Bird Dog
The bird dog is a quadruped core exercise in which you extend one arm and the opposite leg while keeping the torso still. The NSW guide names it, with the bridge and plank, as one of the core exercises to add to regular push-ups and sit-ups, and it programs the movement as alternating reps.
How to Perform It
Begin on your hands and knees with your hands directly below your shoulders and your head and neck aligned with your back. Raise the right arm until it is fully extended and parallel to the floor while raising the left leg until it is fully extended behind you. The arm, leg, and back should all sit in the same horizontal plane. Keep the torso stable and do not let the hip drop on the unsupported side. Hold for three to four seconds, lower the arm and leg to the starting position, then raise the opposite arm and leg to the same extended position. Each arm and leg pair counts as one alternating rep.
Why It Matters for BUD/S
The bird dog trains the lower back and the muscles along the spine to hold a neutral position while the limbs move, which is what happens every time you run, swim, or carry a load. It also exposes asymmetry quickly: a hip that rotates or a shoulder that drops on one side shows a weakness that would otherwise stay hidden until fatigue sets in. The guide's note on core training says the goal is as much about learning to activate lesser-used muscles as it is about strength. The bird dog is a low-load way to practice exactly that activation, and it adds almost no fatigue to the rest of the session.
Where It Sits in the 26-Week Plan
Bird dogs are in the core block on the Upper/Core days (Monday and Friday) and the Core/Push-Sit-Pull days (Wednesday and Thursday). The progression matches the bridge exactly. Weeks 1 through 6 call for 2 sets of 20 alternating reps, weeks 7 through 11 for 2 sets of 25, weeks 12 through 16 for 3 sets of 20, weeks 17 through 21 for 3 sets of 25, and weeks 22 through 26 for 3 sets of 30 alternating reps. The guide presents these numbers as an example structure and tells you to work up to them within each block.
Prescription by program week
| Weeks | Sets x reps |
|---|---|
| 1-6 | 2 x 20 reps (alternating) |
| 7-11 | 2 x 25 reps (alternating) |
| 12-16 | 3 x 20 reps (alternating) |
| 17-21 | 3 x 25 reps (alternating) |
| 22-26 | 3 x 30 reps (alternating) |
Balance a water bottle on your lower back. If it rolls off, your torso is moving and the rep was too fast.
Related Terms
Core exercises in the NSW preparation program target the trunk stabilizers — abdominals, obliques, lower back, and hip muscles — through a progressive rotation of planks, bridges, bird dogs, supermans, and side planks. These exercises build the trunk stability that supports every movement in BUD/S, from running to swimming to log PT.
The bridge is a floor exercise that trains the glutes, hamstrings, and lower back by lifting the hips off the ground while lying on your back. The NSW guide programs it as an alternating single-leg movement, so each rep also tests pelvic stability on one side.
The superman is a prone extension exercise in which you lie face down and lift both arms and both legs off the floor at the same time. It trains the spinal erectors, glutes, and rear shoulders, and it is the only core exercise in the NSW progression that is programmed in low reps rather than long holds or high counts.
The back hyperextension is performed on a 45 degree or horizontal bench, hinging at the hips to lower the torso and then raising it back to a straight line with the legs. It builds the spinal erectors, glutes, and hamstrings and is listed in the NSW guide's lower body exercises.
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