On all fours, one leg reaches back while the opposite arm reaches forward. This bird dog counter follows the leg and counts each rep out loud, so you can stay focused on a smooth, steady reach.
Choose alternating mode, where left and right both add to your total, or one-leg mode, where the coach calls the switch for you. Get on all fours during the five-second countdown.
Phone setup
Set the phone sideways (landscape) on the floor, about 2 meters (6 feet) away, a little toward your feet and turned slightly toward you, not square to your side. That way both legs stay in view, and your whole body, head to feet, fits in the frame.
Get on all fours with the phone angled slightly toward you.
- Reach the opposite arm forward for form. The leg drives the count, and the arm isn't tracked.
Form cues
- Start on all fours. Hands under your shoulders and knees under your hips give you a steady base before each reach.
- Extend the leg straight back. Sending one leg long behind you is the far position of the rep.
- Reach the opposite arm forward. Pairing the arm with the leg is part of the exercise, though only the leg drives the count.
- Return with control. Bringing the leg back to all fours completes the rep, so don't swing it.
Common mistakes
- Raising only an arm. The opposite arm isn't tracked, so reaching an arm without extending your leg doesn't count. The leg drives the count.
- Rushing the return. Flicking the leg back to the floor skips the control that makes this exercise work. Slow the return down.
- Placing the phone square to your side. Angle it a little toward your feet and slightly toward you, so both legs stay in view.
How FitnessBruh counts it
The counter follows the angle at the hip of your working leg, from shoulder to hip to knee. On all fours is the start, the leg extended straight back is the far position, and bringing it back completes the rep.
Alternating mode gives each leg its own count, and a rep is counted whenever either leg completes one, so left and right both add to your total. In one-leg mode the counter follows the leg you pick, the coach calls the switch with a short count-in, and the set ends after both legs.
Counting only starts once you've been down on all fours for a moment, so getting into position adds no rep. It stops if you get up mid-set. It resumes once you're back down. Raising only an arm doesn't count, and your shoulders and hips need a steady view.
FAQ
Which leg does the bird dog counter follow?
In alternating mode each leg is counted on its own, and left and right both add to the total. In one-leg mode it follows the leg you pick, and the coach calls the switch.
Do I need to raise my arm for the count?
No. The opposite arm isn't tracked, so raising only an arm doesn't count. Reach it for form; the leg drives the count.
Where should the phone go for bird dogs?
Sideways (landscape) on the floor about 2 meters (6 feet) away, a little toward your feet and turned slightly toward you, so both legs stay in view.
