12 Minute Dumbbell Deadbug Ab Workout is core workout from Caroline Girvan. I usually avoid these core add ons but this was short and used dumbbells, so I wanted to try it. Plus, it’s deadbugs! I love deadbugs! This is a great finisher workout to add on to the end of any strength workout, which is how I used it this morning. I did Heather Robertson‘s Fierce 14 Day 6 which is a total body strength workout but it doesn’t hit the back very well. This workout gives the back some extra work because you are doing weighted deadbugs (basically single arm pullovers). I found this to be a very tough core workout. Caroline does every deadbug to a slow and controlled pace with a pause at the most challenging part of the deadbug. 5 seconds of rest between intervals felt like nothing! My core was burning and by the end of the 12 minutes it felt like it was already sore! Now, over an hour later, it doesn’t feel sore anymore but I suspect I will have some DOMS from this workout!
All of the exercises workout is done interval style: 40 seconds of work followed by 5 seconds of rest. There is a timer in the upper left hand side of the screen counting down your intervals and recoveries. Approximately 5 seconds before the interval is over a video appears in the upper right hand corner of the screen, previewing the next exercise; the preview continues through the 5 second recovery. There is also a little bar at the bottom of the screen that counts down the entire workout time as a percentage.
12 Minute Dumbbell Deadbug Ab Workout is 13:39 minutes; no warm up and 45 second stretch. Equipment: dumbbells and a fitness mat. Caroline is using 6kg/13 pound dumbbells. The weights listed below are what I used.
- Bodyweight deadbug (lay on back, legs are raised w/ knees bent at 90 degrees and arms are extended straight to ceiling, lower one arm overhead while also extending the opposite leg straight)
- Repeat #1 on other side of body
- Repeat #1 but this time both legs are extended straight to ceiling and remain straight throughout interval
- Repeat #3 on other side of body
- Repeat #1 but this time you are holding a DB in each hand (12# DBs)
- Repeat #5 on other side of body
- Repeat #3 but this time you are holding a DB in each hand (12# DBs)
- Repeat #7 on other side of body
- Hold bottom of #7 isometrically entire interval (one arm holding DB extended straight overhead and elevated off floor, opposite leg is extended straight and elevated a few inches off floor) (8# DBs)
- Repeat #9 on other side of body
- Double deadbug (hold one DB in both hands, arms are straight and reaching for ceiling, legs are raised w/ knees bent at 90 degrees, extend DB overhead while also pushing both legs out straight) (one 15# DB)
- Straight leg double deadbug (repeat #11 but this time legs are extended straight to ceiling at start) (one 15# DB)
- Toe reach (lay on back, still holding one DB in both hands, legs are extended straight to ceiling, crunch upper body while reaching DB to toes) (one 15# DB)
- Leg lowers (same starting position as #1, but arms are straight and reaching for ceiling and held isometrically in that position the entire interval, head/shoulders also remain elevated, lower straight legs until they are a few inches off the floor) (one 15# DB)
- Toe reach to leg lower (combine #13 & 14–one toe reach + one leg lower) (one 15# DB)
- Alternating straight leg deadbug w/ DBs (repeat #7 but this time you alternate sides) (12# DBs)
For more info on Caroline Girvan’s workouts and other (free) streaming workouts I’ve sampled and reviewed, check out my Streaming page.
