How to do a Dead Bug
Reviewed by Jim Parker, CPT, B.A. Kinesiology
Workouts with Dead Bug
Target muscles worked
Instructions for Proper Form
Dead Bugs are a bodyweight core exercise that requires you to lay on your back, and alternate extending your arms and legs out away from your body. The position you’re in on the ground keeps your core engaged, while extending your arms and legs away from you forces you to further recruit your core to continue to stabilize yourself.
- Lie on your back with your arms vertically extended and your hips, knees, and feet at 90 degrees.
- Brace your torso by breathing into your stomach and flexing your abdominal muscles in order to keep your lower back against the floor.
- Forcefully exhale through pursed lips while extending one leg out while simultaneously extending the opposite arm overhead to the floor.
- Return your extended leg and arm back to the starting position before extending the opposite leg and arm.
Tips & FAQs
Are Dead Bug's good for beginners?
Yes, the dead bug exercise is excellent for beginners. It is easy to learn, effective for strengthening the core, and helps improve coordination and stability. The dead bug exercise can be modified to match different fitness levels, making it a versatile and accessible option for those new to core training.
Common Form Mistakes
Resting Between Reps
Keep your core engaged for the duration of the exercise, even between reps. This exercise is designed to add instability that your core needs to compensate for. Keeping your core engaged throughout the exercise will improve the effectiveness of the exercise.
Sets & Reps Calculator
Average Dead Bug standards by male, female, gender, weight, age and height
Use this calculator to see Fitbod's possible first recommendations for you. This would be your starting line, based on more than 4.5 billion logged sets from 1.1 million users.
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- intermediate4sets9reps11reps
- advanced4sets10reps12reps
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Alternatives & Variations to Dead Bug
1. Crunches
94 mSCORESWAPPED 2,756 TIMESCrunches are one of the most common exercises out there. It’s an easy to perform, bodyweight exercise that targets your abdominals. Crunches are very similar to Sit Ups, however, instead of raising your upper body all the way into a near sitting position, you only raise your shoulder blades off the ground. This is a great exercise for beginners looking to build core strength.
2. Plank
92.8 mSCORESWAPPED 2,101 TIMESPlanks are one of the most common core exercises out there. This is a bodyweight exercise that is performed for time rather than reps. Planks don’t require any movement, instead they force you to place yourself in a position that requires you to engage your core, and maintain that muscle activation for the duration of the exercise. This is a great way to help build strength and stability in a way that will translate to a variety of other exercises, and your daily life.
3. Bicycle Crunch
91.8 mSCORESWAPPED 2,061 TIMESBicycle Crunch is a more difficult version of a standard crunch. Instead of raising your torso off the ground for each rep, you keep your torso off the ground, and your core engaged. By cycling your legs, you add more instability to the movement, which leads to better core activation.
4. Leg Raise
96.5 mSCORESWAPPED 1,870 TIMESLeg Raise is a simple bodyweight core exercise that involves laying on the ground and suspending your legs in the air. While your core does play a significant role in raising your legs, the real benefit comes from controlling their descent back to the floor.
5. Russian Twist
96.2 mSCORESWAPPED 1,836 TIMESRussian Twist is one of the more common core exercises. This exercise targets multiple muscles in your core, but the reason for including this exercise is usually to target your obliques. By raising your feet off the ground, engaging your core, and twisting to each side, you can better target this specific muscle in your core.
6. Ab Crunch Machine
96.1 mSCORESWAPPED 1,605 TIMESAb Crunch Machine is a variation of Crunches performed with a machine. Unlike standard Crunches, the use of a machine gives you more control over your resistance. In addition, the machine will restrict your range of motion allowing you to focus more on exertion than stabilizing the movement.
- Intermediate
- Abs
- Ab Crunch Machine
7. Sit Up
93.8 mSCORESWAPPED 1,285 TIMESSit Up is one of the most common exercises out there. It’s a bodyweight exercise that targets your core. Sit Ups are very similar to Crunches, however, rather than raising just your shoulder blades off the ground, you raise your entire upper body. This gives you a bit more range of motion than Crunches, however you’ll start to lose some tension in your core at the top of the movement.
8. Leg Pull-In
94.9 mSCORESWAPPED 1,227 TIMESLeg Pull in is a bodyweight exercise that targets your core. By raising your legs off the ground, you’re already engaging your core. Additionally your core helps to pull your legs in towards your chest.