The one move this trainer does to properly engage her core before every deadlift

While you may not be the sort of person who deadlifts heavy weights in the gym, it's probably a movement that you do on a daily basis without even realising it.

“It’s one of the most functional movements you can do,” says Stephanie McNally, a certified personal trainer and nutrition coach at Life Time Boca Raton.

She explains that actions such as picking up kids and groceries or moving furniture all use a deadlift pattern.

So, learning proper deadlift mechanics can build strength and help you to lift more safely in your day-to-day life.

McNally thinks that desk workers in particular could benefit from a regular deadlift.

“It’s a compound lift that trains the entire posterior chain, which matters more than ever now that so many of us spend our days sitting,” says McNally. “Sitting deactivates the exact muscles this lift is designed to wake back up.”

But it isn’t as simple as just picking up a barbell.

When McNally first started deadlifting, she found that she had some bad habits that she needed to break. The major one was not engaging her core properly.

“I didn’t understand what it actually meant to brace my core, and that’s still the number one thing I notice when I’m coaching others through their deadlifts,” she says.

Secondly, McNally was given some bad coaching advice that actually compromised her form: she was told to look up.

“The intent was to help flatten my back, but as the load increases, that cue actually puts unnecessary strain on the cervical spine,” she explains.

“It’s a superficial fix for a deeper positioning issue, and it’s one of the first things I coach people out of now.”

McNally fixed these issues by practising one simple move before her deadlifts: the stability ball dead bug.

Why the stability ball dead bug?

This move encourages the body to engage the core properly and keep the spine neutral—vital for a good deadlift.

“Even now, I use a stability ball dead bug as a priming movement before I deadlift,” says McNally.

“The ball gives constant feedback on core engagement, while the rib-cage-down, pelvis-tucked cue teaches the actual mechanics of bracing, so you can feel immediately if that position breaks down,” she adds.

She says that when you pair this move with steady breath control, it further encourages proper core engagement.

“Once I could feel that tension, and recognize the moment it broke down, I could carry that same awareness into the deadlift itself.”

How to do the stability ball dead bug

• Lie on your back with your knees bent to a 90° angle, holding a stability ball between your hands and knees.
• Apply steady pressure into the ball with both your hands and knees to activate the core.
• Set your position by drawing your rib cage down and slightly tucking your pelvis so your spine stays neutral.
• Maintain that tension as you slowly extend one arm overhead and the opposite leg out straight.
• Return to the starting position and switch sides.

Form tip: Inhale as you extend your arm and leg away from you and exhale as you draw them back in.

What McNally learned

“What surprised me was how much this one fix cascaded into everything else,” she says.

“On the way up, I cue thinking about pushing the floor away rather than pulling the weight up, which keeps the drive coming from the hips and legs instead of the lower back.

“The same goes for keeping the bar close to the body: a proper brace keeps the ribcage aligned over the pelvis, which makes it easier for the lats to stay engaged, rather than letting the weight drift away and stress the lower back.”