Work that core with all you got!

The nice thing about isometric exercises is that you can do them pretty much anywhere, and at almost any time. If you’re just sitting at home watching TV, you might as well get up and do a few reps. The tricky part, though, is picking the exercise to do. There’s so many different forms, it’s kind of hard to figure out which ones will give you the best benefits. If you’re looking for a good form, I’ve got a suggestion for you: The bird dog.

The bird dog hits your abs with your own body weight, and gives your core a little more impact than something like a plank or a sit-up. As an additional benefit, doing bird dogs regularly will give you more minute control over the muscles in your core, as well as teach you a little more about how they’re supposed to move. Kneeling down and stretching an arm and a leg may seem simple, and that’s because it is. But just stretching isn’t the point of the exercise. Rather, the point is to keep your limbs firm and straight without any wobbling, and that can really make you work for it. You’ll have to really put your abs and glutes into this exercise to get the most out of it.

But don’t just take my word for it. Listen to Men’s Health fitness director Ebenezer Samuel explain the bird dog, how to do it, and what it’ll do for you. You’ll be flying like a bird and barking like a dog.