The exercise behind Tom’s Guide fitness editor Jane McGuire’s “torched my core” headline is an elevated dead bug, not a Pilates bird dog. It puts a Pilates ball beneath the glutes to add a balance challenge, then pairs same-side arm-and-leg extensions with a slow, controlled return.
What is the elevated dead bug?
It is a bodyweight core exercise that uses a Pilates ball beneath the glutes. In the version described by Tom’s Guide on October 3, 2026, you extend an arm and the leg on the same side while the opposite hand touches the thigh of the bent leg. The ball makes the setup less stable, so maintaining control and coordination is part of the challenge.
Dani Coleman, identified in the feature as Pvolve’s vice president of training and Jennifer Aniston’s trainer, featured the movement in a “mini-meltdown” workout. The article also describes a traditional cross-body dead bug performed while balancing on the ball, but it does not compare the two versions’ results.
How to do the ball-supported version
You need an exercise mat and a Pilates ball. Coleman uses the Pvolve ball, but the feature says a similar Pilates ball can be used; no particular brand is required.
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- Place the mat on the floor and lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat.
- Position the ball beneath your glutes. It does not need to be fully inflated.
- Lift both legs into tabletop, with knees bent about 90 degrees.
- Brace your core. Slowly extend one arm and the leg on that same side away from your body. At the same time, let the opposite hand touch the thigh of the bent leg.
- Return to the starting position with control, then repeat on the other side. Continue alternating until you complete 15 repetitions per side.
Keep the movement slow and controlled rather than swinging your limbs through the repetitions. The feature presents that pace as the key cue for the exercise.
What the ball changes
The ball creates an unstable support under the glutes, adding a balance and coordination demand to the movement. McGuire says that, in her own week of trying the exercise, she felt the effects after a few repetitions. She also describes the non-working limbs as remaining under tension.
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That is a personal account, not a measured result: the feature reports no controlled trial, muscle-activation data, or comparison showing that the elevated dead bug is more effective than crunches. “Torched my core” is McGuire’s subjective description, not evidence of superiority.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.When to get guidance first
The Tom’s Guide feature advises beginners, pregnant or postpartum readers, and people recovering from an injury to seek personalized professional advice before trying the move. It mentions sciatica and lower back pain as reasons crunches may not suit everyone, but does not establish that this dead bug variation treats either condition. Do not treat it as therapy or assume it is suitable for every body.
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