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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

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How to do it

  1. Lie on your back with arms straight toward the ceiling and hips and knees bent to 90 degrees.
  2. Press the low back flat into the floor and keep the ribs pulled down — there should be no gap under your spine.
  3. Exhale slowly and lower one arm overhead and the opposite leg toward the floor.
  4. Stop the moment the low back starts to lift, then return to the start under control.
  5. 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

GoalPrescription
Core control3 sets of 6–8 slow reps per side
Warm-up2 sets of 5 per side before heavy lower-body work
ProgressionAdd 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

What people ask about dead bug

This guide covers dead bug form, how to do dead bugs correctly, dead bug muscles worked, dead bug sets and reps for muscle growth, bodyweight transverse abdominis exercise and the swaps to run when a rack or bench is taken.

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