How to do it
- Lie on your back with arms straight up and knees bent at 90 degrees over your hips.
- Press the lower back into the floor and extend one arm overhead while straightening the opposite leg.
- Return under control and alternate sides.
Cues that matter
- If the lower back lifts off the floor, shorten the range.
- Exhale as the limbs extend.
Common mistakes
- Letting the lower back arch away from the floor.
- Moving too fast to control the brace.
Muscles worked
Primary
- Abs & Core
- Deep core
- Lower abs
Also works
- Hip flexors
Sets and reps
What to do with it depends on what you are training for. These are the ranges MuscleMap uses when it puts Dead Bug in a session, with 75 seconds between sets.
- Strength
- 20–30 sec
- Build muscle
- 30–45 sec
- Endurance
- 45–75 sec
Same muscle, different kit
Movements that train the same part of the abs & core with different equipment — for a day the bodyweight is taken, or a gym that does not have one.