Forget planking, 'deadbugging' is the new core exercise you should be doing

Stop planking — the deadbug is the new power move for getting washboard abs, says Phoebe Luckhurst
Do the deadbug
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The plank is universally despised, even by the strongest of sylphs and gym bros. Propped up on your forearms, body trembling in exertion, sweat dripping in your eyes, you long for death. The designated minute expands infinitely; you start to see spots. Though the misery is also agreed to be worth it: planks whittle the core with an aggression that few other moves can touch. It’s a multitasking move that engages, tones and strengthens.

But it isn’t matchless. There’s another wonder move that some whisper can do just as much — if not more — for your abs: the deadbug. It sounds gruesome, and conjures a gruesome image, but as moves go it’s pretty gentle-going — with results to rival the plank.

For a start, you get to lie down. To start the deadbug, raise your arms above your shoulders, keeping your back flat against the floor, then bring your legs into a tabletop position and, keeping your arms in position, alternate lifting and lowering each leg. Hence the move’s name: in this position, you look a bit like a poor old bug that has ended up on its back, vainly wiggling its legs in the air. Go for a few sets of eight to 10 repetitions; you can supercharge the move up by adding dumbbells or wearing weighted ankle straps.

Trainers are convinced. “Planks are probably one of the most butchered exercises performed in the gym,” observes Andy Vincent, elite personal trainer at Third Space. “Timed planks with world-record attempts have made the exercise more about time versus form, which leads to terrible body alignment and posture. The deadbug is arguably one of the greatest core exercise, and I’d suggest pretty much everyone needs to do them.” Shannon Jewell, concept manager at ONE LDN, a boutique gym in Fulham, says that deadbugs are also a worthy replacement for crunches and will do more to charge up your abs. “Make sure you focus moving really slow on the down movement working against gravity, think about hitting 10-30 reps then increasing the weight you lift and difficulty.”

Like the plank, the move is a multitasker: it works the abs, arms, glutes and thighs. Vincent observes that it can also minimise injury, because it keeps the spine aligned along the floor, and you can work on correct hip and shoulder control, abdominal bracing and breathing all at once. “When performed with the correct technique, this exercise can unlock a lot of postural issues we see in the gym.”

Moreover, the deadbug doesn’t discriminate on ability. “It can be regressed or progressed to work for a total novice and hardened gym warrior,” he continues. And you can do it on the gym floor, or at home. Don’t rush it: you should be mindful of controlling your muscles slowly. Focus on your breathing, and ensure that your back is always on the floor and not arching, or you’ll put strain on the muscles and won’t reap the rewards.

Home gyms: in pictures

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Plus, the challenge to the monopoly of the plank is to be encouraged. “The move away from planks and focusing on exercises that you can control your body and not just hanging lots of tension on your lower back or thoracic spine is important,” says Vincent. So don’t balance there sweating and watching the seconds elapse — lie back and play dead.

Follow Phoebe Luckhurst on Twitter: @phoebeluckhurst

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