It strengthens your lower back as well as your glutes while obviously targeting your deep abdominal muscles that line the front of the stomach wall.
We’ll give you the basic exercise and when you’ve mastered that, don’t hesitate to move onto the more advanced variation.
To start, you need to get down on all fours with your back straight and your core braced.
Now, raise one arm up until it’s parallel with the floor while at the same time lift the opposite leg until raised arm and leg are in a straight line.
Hold this position for 10 seconds, remembering to keep rock solid, your core tight and your hips square. Don’t lean your bum back. Use a mirror to ensure correct form if you have to.
Lower arm and leg and repeat on the other side. Do this 10 times on each side in three sets.
Note: It’s important to use your core as much as you can and have the muscles here contracted at all times during the movement.
Want to make it harder?
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Instead of resting on your knees and hands at the start, extend your feet and use your hands and toes to support you.
What the hell is a bird-dog plank and why on earth would I want to do it?
THE BIRD-DOG PLANK is as strange sounding as it is odd-looking but it’s a really neat little exercise to enhance your core workout.
It strengthens your lower back as well as your glutes while obviously targeting your deep abdominal muscles that line the front of the stomach wall.
We’ll give you the basic exercise and when you’ve mastered that, don’t hesitate to move onto the more advanced variation.
Want to make it harder?
Instead of resting on your knees and hands at the start, extend your feet and use your hands and toes to support you.
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bird-dog CHIRP-WOOF! Fitness plank plank variation