Abs exercise
Dead BugHow to do it, with form in numbers
- Main muscles
- Abs
- Also works
- Hip flexors
- Equipment
- Bodyweight
- Level
- Beginner
How to do it
How do you do the Dead Bug?
- Lie on your back with arms pointing at the ceiling and knees bent over your hips.
- Tighten your stomach so your lower back stays on the floor.
- Slowly lower one arm overhead as you straighten the opposite leg towards the floor.
- Stop just above the floor, then bring both back to the start.
- Repeat with the other arm and leg.
Cues
- Lower back stays on the floor.
- Ribs down, move slowly.
- Opposite arm, opposite leg.
Common mistakes
- Back arching off the floor: lower the leg less far until you can keep it down.
- Moving too fast: take two seconds to lower each time.
- Holding your breath: breathe in as you lower, out as you return.
Form in detail
What does good form look like?
The version in our demo
Arms straight up, hips and knees at 90° ("tabletop"), opposite arm and leg lower together, then the other side. This is ACE's main version; the feet-on-floor version is the regression, not shown.
Starting position
Lying on the back on a mat. Arms straight, hands pointing at the ceiling directly over the shoulders, about shoulder width apart. Hips flexed to 90° with the knees directly over the hip joints, knees bent to 90° so the shins are parallel to the floor, knees and feet hip width apart (15–20 cm). Lower back resting on the mat (not pushed flat hard, not arched), ribs down, head on the mat, shoulders relaxed down.
The movement
Keeping the trunk braced, lower the right arm back over the head while the left leg straightens and lowers towards the floor. Both stop just above the floor, pause briefly, and return to the start along the same arcs. Repeat with the left arm and right leg. The lower back, pelvis and ribs stay still: no arching, no hip lift, no rocking side to side.
Breathing
Breathe in as the arm and leg lower, out as they return (ACE).
Form in numbers
What are the angles and distances?
- Start: shoulder flexion 90°, elbows straight; hip flexion 90°, knee flexion 90° (source).
- Hand path: arc in the sagittal plane around the shoulder; heel path: arc as hip opens and knee straightens together.
The targets our 3D demo was built to, from the references below. Bodies differ, so treat the ranges as a guide for your own build.
For coaches
Use this demo in your clients’ programs
The Dead Bug is in Trainaq’s exercise library. Add it to a workout, and your client sees this demo in the free Trainaq app above the sets they log.
Sources
