The first time I saw the deadbug performed live by famed performance trainer Eric Cressey, it blew my little strength and conditioning mind. How can such a simple exercise in which you lie on your back and move your arms and legs have such an impact? The magic lies in this necessity called core stability.
Your core has many essential roles, but the most vital is to resist unwanted movement. The lower back doesn’t like to flex and expand too much because it’s not designed for it like the thoracic (upper back) spine. Before some tie a knot in their nickers, the lower back won’t explode when moved; he just prefers not to.
Excellent core stability allows for smooth power transfer from lower to upper body, better technique with the big three and Olympic lifts, and better movement on the sports field. Such a simple exercise with a silly name that will draw some weird looks but will do that and more.
Here, we’ll cover the benefits of deadbug, what good form looks like, and four common deadbug mistakes that can kill your progress.
Benefits of Deadbug
When you do it right, here’s what the deadbug can do for you.
- Reinforces the movement of the contralateral limb: It is the basis of most human movements; moving your opposite arm and leg in a coordinated fashion is essential.
- Improves lumbo-pelvic stability: Fancy way of saying the deadbug strengthens the lower back and hip area. You know, basic stability.
- Reinforces better breathing patterns: Breathing into your diaphragm (belly) is how you are supposed to breathe most of the time.
- Better posture: Because your spine is on the ground, you better understand what a neutral spine looks like.
Good form Deadbug
There is always a little wiggle room for proper form because you are all put together differently, but these following points are non-negotiable.
- Knees should be above your hips, hands above your shoulders, and your head on the floor.
- Your spine is on the ground in a neutral position at all times.
- Take a deep breath before starting the repetition.
- Move your opposite arm and opposite leg.
- Exhale at the end of the repetition.
do you have it? Alright, let’s move on to some common fatal bug mistakes that prevent people from getting the most out of this excellent exercise.
4 dead bug errors
It might be short saying don’t do the opposite of what was said, but here we’ll cover the fixes if you or your elevator friends make these deadbug mistakes.
