Bird Dog Hold

Muscles worked by the Bird Dog Hold

Primary

Lower BackErector SpinaeAbsRectus Abdominis

Secondary

GlutesGluteus MaximusObliquesOblique AbdominalsRear DeltsPosterior Deltoid

Also called: erector spinae, spinal erectors, lower back muscles, back extensors, abs, six-pack.

Equipment

No equipment — this is a bodyweight exercise.

How to do the Bird Dog Hold

1. Start on all fours with hands under shoulders and knees under hips.
2. Extend one arm forward and the opposite leg back.
3. Keep your core tight and body level.
4. Hold the position without rotating your torso.
5. Hold for time. Complete on one side, then switch.

Form tips

• Reach long through your fingertips and heel in opposite directions.
• Push the floor away with your supporting hand to stay stable.
• Breathe steadily instead of holding your breath.

At a glance

Bird Dog Hold in German & Spanish

Descriptions, instructions and tips ship in all three languages in the JSON.

Related exercises

• Back Extension
• Machine Back Extension
• Superman
• Ab Wheel Rollout
• Bicycle Crunch
• Cable Crunch
• Captain's Chair Knee Raise
• Captain's Chair Leg Raise

Exercise data (JSON)

The record below is exactly what exercises.json ships for this exercise — names, descriptions, instructions and tips in English, German and Spanish.

{
  "id": "bird-dog-hold",
  "name_en": "Bird Dog Hold",
  "name_de": "Bird-Dog-Halt",
  "name_es": "Bird-Dog Isométrico",
  "description_en": "A static core hold balancing on all fours with one arm and the opposite leg extended, training spinal stability.",
  "description_de": "Eine statische Rumpfübung im Vierfüßlerstand, bei der ein Arm und das gegenüberliegende Bein gestreckt gehalten werden.",
  "description_es": "Un ejercicio isométrico de core a cuatro patas que extiende un brazo y la pierna contraria manteniendo la columna estable.",
  "category": "strength",
  "force_type": "static",
  "mechanic": "compound",
  "difficulty": "intermediate",
  "body_part": "core",
  "primary_muscles": [
    "erector_spinae",
    "rectus_abdominis"
  ],
  "secondary_muscles": [
    "gluteus_maximus",
    "obliques",
    "posterior_deltoid"
  ],
  "goals": [
    "hypertrophy",
    "strength"
  ],
  "tags": [
    "lower_back_safe",
    "knee_safe",
    "no_axial_load",
    "shoulder_safe"
  ],
  "variation_group": "back-extension",
  "is_unilateral": false,
  "is_bodyweight": true,
  "instructions_en": [
    "Start on all fours with hands under shoulders and knees under hips.",
    "Extend one arm forward and the opposite leg back.",
    "Keep your core tight and body level.",
    "Hold the position without rotating your torso.",
    "Hold for time. Complete on one side, then switch."
  ],
  "instructions_de": [
    "Starte auf allen Vieren mit Händen unter den Schultern und Knien unter den Hüften.",
    "Strecke einen Arm nach vorne und das gegenüberliegende Bein nach hinten.",
    "Halte den Rumpf gespannt und den Körper waagerecht.",
    "Halte die Position, ohne den Oberkörper zu drehen.",
    "Halte für die vorgegebene Zeit. Absolviere eine Seite, dann wechsle."
  ],
  "instructions_es": [
    "Comienza a cuatro patas con las manos bajo los hombros y las rodillas bajo las caderas.",
    "Extiende un brazo hacia adelante y la pierna opuesta hacia atrás.",
    "Mantén el core apretado y el cuerpo nivelado.",
    "Aguanta la posición sin rotar el torso.",
    "Mantén el tiempo indicado. Completa en un lado, luego cambia."
  ],
  "tips_en": [
    "Reach long through your fingertips and heel in opposite directions.",
    "Push the floor away with your supporting hand to stay stable.",
    "Breathe steadily instead of holding your breath."
  ],
  "tips_de": [
    "Schiebe die Ferse aktiv nach hinten, statt das Bein nur anzuheben.",
    "Spanne den Bauch an, damit der untere Rücken nicht durchhängt.",
    "Halte den Nacken in Verlängerung der Wirbelsäule und blicke zum Boden."
  ],
  "tips_es": [
    "Imagina que llevas un vaso de agua sobre la zona lumbar.",
    "Evita que la cadera rote al extender la pierna.",
    "Empuja el suelo con la mano de apoyo para estabilizar el hombro."
  ],
  "met": 3.5,
  "images": {
    "flat": {
      "main": "images/flat/bird-dog-hold-main.webp"
    }
  }
}

Fetch just this exercise

const { exercises } = await fetch(
  "https://exercise-dataset.com/exercises.json"
).then(r => r.json());
const ex = exercises.find(e => e.id === "bird-dog-hold");

Free for personal and commercial in-app use with attribution (“Exercise data by RepDB”) — see the license and ready-made attribution snippets. Redistributing the data as a dataset or API is not permitted.