# Bird Dog

Anti-rotation drill — extend opposite limbs while the hips and spine refuse to
twist.

- **Category:** Warm-up and main circuit
- **Type:** Anti-rotation
- **Targets:** Spinal erectors, glutes, deep core, shoulder stability
- **Prescription:** Warm-up 8 per side; main circuit 3 × 8–10 per side, slow

## Setup

On all fours: hands under shoulders, knees under hips, spine neutral, gaze at
the floor.

## Execution

1. Brace, then reach one arm forward and the *opposite* leg back until both are
   in line with the torso.
2. Pause for a beat at full extension — hips stay square to the floor.
3. Return under control and switch sides.

## Cues

- Imagine a cup of water balanced on the lower back — nothing spills.
- Reach *long*, not high: heel pushes back, knuckles push forward.
- Slow, no momentum; the pause is where the work happens.

## Common Mistakes

- Hips rotating open as the leg lifts.
- Lifting the leg above hip height and arching the lower back.
- Racing through reps.

## Progression

Single limb only (arm *or* leg) → opposite arm + leg → paused 3-count hold →
elbow-to-knee touch under the body between reps → hands on an unstable surface