BWF Primer Build-up Community Event: Day 10

dontdosadness

New member

Welcome to Day 10 of the BWF Primer Build-up!​


(IF YOU ARE JUST JOINING US TODAY, CLICK HERE TO JUMP TO DAY 1!)

Day 2

Day 3

Day 4

Day 5

Day 6

Day 7

Day 8

Day 9

Day 10 (Today!)

Day 11

Day 12

Day 13

Day 14

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Hey folks! Nick-E here.

Today's Learning: How to do Deadbugs​


Here we are. The very first core exercise of the program! Deadbugs. I cannot overstate just how important these are. They're essentially the holy grail of core exercises, because on top of being a really killer core exercise once you get good at them, they also teach you proper breathing mechanics as well as how to properly brace (which is super important for both weightliftin and bwf, and life really.).

That's something you won't get from pretty much any other core exercise. That's why, in spite of their complexity, I've added them into the BWF Primer, which is a program meant to focus on simplicity, but these are a little too important in my opinion to let slide (Especially as the sooner you learn them, the more you'll practice them, and the sooner you'll get good at them, and the sooner you will reap the benefits).

Nick-E's Deadbug Guide


P.S More-so than any other exercise guide so far, please don't get overwhelmed and think you have to understand it all and do the exercise perfectly on the first go. Do your best, but recognise it may take a while to really 'get' this exercise. Generally speaking, if it feels super easy, you're almost certainly not yet doing it right. Just keep trying!

P.P.S Due to the complexity of this guide, there will be no reading tomorrow, so you will be encouraged to simply come back to this guide and re-read it, to make sure you can really take your time to absorb the info and get a hold of the key concepts.

Workout #10:​



Exercise
Sets/Reps
Rest
Deadbugs
3x10s
60s
Squats
2x7
60s
Glute Bridges
2x9
60s
Rows/Reverse Push-ups
2x11
60s
Push-ups 2x12
60s

(Note, 3x10s does not mean 3 sets of 10 reps. It means 3 sets of 10 seconds, as denoted by the 's'. This means you will do 3 sets of static deabug holds, holding each set for 10s.)

You'll notice that Push-ups have not increased from last time. Normally once you reach the top range of rep-range for an exercise, you would move on to the next progression (in this case, a lower inclination of push-ups). But as the 2 week build-up is more about learning than pushing yourself, you will be capping all your exercises at 12 reps until the 2 weeks is over. Once you move on to the full workout 3x per week, you will be free to progress as initially intended.

(REMINDER: IF YOU ARE FAILING ANY OF YOUR SETS, OR EVEN PUSHING CLOSE TO FAILURE, YOU ARE WORKING WAY TOO HARD. PICK AN EASIER LEVEL OF INCLINATION/EXERCISE VARIATION THAT YOU COULD DO SEVERAL MORE REPS OF IF YOU HAD TO. THE FOCUS OF THIS PHASE OF THE PRIMER ROUTINE IS ON TECHNIQUE PRACTICE AND LEARNING, NOT PUSHING YOURSELF TO YOUR LIMIT OR EVEN CLOSE. IF YOU PUSH YOURSELF TO FAILURE 6x A WEEK FOR TWO WEEKS YOU WILL BE MASSIVELY OVERDOING IT AND BURN OUT QUICKLY.)

Ok, I did it!​


Congratulations!

If you'd like, we'd love to hear your thoughts about your workout in the comments, as well as any questions you have about the concepts or forms you learned today.

Alternatively, we've set up a new 'beginners zone' in our communities' discord server, so you can come chat with other new exercisers in a friendly environment, with friendly helpers with experience with exercise that have volunteered to answer any questions you may have!

https://discord.gg/5MsaChT3YF
 
@dontdosadness deadbug was weird since I dont know what I was doing.. I couldnt really tell if I was using my internal obliques but I must have been and more muscles then just the rectus abdominis since it was harder then when I wasnt contracting all the muscles in my core.
 
@dontdosadness So I made it to day 10! I find myself getting completely stuck on the part how to contract the internal obliques. It's frustrating to have no idea what I'm supposed to be doing here despite the great explanation given on the site. Feels a little like trying to wiggle your ears when you actually can't, except now I have no external cues to say I'm even doing it right or not.

I'll just keep going, try my best and reread this tomorrow I guess. I'll just focus on the positives; I have the transverse abdominis and the diaphragm (+extra credit, yay) under control.
 
@dontdosadness Absolute beginner here, going to start day 1 tomorrow (though I couldn't help myself from reading a lot of all the subsequent days). I'm posting my question in this thread since it's going to get a lot more traffic. Something I haven't come across is whether it's necessary to do any warming up or stretches before any of these workouts. Should I be doing something before starting out? Or can you basically start cold? Sorry if I missed it in one of the other posts!
 
@dontdosadness I didn't understand these words on the Deadbug guide

Code:
If your abdomen is relaxed otherwise, this may push your belly out a  bit, and even make you breathe out slightly.  If you believe you have  successfully done so, maintain it, and try to flare your ribs out.

Can someone please rephrase it to me?
 
@klaas If you are contracting internal obliques it can push your belly out a bit. If they are contracted properly, when you try to flare out your ribs (push the lower part of your rib cage away from your spine), instead of your ribs flaring out you should stand up straighter because your contraction prevent them from flaring.
 
@dontdosadness Nick-e I just want to say thanks for your work on this. I just finished up a 2.5 week trip in the Rockies where I was pushing myself to the limits physically skiing and hiking. During the last hike of the trip I had a great time because I was mentally telling myself to brace my core which kept me from doing what I used to do - slouch and suffer an aching lower back lol.
I wouldn't have known to brace and engage like that if I hadn't read your dead bug guides. And I used to consider myself as having a strong core lol. I am a better athlete because of you! Thank you!!!!
 
@dontdosadness Almost impossible to tell if I was breathing in correctly while holding the deadbug, but it’s an exercise I’m excited about getting to know. Love the program, thank you Nick-E!
 
@dontdosadness Oof man. Done, but I probably did a lot wrong with the deadbug. It's really hard to me to fully empty my lungs and then stay that way for 10 seconds, feels like I'm about to suffocate... I have big lungs and am used to them being ateast a quarter full (when I breath regularly I never fully empty them out).

Today I did the rows on a bar the first time, was at my friends place and he had a playground 'round the corner. Tomorrow I'll try the wrapping technique with the sheets as promised. On a bar it felt a lot harder, probably because it was lower than I can manage with sheets.
 
@neisha_ for the deadbugs, down the road when you start using your internal obliques, and use less abs, you'll be able to breath during the hold.

Good luck! :)
 
@dontdosadness So I am supposed to "brace" my body during every exercise ( push-ups, rows,...)? I am not sure if I am even doing it right during the deadbug, since I feel some tension in my lower back. Thanks for the amazing guide btw!
 
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