Execution form
- EquipmentBodyweight
- PatternCore
- Reps8 to 20 reps
- Joint loadNone flagged
How to do the Dead Bug
Set up. Lie on your back with your arms pointing to the ceiling and your knees bent at right angles above your hips.
- Press your lower back gently into the floor.
- Lower one arm overhead and the opposite leg toward the floor at the same time.
- Return to the start and repeat with the other pair.
Form cues
- Keep the lower back on the floor.
- Breathe out as you reach.
- Move slowly.
Common mistakes
- Letting the back arch as the leg lowers.
- Rushing the reps.
Muscles worked
Main target: Abs. The rectus abdominis runs down the front of the trunk. It curls the trunk forward and, more often in training, stops the spine arching under a load.
On the way: Obliques.
Its other side: Lower back, in the trunk pattern.
Alternatives and swaps
The same main muscle with other equipment: a swap never changes the muscle a workout trains.
Gym or cable swap
Machine Crunch
Machine
A swap describes the movement, not your body: if a joint hurts, ask a professional before you train it.
Track it in StatBlockFit
In the StatBlockFit app the Dead Bug is logged set by set: the app suggests your next weight after each session, times your rests, keeps your records and shows the 72-hour recovery of every muscle on its training map. The training guide explains how.
Questions
How do you do the Dead Bug?
Set up: Lie on your back with your arms pointing to the ceiling and your knees bent at right angles above your hips. Steps: 1. Press your lower back gently into the floor. 2. Lower one arm overhead and the opposite leg toward the floor at the same time. 3. Return to the start and repeat with the other pair. Form cues: Keep the lower back on the floor. Breathe out as you reach. Move slowly. Common mistakes: Letting the back arch as the leg lowers. Rushing the reps.
What muscles does the Dead Bug work?
It trains the abs as its main target and works the obliques on the way.
What can I do instead of the Dead Bug?
In a gym: Machine Crunch. Each trains the same main muscle.