Last week, we talked about how important it was to exhale effectively and get our air out.

This week, we’re going to talk about how we can use that exhale to facilitate better core training and abdominal function!

The dead bug is an exercise I used to coach on an almost daily basis. For some reason, I simply forgot about and/or moved away from it.

However, I think I now have  a better understanding of not only how to coach this exercise for maximum effectiveness, but how we can use a band to get even more out of it than ever before!

Coaching Points:

• Grasp the band with an overhand grip and exhale fully. Get all your air out and keep your ribs down.
• In the ribs-down position, pull the bands down to really crank up the core contraction.
• From the ribs-down/band-down position, extend one leg fully. Take a big breath into the belly and chest, and then return to the starting position.
• Repeat on the opposite leg.

You can either pull the band down between reps, or keep it down the entire time. The latter is simply going to create more time under tension for the core and abdominals.

Random Thoughts:

• EXHALE! If you don’t get all your air out and keep the ribs down, this exercise will not give you optimal results.
• Breathe into the back. In the leg-extended position, focus on keeping the back flat to the floor and taking a breath without losing this position. You should feel air moving into your belly and chest, as well as into your your back.
• Use your “neck abs.” Finally, think about keeping the neck long and tucking the chin throughout. I use the term “neck abs” for this one – trademark pending. 🙂

This exercise may look simple, but I guarantee you it’s going to hit your abs hard. Give it a shot and let me know what you think!

Stay strong,

MR