Dead Bug

How to perform it

1. 1Preparation and positioning. Lie on your back with the hips and knees flexed to roughly 90 degrees and the arms reaching toward the ceiling. Keep the head and upper back relaxed on the floor.
2. 2Starting position. Stack the knees over the hips and the hands over the shoulders. Set the pelvis in a neutral, controlled position without forcing the low back flat against the floor.
3. 3Concentric or loading phase. Brace the trunk and slowly extend one arm and the opposite leg away from the body. Move only as far as the pelvis and ribcage can remain controlled.
4. 4End position. Pause briefly at the farthest controlled reach. The moving heel may approach the floor without touching it, while the opposite arm reaches overhead without the ribs flaring.
5. 5Return phase. Bring the arm and leg back to the starting position without letting momentum move the trunk. Alternate sides only after both limbs have returned to the same position.
6. 6Breathing and bracing. Exhale gently during the reach and inhale during the return while maintaining moderate abdominal tension. Do not use a maximal breath hold to mask loss of pelvic control.
7. 7Valid repetition. Count one repetition when the opposite arm and leg travel out and return under control without lumbar arching, rib flare, or pelvic rotation. The range may be shortened before the technique standard is changed.

Common mistakes

• Overextending the limbs

  Fix: Shorten the arm or leg reach until the ribs and pelvis remain quiet.

• Flattening the low back forcefully

  Fix: Use a controlled neutral pelvis and moderate brace rather than pressing the spine aggressively into the floor.

• Moving too quickly

  Fix: Pause at the farthest controlled reach and return without momentum.

• Losing the 90-degree setup

  Fix: Re-stack the knees over the hips and the hands over the shoulders before starting the next repetition.

Safety

• Use a smaller range if hip flexion or shoulder flexion is limited; never force the heel or arm to the floor.
• Known spinal symptoms require an individually tolerated range and appropriate professional input; the exercise is not a diagnosis-specific treatment.
• A padded, stable surface can improve comfort, but padding must not make the body unstable during the reach.
• Progress by improving control and range before adding external load or speed.

Progressions & alternatives

• regressionHeel-tap Dead Bug— Keep the upper body or lower limbs closer to the starting position while learning to control the pelvis.
• alternativeBird Dog— Train contralateral trunk control in a quadruped position when the supine setup is not well tolerated.
• prerequisiteHollow Body Hold— The dead bug can establish the trunk-control skill needed before a more continuous hollow-body position is attempted.
• alternativePallof Press— Provide a standing anti-rotation option when floor-based supine work is impractical.