Bird Dog Push-Up exercise animation (Männlich)

Bird Dog Push-Up

Zielmuskel
—
Equipment
Body weight
Körperregion
Chest
Typ
Strength

The bird dog push-up is a bodyweight exercise that combines a standard push-up with the bird-dog extension to work the chest while heavily challenging core stability. After each push-up you extend an opposite arm and leg, forcing your trunk to resist rotation and keeping the pectorals and shoulder girdle under tension. It builds pressing strength and anti-rotation core control at once, with no equipment beyond your own body.

Bird Dog Push-Up: So führst du sie aus

  1. 1Start in a high plank with your hands under your shoulders, feet about hip-width apart, and your body in a straight line from head to heels.
  2. 2Brace your core and squeeze your glutes so your hips stay level and your spine is neutral.
  3. 3Lower your chest toward the floor by bending your elbows to about a 45° angle from your torso, keeping your body rigid.
  4. 4Press back up through your palms until your arms are fully extended, returning to the plank position.
  5. 5Without rotating your hips, extend your right arm straight forward and your left leg straight back until both are level with your torso.
  6. 6Hold the bird-dog extension briefly, keeping your shoulders and hips square to the floor.
  7. 7Return your hand and foot to the start, perform another push-up, then extend the opposite arm and leg.
  8. 8Continue alternating sides for your target reps, then lower your knees to finish.

Technik-Tipps

  • Set your hands slightly wider than shoulder-width so the chest takes the load while the bird-dog extension tests your balance.
  • Keep your hips from dipping or twisting during the extension — move slowly and reach long rather than fast.
  • Exhale as you press up and as you extend the arm and leg, keeping your core braced throughout.
  • If full extensions are too hard, lift just the arm or just the leg until you can hold the body steady.

Häufige Fehler

  • Letting the hips rotate or the lower back sag during the extension, which removes the anti-rotation benefit and strains the spine.
  • Sinking the hips or piking them up on the push-up, which shifts work off the chest and breaks the straight-line plank.
  • Flaring the elbows out to 90° on the push-up, which adds unnecessary stress to the shoulder joints.
  • Rushing the reps and losing balance, so the movement becomes momentum rather than controlled core and chest work.

Häufig gestellte Fragen

What muscles does the bird dog push-up work?

The push-up portion works the chest as the main pressing muscle, while the bird-dog extension forces your core to resist rotation, training trunk and shoulder stability at the same time.

Is the bird dog push-up good for beginners?

It's better suited to those who can already hold a solid plank and do clean push-ups, since balancing the bird-dog extension adds difficulty. Beginners can start with separate push-ups and bird dogs before combining them.

How many sets and reps should I do?

Aim for 3 sets of 6 to 10 reps per side, resting about a minute between sets. Stop a set once your hips start twisting or sagging, since form matters more than reps here.

What's a good alternative to the bird dog push-up?

A standard push-up builds the chest, while a regular bird dog trains anti-rotation core control. Doing both separately is a solid alternative if the combined move feels unstable.

Ähnliche Übungen