As a fitness editor, I’m no stranger to the challenge of exercise. From a week-long ab challenge to a week of squats, (No, you shouldn’t do the squat challenge), I’ve tried a number of different exercises over the years.
So far in my quest to find The best ab workoutsI’ve added different exercises to my routine – I’m starting to practice 30 sit-ups per day for 30 daysAnd this month I upped things by adding 100 dead bugs a day to my workouts for a week. Read on to find out what happened.
I’ll start focusing on How to do a dead insectWhich is considered one of the best exercises to occupy the abdominal muscles. When done correctly, a dead bug targets both the external cardiac muscles as well as the transverse abdominal muscles – the deepest core muscles, which lie under the internal and external obliques and the rectus abdominis. Since it’s a stabilizing exercise, dead bugs also target the erector spinae, which helps stabilize the spine and support the lower back.
To do a dead bug, start by lying on your back with your arms directly above you, your knees in a tabletop position. Slowly lower your right arm a few inches from the ground behind your head; While doing this, extend your left leg away from your body and lower it just above the floor. Pause, then return to the starting position and repeat on the other side. Make sure your lower back is pressed into the mat throughout the exercise – to do this, consider sucking your belly button into your spine.
I Made 100 Dead Bugs A Day For A Week – Here’s What Happened
I’ll start by warning that 100 dead bugs a day is a Much, And it certainly won’t be a number for everyone, especially if you’re a beginner or new to exercise. (Remember, what works for me may not work for you, and it’s a good idea to consult your doctor or personal trainer if you’re into a new exercise routine.) I consider myself relatively fit, and my usual fitness routine includes four runs a week, equivalent to about 20 miles in total, and three strength sessions, including weights and Pilates.
On the first day of the challenge, I wondered why I settled on 100 – I felt so much. I took a 30-second break after each group of 20 dead insects, and the whole group took about five minutes. After that, I definitely felt my heart burn. While running, I felt like I was better able to handle my radicals, which helped me run with better posture.
On the second and third day, I remembered the downside to challenges like this – hitting the same muscles day in and day out is often not a good idea, especially if you’re looking for long-term gains. I could feel dead bugs in my core since the first workout, and it was hard to keep my perfect form, avoiding arching my back to facilitate movement. I’ve found, with dead bugs, the secret is to move as slowly as possible to work the core. These days, I’m shocked by dead bugs – I do 50 in the morning before a run or workout, and 50 in the evening, before a gentle dog walk.
By day four, dead bugs had become a part of my routine, and I definitely felt like I was working hard. As mentioned before, specific abdominal muscles depend on a low percentage of body fat (here How to calculate body fat percentage), so no amount of dead bugs or sitting exercises will make your stomach muscles pop. While I noticed my abs look more defined, the 400 dead bugs didn’t give me my dream six pack.
By day five and six, I started to get a little more confident (read, cocky) and added light dumbbells to the movement. Holding a 1.5kg weight in each hand seemed to work even harder in my arms, forcing me to engage my core in each rep. To come out with a bang, on day seven, I also hit some ankle weights, and ramped up the intensity for those last 100 reps.
Results? After 700 dead bugs, I felt my flesh was stronger than it had been in a while, but I also felt that my arms and legs were getting a workout, too. I felt stronger when running, and that I worked hard by the end of the week. I often have lower back pain from a teenage riding accident, but when done right, dead bugs put less pressure on your back than say, sit up or plank, so I was able to complete the week without needing to modify my workout. I’ll definitely keep dead bugs in my routine going forward, even though I’d probably pick 20 reps, not 100.
Looking for more exercise inspiration? Here are the best exercises to sculpt your arms using only your body weight, and these are three of the best resistance exercises for the lower body.
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