you descend.
Press back up powerfully by driving through your hands until your arms are nearly straight. Keep your core tight and your body flat through the whole push.
At the top of the push up, lift your right arm straight forward and your left leg straight back at the same time. This opposite arm and leg reach is the bird dog part, and it hugely challenges your balance and core.
Hold the reach for 2 to 3 seconds, keeping your hips level and square to the floor. Fight the urge to twist or let one hip drop, since resisting that rotation is where the core really works.
Return your hand and foot to the floor under control back into the push up position. Reset your solid plank before the next rep.
Repeat the push up and then reach with the opposite arm and leg, alternating sides each rep. Because this is a demanding, coordinated movement, keep the reps controlled and aim for around 6 to 12 total, stopping before your form breaks.

Bird Dog Push Up Form Tips

Keep your body in a straight line the whole time.
Keep your hands under your shoulders.
Lower your chest with your elbows a bit tucked.
Keep your hips level when you lift your arm and leg.
Lift your arm and the opposite leg together.
Hold the top lift for 2 to 3 seconds.
Keep your core tight so you do not tip.
Breathe in as you lower. Breathe out as you push.
Move slow and with control the whole set.

Common Mistakes to Avoid for the Bird Dog Push Up

Letting your hips sag or pike during the push up. If your midsection is not braced, your lower back drops or your hips shoot up, which wrecks the plank and stresses your spine. Squeeze your glutes and brace your core hard so your body stays in one straight line the whole time.
Twisting your hips during the reach. When you lift the opposite arm and leg, your body wants to rotate and one hip drops, which takes the anti-rotation work away. Keep your hips level and square to the floor and fight the urge to twist, since resisting that is the point.
Flaring your elbows straight out on the push up. A wide, 90 degree elbow flare stresses your shoulders and weakens your press. Keep your elbows tucked to around 45 degrees so the load stays on your chest and triceps and your shoulders stay safe.
Rushing the reach and losing balance. Snapping your arm and leg up quickly throws off your balance and turns the move into a wobbly flail. Extend them slowly and hold the position, controlling the balance rather than fighting to stay up.
Not reaching your arm and leg fully. Doing a tiny half-reach skips most of the balance and core challenge that makes this exercise worthwhile. Extend your arm straight forward and your leg straight back to their full length while keeping your hips level.
Attempting it before mastering the basics. This move demands a strong push up, plank, and bird dog, and skipping those foundations leads to sloppy, risky reps. Build solid strength and stability in the simpler versions before combining them.
Dropping your head or looking up. Craning your neck up or letting your head hang strains your neck and breaks your straight-line position. Keep your neck neutral with your gaze down and slightly forward so your spine stays aligned.
Doing the push up with a short range of motion. Only dipping halfway skips the productive part of the push up. Lower your chest close to the floor on every push up rep unless a shoulder issue tells you otherwise.
Losing core tension during the transition. Relaxing your midsection as you move from the push up into the reach is where balance falls apart. Keep your core braced continuously through the push up, the reach, and the return.
Reaching with the same-side arm and leg. Lifting the arm and leg on the same side collapses your balance and misses the anti-rotation pattern. Always reach with the opposite arm and leg, which is what challenges your core correctly.
Doing too many sloppy reps. Grinding out high reps on a demanding coordination move makes your form fall apart and invites injury. Keep the reps controlled and stop the set when your balance or line breaks down.
Placing your hands too far forward. Setting your hands ahead of your shoulders weakens your press and strains your shoulders. Keep your hands stacked under your shoulders so you press from a strong, stable position.

Bird Dog Push Up Workout Tips

Build the foundation first. Master a strict push up, a solid plank, and a clean bird dog before combining them, since this move demands strength and stability in all three.
Brace your core continuously. Keep your midsection tight through the push up, the reach, and the return, because a moment of relaxation is where your balance and form collapse.
Keep your hips level during the reach. Fighting the urge to twist and keeping your hips square is the anti-rotation core work that makes this exercise so valuable.
Move slowly and control the balance. Extending your arm and leg slowly and holding the position builds far more stability than snapping into the reach.
Use it to build a strong, stable core. The opposite arm and leg reach trains your core to resist rotation, which carries over to almost every athletic movement and heavy lift.
Keep your elbows tucked on the push up. Driving your elbows to around 45 degrees protects your shoulders and keeps the load on your chest and triceps.
Hold the reach for a couple of seconds. A 2 to 3 second hold at full extension forces your core and shoulders to stabilize and gets the most out of each rep.
Program it as a challenging bodyweight movement. It fits well on push or core days as advanced work that trains strength and stability together.
Keep the reps controlled and moderate. Aim for around 6 to 12 quality reps, since this is about control and stability rather than high numbers.
Alternate sides evenly. Reach with the opposite arm and leg and make sure both sides get the same reps so you build balanced stability.
Squeeze your glutes throughout. Tight glutes keep your hips from sagging and help hold your body in a strong straight line.
Film a set from the side and front. Video shows whether your hips are sagging or twisting far better than it feels while you balance.
Regress it if needed. If the full move is too much, do push ups and bird dogs separately, or reach only the arm or only the leg until you build the strength.
Keep your neck neutral. A steady gaze down and slightly forward keeps your spine aligned and protects your neck.
Widen your feet slightly for more stability. A slightly wider stance gives you a more stable base while you learn to control the reach.
Chase the mind-muscle connection in your core. Focus on your midsection working to keep you square and level, which is where the real benefit lives.
Be patient with the progression. This is an advanced move, so build up gradually and let your strength and balance develop over time rather than forcing it.