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Dead bug

Also called deadbug, dead bugs.

What is a dead bug?

A dead bug is a floor exercise in which you reach one arm and the opposite leg away from your body while keeping your torso still. You return to the start and change sides. The abdominal muscles work while the limbs move.

Anatomical illustration of a dead bug in two side-view positions: arms and knees raised at the start, then one arm overhead as the opposite leg extends, with the abdominals highlighted.

How do you perform a dead bug?

Set up

  1. Lie on your back with your head resting on the floor. Raise your arms toward the ceiling and bring your knees above your hips, bent to about a right angle.
  2. Gently tighten your abdomen so your lower back rests against the floor without forcing it down. Keep breathing in this position.

Execution

  1. Reach one arm overhead while straightening the opposite leg away from you. Move only as far as you can without lifting your lower back or turning your pelvis.
  2. Bring the arm and leg back to their starting positions together.
  3. Repeat with the other arm and leg, moving slowly enough to keep your torso quiet.

Common mistakes

  • Reaching all the way to the floor at any cost

    Shorten the reach when your back begins to arch. The hand and heel do not need to touch down.

  • Rushing the change of sides

    Return to the starting position before extending the next pair of limbs.

  • Holding a long breath

    Keep a gentle brace that still allows you to breathe; shorten the set if you cannot.

Where it fits in a session

Use it during a warm-up or alongside other trunk exercises.

Choose a reach you can repeat while breathing and holding your back position. Extend farther before adding external resistance.

Muscles worked

Front
Front — Schematic surface view. Some muscles are partly visible or not shown.
Back
Back — Schematic surface view. Some muscles are partly visible or not shown.

Primary

Secondary

  • None listed in this guide

Select a muscle name to locate it.

Schematic surface view. Some muscles are partly visible or not shown.

Variations

  • Heel-tap dead bug — Keeps the knees bent and lowers one heel at a time, with the arms pointing upward.
  • Leg-only dead bug — Keeps both arms still while you extend one leg at a time.
  • Side-view anatomical illustration of a man holding a front plank on a white background. His forearms rest on the floor with his hands clasped, his elbows are near his shoulders, and his gaze points down. His legs are straight, his toes support the other end of the position, and his head, trunk, hips and heels form one long line. Red shading is strongest across the front and sides of the abdomen, with lighter shading over the glute area. No weight or other exercise equipment is shown.
    PlankHolds a supported face-down position with the limbs still.

Frequently asked questions

Does the lower back have to stay down?

For this version, keep gentle contact with the floor. If reaching farther lifts your back, shorten the movement or try heel taps with bent knees.

Should the head come off the floor?

Keep the head resting comfortably. Lifting it is an additional variation, not a requirement for coordinating the opposite arm and leg.

How do you count dead bugs?

Count each arm-and-opposite-leg reach as one repetition, or count a left-right pair. Choose one convention and keep it consistent in your training log.

Sources

  1. Souza GM, Baker LL, Powers CM. Electromyographic activity of selected trunk muscles during dynamic spine stabilization exercises. 2001. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11689975/
  2. William Flynn; Paula Vickerton. Anatomy, Abdomen and Pelvis: Abdominal Wall. 2023. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK551649/

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