Trunk and anti-rotation exercise
Dead Bug
Learn to brace against extension before you load a hinge.
- Equipment
- None
- Sides
- Both sides together
- Positions
- All positions
Setup
Lying on your back with arms up and knees over hips.
How to do it
- Press your lower back flat into the floor and hold it there for the whole set.
- Slowly extend one arm and the opposite leg, exhaling as you do, then return.
- If your lower back lifts off the floor, you have gone too far - shorten the range.
- Do 2 to 3 sets of 6 to 10 per side.
Coaching cues
- Lower back flat to the floor throughout
- Exhale as the limbs extend
- Shorten the range if the back lifts
Common mistakes
- The lower back arching off the floor as the limbs extend
- Moving quickly rather than under control
Sets and reps by goal
| Goal | Load | Sets | Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Strength | Bodyweight | 2 to 4 | 6 to 16 | 45 sec |
Related exercises
- Landmine RotationTrain hip-to-torso separation for passing and fending.
- Pallof PressBuild trunk stiffness against rotation, which is how force actually transfers in contact.
- Weighted PlankProgress trunk bracing by adding load rather than adding time.
- Farmer's CarryBuild grip, trunk and trap strength with almost no specialist equipment.
- Suitcase CarryBuild lateral trunk stiffness for one-shouldered contact.
- Back SquatBuild maximal bilateral lower-body strength, the foundation of scrum drive and contact.