Fysiqal

Carry & Anti-Movement Core · Beginner

Dead Bug

Isolation carry & anti-movement core exercise using bodyweight.
Dead Bug demonstration (no audio).
Difficulty
Beginner
Equipment
Bodyweight
Mechanics
Isolation
Sides
Alternating
Main plane
Sagittal

Free account. Log your sets of Dead Bug and each workout shows your best set by estimated 1RM.

Log this exercise & track your 1RM free in Fysiqal →

How to do the Dead Bug

Cues reviewed by Kwabena Osei on

Setup

Lie on your back, arms extended toward the ceiling, hips and knees bent to 90 degrees.

  1. Press your lower back flat into the floor and keep it there for the whole set.

  2. Slowly extend one arm overhead and the opposite leg straight out, just above the floor, then return and repeat on the other side.

Common mistakes

  • Letting the lower back arch off the floor as the arm/leg extend -- that's the sign you've lost the core brace this exercise is meant to train.

  • Moving too fast to actually control the opposite-limb coordination.

Muscles worked

Primary

Secondary

How the knowledge graph models this movement

Each joint action, with the role and emphasis the graph assigns each muscle. These are qualitative anatomical labels, not measured muscle activation.

  • Spine extensionprimary action · resisted

    Transverse abdominis (stabilizer, high emphasis); Rectus abdominis (stabilizer, high emphasis); External oblique (stabilizer, moderate emphasis); Internal oblique (stabilizer, moderate emphasis)

Related exercises

All carry & anti-movement core exercises →

From the Knowledge Library

Educational content only — not medical advice. Consult a qualified professional for individual guidance, especially around injury, pregnancy or medical conditions.