Reformer Pilates
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Illustration of Pike on Chair on the Pilates reformer

Exercise

Pike on Chair

Advanced

Advanced Wunda Chair plank-to-pike exercise with feet on the pedal and hands on the floor for exceptional core and shoulder strength.

Setup instructions

Stand beside the Wunda Chair and bend forward to place both hands on the floor directly below the shoulders. Step both feet onto the pedal so the body forms a long plank position. Engage the core and stabilise the shoulder girdle before beginning.

Breathing cues

Exhale to pike. Inhale to hold. Exhale to return.

Movement steps

  1. 1Inhale to prepare in the plank.
  2. 2Exhale to press through the hands and lift the hips into a deep pike as the pedal descends.
  3. 3Keep the spine long and the core strongly engaged throughout the arc.
  4. 4Inhale to hold the pike briefly.
  5. 5Exhale to return to the plank with control.

Common mistakes

Letting the hips sag in the plank; losing shoulder connection in the pike; holding the breath; collapsing the abdominals; rushing the pedal descent.

Safety notes

Requires exceptional shoulder stability and core strength. Only attempt with strong plank and pike foundations. Avoid with wrist, shoulder, or low-back issues.

Connections

Goals supported

Equipment needed

Related exercises

FAQs

  • Is Pike on Chair suitable for beginners?

    No. Pike on Chair is one of the most demanding exercises in Pilates. It requires exceptional shoulder stability, core strength, and flexibility to perform safely.

  • What muscles does Pike on Chair work?

    The deep core works intensely throughout both the plank and the pike. The shoulder stabilisers support the hands-on-floor position, and the hamstrings assist the hip lift into the pike arc.

  • What is Pike on Chair good for?

    It is one of the most powerful full-body integration exercises in Pilates — building simultaneous core endurance, shoulder strength, hamstring flexibility, and whole-body coordination in a single movement.

  • How does Pike on Chair differ from Mountain Climber on Chair?

    Mountain Climber focuses on pressing the pedal from a static plank. Pike on Chair involves pressing into a deep inverted pike position, demanding far greater hamstring flexibility and hip mobility.