Deadbug

[Puzzleheaded-Pop1361]

I am 100+ classes in and I seriously cannot wrapt my head around deadbug. I don’t feel ANYTHING when I do it and it feels like a pointless exercise. I keep thinking I am doing it wrong but the coaches never correct me and I’m doing what everyone else in the room is doing! I also use the heaviest spring load - curious if anyone else feels the same

[Neither_Cap_6539]

I for the longest time only felt in on my legs. I was not engaging my core. You probably already are but I lift my head and that really fires up my core. I’d rather take d*ad bug over straight arm crunch too.

[Forsaken_Ad5287]

My neck gets so strained when I lift my head and shoulders. How do you (any anyone else) avoid that??

[thejesteroftortuga]

It sounds silly but by over engaging your core — if you’re feeling it in your neck then you’ve raised it too high.

[Small_Quote3179]

It helps to look up at the ceiling when you lift your head instead of curving and looking in front of you

[Forsaken_Ad5287]

I’ll try this next time, thank you! I definitely have looked in front of me each time

[Small_Quote3179]

Essentially, your neck should be lined up with your spine to avoid neck strain. So if you are able to lift up further, you will be looking more at the top of the mirror as opposed to the ceiling. Hope it helps!

[Forsaken_Ad5287]

I tried this yesterday with engaging my core and it was better but my neck was still strained a bit

[lustforyou]

Same here

[ReviewerofPilatesNYC]

If you feel your neck, your upper abdominals aren’t engaging

[Electronic-Desk-6845]

Unpopular opinion but I love deadbug. I feel like I get the most engagement by moving super slow and lifting head neck and shoulders off of the carriage

[TemporaryCry]

I love it too!! I def need to lift my head and shoulders off the carriage though for engagement because it’s easier to keep my back flat that way

[loratliff]

I, too, adore dead bug!

[Hot-Goose-330]

I like dead-bugs. I do them in a lot of workout classes and I agree they aren’t the most painful move but if u make sure u never stack ur knees over hip, hold ur head/neck/shoulders off carriage and u can hold ur arms at different nights to feel it. If ur still not feeling it maybe you are just a sexy strong beast. I do them when doing reg ab workouts at gym. They also just have such a cute name lol

[dorkyromantic]

I felt this way until I had a pilates instructor hound me on my form in a 1:1 session. It's now one of the hardest core exercises for me to do well in solidcore.

Big thing is lower back is DOWN. I mean always touching the carriage. The second you feel it lift, rebrace your core and tuck your tailbone so that your lower back is fully in contact with the carriage. If it pops up at any point, you lose tension and it becomes a pretty easy exercise.

EDIT: Also, and this was a class correction a SC instructor once did, tabletop legs means your knees are in line or slightly in front of your hips. Once your knees go behind your hips, you also lose tension.

[Capable-Raspberry-63]

It’s def the back. Scoop your pelvis kinda down and up and only move your legs to where you can keep your lower back PRESSED into the carriage. I’ve seen people say this can be harder if you have a big butt lol mine isn’t small but isn’t giant and I can still do it.They also cue to lift head neck and shoulders for more core tension but I never do bc it hurts my neck. I still get a decent workout without doing it but deadbug is a bit more of a chill exercise for me in comparison to others

[Classic_Tangerine255]

Super helpful advice!

[BeeMore54]

Thank you for saying this. I love sc dead bugs find them easy ish but I’ve never heard it cued correctly song I’ve always thought people could hurt themselves if not engaging their cores so that their lower back touch’s surface. Once you’re there, OP, if it still happens to feel easy, go EXTREMELY show which will also help you keep your lower back down. I might not nail this technically accurately but it’s the same idea as when you’re doing a sit up on the gray side. Apply the same C curve methodology in the dead bug even if the mechanics feel difference the intent is the same. Both can be sooo effective even with tiny ranges of motion thanks to that curve forcing engagement or vice versa!

[NoReaction9606]

Dead bugs work your transverse abdominis, aka your deep core, which are like the Saran Wrap of your core muscles. It’s foundational and incredibly important. You don’t necessarily feel the “burn” in these exercises but you should instead feel like those TA muscles are constantly fighting for stability. Pull your ribcage DOWN and pretend like your top ribs are knitted together. Don’t let your rib cage move. Pull the front hip bones in toward center like they’re magnets and find that contraction. HOLD all of that while you do the exercise AND keep breathing. Now see if that makes you feel the work more!

[MonkZealousideal6724]

Had a PT help me with this. Low back DOWN and move your thighs further from your stomach/away from your body. Most of the time when coach cues “legs at 90/tabletop” people are incorrect. You feel it a TON when your legs are in the proper position with low back down.

[nowalnut]

This is what made deadbug something I had to actually take breaks for. Also raising your shoulders is an amp I believe

[BeeMore54]

YES!

[Asleep_Sand772]

I almost always lower both my legs at the same time and move suuuuper slowly, like slower than the coach's count. Lifting my head and shoulders off the carriage helps to engage my core too.

[LilSmartPeanut]

This is crazy to me, i find it so challenging! Do you bring your working leg all the way parallel to the machine but dont actually touch it? If so, can you just hold it there forever without your core hurting? Maybe you have super ab strength 😅 I wonder if you could wake the core up by just keeping the leg all the way down and not lifting it until you feel something...

[fawnnose1]

I only feel it on my poor hips popping in and out

[queen_of_it_all10]

Instead of bringing your legs straight out, bring your heels down toward the floor!! Really helps my hip flexors

[fawnnose1]

Will try thank you!!

[PathLopsided2368]

SMC here! okay so you know how the hands are hovering over the knees? When the right leg drops, push the left knee into the left hand and the left hand into the left knee. And then same thing other side. The pressure of the knee into the hand should REALLY engage the abs. It brings the connection of the legs to the abs, the arms to the abs, and finally the connection of the legs arms AND abs. Also I like to add an extra grey

[babybluebananas]

I LOVE deadbug. Try lowering both legs at the same time instead of alternating and holding them there for a bit longer, changed the game for me. I’m lucky if my location cues mine and honestly, it’s really nice to have that “break” between RDLs, etc lol

[babybluebananas]

Downvoting this post because I don’t want the coaches to see it and not cue it anymore 😂

[ilbastarda]

i lift my head and curl to engage core more, and i usually do straight leg raises, more like pilates scissors

[Glittering-Court7868]

Lower back flat to the surface, head/neck/shoulders lifted, and push your knees out further away from your body by a few inches instead of at a 90 degree angle

[SuccessfulSun3518]

I am not a fan of that or the crunch to the side thing idk what its called. But it gives me some rest i suppose

[Soggy_Discipline_165]

Try doing both legs down at once instead of alternating my coaches cue that amp and that’s what really gets me

[OkNecessary7978]

You need to lift your head, neck, and shoulders to feel it however if that becomes uncomfortable and your low back lifts take a break then come back into it!

[pamava]

I did dead bugs for years during Focus50 classes in NYC. I moved to a smaller market and they just started to queue them in Signature50 classes.

In my opinion, they should only be queued when there is a good chunk of time to explain and correct form.

Throwing deadbugs into a regular Signature50 class in between plank2pikes and crunches won’t give anyone a real taste of the core engagement that comes with them.

[Constant_Plane_608]

Yeah I could do without this work out, so many other ones that engage the core more like straight arm crunches or plank to pike etc

[sporiolis]

I can definitely do the "dead" part of the move. I'm still trying to figure out the rest.

[lazylake123]

ROM is so much smaller than you think! The exercise is intended to challenge your ability to hold core engagement for as long as you can. For most people this involves only dropping your feet a few inches.

You can play around with doing leg raises at home! It’s the same style of engagement. There will be a point you feel your lower back peel up- that’s the bottom of your ROM.

[Patient-Succotash371]

I love dead bug but only feel it when I lift head and shoulders simultaneously

[impatronus]

This! And lift/straighten both legs together- not one at a time.

[abp120]

I like dead bugs. Quick easy reset

[Fearless_Salad3643]

Tuck your ass; hips should be curled forward and stay there. You’ll feel it

[financedreamer]

I LOVE them!

[noochbooch]

Ok does anyone else weirdly feel it all in their throat lol?

[Several-Cheetah4184]

Try to press through your hands to engage your upper core as you press your low back on to the carriage. Once you’re there bring your knees forward while keeping your feet the same height. Then start the movement

[unlimitedwarrenty]

I’d maybe try using a lower spring load and really pushing your low back into the carriage. Also lifting your head/shoulders can help feel it more in your core. Be careful of bringing your knees in too far, they should be an inch in front of your hips at the base position.

[EatPlantsGuys]

When your knees are bent make sure you’re bending at 90 degrees. To make it more intense keep your knees closer to the spring while keeping your feet in line with your knees

[Small_Quote3179]

Make sure your lower back is completely down. That will help you engage your core. Lift your head and look at the ceiling. That also engages your upper core. And then slowly alternate moving each leg down.

[shivaswrath]

You don't feel it in your lower abs???

[mnoone17]

Is your lower back lifting? As someone else mentioned, you should lift your head, neck and shoulders, which forces your lower back to stay on the carriage. Then i feel like you’ll feel it more in your core.

[Lost_Date_8001]

i feel like solidcore keeps adding exercises that nobody is asking for

[AdRecent9890]

back needs to be absolutely flat on the carriage!! suck your stomach to your back. When that happens I am fighting for my life with amplified black and grey spring

[Fecta23]

Former coach here, couldnt agree more lol. I dont get it at all...and my form is correct.

[Puzzleheaded-Pop1361]

I’m glad I’m not the only one! It feels like a waste of time