Dead Bug
Muscles worked: Abs.
How to do it
- Lie on your back, arms pointing straight up and knees bent at 90° over your hips.
- Brace your core so your lower back stays flat on the floor.
- Slowly lower your right arm overhead AND straighten your left leg toward the floor at the same time.
- Return to the start and repeat on the opposite side - keep the movements slow and matched.
Coaching cues
The two cues IronPack shows on this exercise's card mid-workout:
- Low back glued to the floor
- Opposite arm and leg lower slow
Logging it
IronPack suggests working in the 10 to 20 rep range, progressing in 1 kg jumps when you own the top of the range. Bodyweight movement: log added weight only, and your records account for your logged bodyweight. Records are tracked automatically at every rep count from 1 to 12. Check your estimated 1RM from any hard set.
Related exercises
- Cable Crunch - abs
- Hanging Leg Raise - abs
- Ab Wheel Rollout - abs
- Ab Crunch Machine - abs
Track the dead bug properly
IronPack logs every set, tracks your records at every rep count, shows these form photos mid-workout, and turns the training into a card game you play with your mates.
Get IronPack free on the App StoreFree download, iPhone. Currently on the New Zealand App Store, wider rollout to follow.
Steps: free-exercise-db (public domain) with IronPack corrections. Cues, muscle weighting and logging guidance are IronPack's own app data. Last generated 2026-07-17.