Core · Bodyweight
How to do the dead bug exercise
The dead bug looks easy and is not: it trains your trunk to stay locked while your arms and legs move, which is exactly what a squat, a sprint and a golf swing all ask for.
Muscles worked: Transverse abdominis, Rectus abdominis, Obliques
How to do it
- Lie on your back with arms straight toward the ceiling and hips and knees bent to 90 degrees.
- Press the low back flat into the floor and keep the ribs pulled down — there should be no gap under your spine.
- Exhale slowly and lower one arm overhead and the opposite leg toward the floor.
- Stop the moment the low back starts to lift, then return to the start under control.
- Alternate sides, keeping the breath long and the trunk perfectly still.
Mistakes to avoid
- Letting the low back arch off the floor, which removes the entire point of the drill.
- Rushing the reps instead of moving slowly with a long exhale.
- Reaching further than you can control just to touch the floor.
Sets and reps
| Goal | Prescription |
|---|---|
| Core control | 3 sets of 6–8 slow reps per side |
| Warm-up | 2 sets of 5 per side before heavy lower-body work |
| Progression | Add a light weight in the hands once the back stays flat throughout |
Swaps and alternatives
- Plank — Same bracing job, no limb movement.
- Bird dog — The same pattern face down, easier on the neck.
- Ab wheel rollout — The loaded version of the same anti-extension skill.
Common questions
Keep training
- Ab wheel rollout
Ab wheel
- Leg raises
Bodyweight or pull-up bar
- Plank
Bodyweight
- Hammer curls
Dumbbells
- Dumbbell shoulder press
Dumbbells, bench
- Incline dumbbell press
Dumbbells, adjustable bench