Exercise of the Week: BirdDog

The BirdDog is an exercise that is found being done in many rehab settings. It is an exercise that is done to address any type of low back pain or weakness. But people who are suffering from low back issues are not the only ones who should be doing this exercise. Want to tighten up the glutes? Use the Birddog. Want to get those glutes turned on and firing? Use the Birddog. Want to work another exercise into your warm-up routine? Use the birddog.
In order to perform the BirdDog, start in a quadraped position. Your hands should be underneath the shoulders and your knees should be underneath the hips. Simultaneously, extend one arm out in front and the opposite side leg back, getting full extension at the shoulder, hip and knee. Take a slight pause at the top, really focusing on squeezing the the glute and return to the starting position. Perform the set number of reps on one side, then switch to the opposite sides.


A couple of key points to remember while performing this exercise are:
1) Maintain a neutral spine throughout the exercise.
2)Keep your eyes down on the floor, so your neck is not in a hyperextended position.
3)Brace your abdominal area as if someone was to punch you in the gut.
4)If you find your toes pointing out when extending the leg back, rotate your foot in as much as possible.