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Bird dog crunch is a core body exercise that strengthens the lower back and abdominals while helping your body learn to balance and find stability. This exercise will teach you to build a strong center while improving overall strength as well.
Here are the steps to performing bird dog crunch:
- Kneel on the mat on all fours. Reach one arm long, draw in the abs, and extend the opposite leg long behind you.
- Bring the elbow and knee in towards your center as you round your back remember to draw in your abs.
- Repeat for desired number of reps then switch sides.
The first tip in practicing bird dog crunch is to make sure you are on a mat or softer surface. Don’t pick something too thick or you will have trouble getting enough balance to perform the exercise.
However, make sure it is a soft enough surface that you do not aggravate your knee caps since you will be on all fours. (Much like a leg lift exercise.)
Another tip for this exercise if you have sensitive wrists is to close your hands and place your knuckles on the floor instead of open hands or hold onto some stable dumbbells that will keep your wrists in neutral position.
While you perform the bird dog crunch, try to be mindful of your breathing. Inhale as you tuck under and exhale while extending your opposite arm and leg out.
Make sure that as you extend your arm and leg you are tucking your belly button in to keep your back strong and stable. Another tip is to try and be as still as possible as you move. In other words, don’t let your back tip from side to side.
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What Muscles Does Bird Dog Crunch Work
Bird dog crunch is an awesome core strength move that works your abdominal muscles, lower back and stabilizers.
Benefits of Bird Dog Crunch
There are many reasons you should incorporate bird dog crunch into your workouts. Here are just a few:
Stronger Lower Back
The bird dog crunch is a move that focuses on stability, strength and overall health of your core and low back. Moves like this one help you avoid low back pain and injury by keeping the muscles that surround your spine strong and capable.
Sculpt Your Abs
There are so many exercises available for getting tight abs. Crunches and planks are the most commonly used. The bird dog crunch is like a combination of both.
This move gives you a new and fresh option for sculpting your abs!
Improves Your Balance
Part of the challenge you will find in practicing the bird dog crunch is keeping your balance. Extending one arm and the opposite leg poses a good challenge for your balance and stability.
The beauty of this move is you can really feel how your core muscles engage every time you start to wobble.
How Many Calories Does a Bird Dog Crunch Burn?
People often ask how many calories they are burning in their workouts. Most exercises will generally burn about 100 calories for every 10 minutes you are working at higher intensity. Bottom line – the harder you work, the more calories you burn.
The benefits of the bird dog crunch far outweigh any calorie burn you should worry about.
Other Exercises Similar to Bird Dog Crunch
If you like the bird dog crunch and the results you get from it, here are a few more exercises you might want to try.
Incorporating Bird Dog Crunch Into Your Workouts
The bird dog crunch is an amazing core exercise all on its own! However, you could also incorporate this move into other workouts to mix them up.
Here are 3 more workouts that incorporate the bird dog crunch:
