Here is a great stability exercise guaranteed to get you shaking!  It is a variation on the Bird Dog, and one that I have been working on diligently.  The amazing Josh Lewis introduced me to this exercise last month to address some of my core instability and shoulder stability issues.  Typically I would do a similar exercise from an incline pushup position or just as a traditional Bird Dog, but this is now my favorite version.  Add in my comfy sweatpants and I’m a happy camper!

 Meet the Elevated Bird Dog

Keys to executing:

• First find a solid spinal position, I am using a golf club to give me feedback on this and my posture throughout the exercise
• Pull the shoulder blades down and back to find a strong position there as well
• Knees under hips, wrists under shoulders
• Start by lifting the knees of the ground an inch to engage the core
• Bring the hands in to create a more narrow base to start, this will make the exercise feel more stable
• Lift off the ground and slowly raise an arm maintaining your posture and start position.  This is where the golf club comes in handy, you will find out really fast if your body is ready for this one
• I like to execute one arm raise and lower all the way back down.  Then I reset everything and lift back up
• Take your time and focus on limiting the weight shift

Give this one a try at the start of your workout to get everything firing on all cylinders!

-S