Weighted Dead Bug

How to do the Weighted Dead Bug

1. 1Lie flat on your back with your low back pressed firmly into the floor — there should be no gap between your spine and the mat.
2. 2Hold a dumbbell or weight plate in both hands and press your arms straight up toward the ceiling, directly above your shoulders.
3. 3Raise both legs so your hips and knees are bent to 90°, shins parallel to the floor — this is your starting position.
4. 4Take a deep breath in, then exhale fully and brace your core by drawing your ribs down and pressing your low back hard into the floor.
5. 5While maintaining that brace, slowly lower your right arm overhead toward the floor and simultaneously extend your left leg toward the floor, stopping just before either touches.
6. 6Pause for one second at the bottom, keeping your low back completely flat.
7. 7Reverse the movement under control, returning your arm and leg to the starting position.
8. 8Without losing tension, repeat on the opposite side — left arm down, right leg out — to complete one full rep.
9. 9Continue alternating sides for the target number of reps, re-bracing before each rep.

Form tips

• Think of the weight as a lever that pulls your spine into extension — counter it by actively driving your ribs toward your hips throughout the movement.
• Move slowly: a 3–4 second lowering phase on each side keeps the core under continuous tension and removes momentum from the equation.
• Exhale completely before each rep — a full exhale depressurizes the thorax and allows the deep core to contract more effectively.
• Keep your eyes on the ceiling and your chin neutral; craning your neck to watch your legs shifts focus away from core control.
• If your low back loses contact with the floor at any point, shorten your range of motion rather than powering through — a partial range with a flat spine is far more effective.

Common mistakes

• Allowing the low back to arch off the floor as the arm and leg descend — this defeats the anti-extension purpose of the exercise and loads the lumbar spine passively rather than training it actively.
• Moving the arm and leg too quickly, which uses momentum instead of muscular control and reduces core activation significantly.
• Holding the breath or forgetting to brace before the movement begins, which leaves the spine unsupported during the highest-demand phase of the rep.
• Lowering the leg with a bent knee instead of fully extending it, which reduces the lever arm and makes the exercise easier than intended — extend the leg straight if your low back stays flat.
• Gripping the weight too tightly and shrugging the shoulder of the working arm, which creates unnecessary tension in the neck and traps rather than the core.

Frequently asked questions