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Core · Bodyweight
Dead Bug
How to do the Dead Bug with good form: step-by-step technique, the muscles it works (abs), coaching cues and the mistakes to avoid.
Muscles worked
- Primary
- Abs
- Secondary
- Lower back
How to do it
- Lie flat on your back on the floor, extending your arms straight up toward the ceiling over your shoulders.
- Lift your legs and bend your knees at 90-degree angles so your shins are parallel to the floor.
- Take a deep breath and press your lower back firmly down into the floor, eliminating any natural arch.
- Slowly lower and straighten your right arm backward behind your head while simultaneously extending your left leg straight out until it hovers an inch above the floor.
- Ensure your lower back does not arch or lift off the floor during the extension.
- Return your right arm and left leg back to the starting vertical position, then repeat the movement with your left arm and right leg.
Coaching cues
- Lower back glued to the floor
- Slow, controlled opposite arm and leg movement
- Breathe continuously
Common mistakes
- Allowing the lower back to arch off the floor as limbs are extended
- Moving too fast and using momentum
- Holding the breath
Equipment and setup
Bodyweight
Lying supine on the floor.
Also known as: Dead Bug Core Exercise
Track your Dead Bug in ROAN
ROAN fills in last session’s weight and reps, estimates your 1RM and keeps your best sets.
