Elephant: Steps, Muscles and Common Mistakes

How to do the Elephant

Stand on the reformer facing the footbar with your heels flat on the carriage and your hands resting firmly on the bar. Hinge at your hips to form an inverted V shape, keeping your spine neutral.

1. Engage your core muscles to support your neutral spine.
2. Press down through your hands to activate your shoulder stabilizers.
3. Push the carriage backward using only your legs.
4. Keep your heels flat on the carriage as it moves away.
5. Stop the outward movement before your lower back arches or changes shape.
6. Pull the carriage back to the starting position using your abdominal muscles.
7. Maintain your steady pike position throughout the entire movement.

• Breath. Teachers often cue you to exhale as you push the carriage away and inhale as you return, though some prefer the reverse breathing pattern. Focus on keeping a steady breath that supports your abdominal engagement.
• Where you feel it. You should feel deep work in your abdominals and a strong lengthening sensation down the backs of your thighs. You should not feel pinching in your lower back or strain in your neck.
• How many. 5 to 10 controlled repetitions

Common mistakes

• Rounding the back. Focus on keeping a neutral spine held steady rather than tucking your tailbone under.
• Lifting the heels. Press your heels firmly into the carriage to ensure your hamstrings receive the lengthening benefit.
• Moving the upper body. Keep your shoulders and arms completely still, isolating the movement to your lower body pushing the carriage.
• Sinking into the shoulders. Actively push away from the footbar to engage your shoulder stabilizers and protect your joints.
• Losing core control. Pull your belly button gently inward to keep your transversus abdominis and rectus abdominis active.

Make it easier or harder

Easier

• Limit your range of motion, only pushing the carriage out as far as you can while maintaining a neutral spine.
• Practice holding the static pike position on the reformer without moving the carriage.
• Bend your knees slightly if your hamstrings are too tight to maintain a neutral spine.

Harder

• Try the movement with a lighter spring setting to demand more from your abdominal muscles.
• Perform the exercise using only one leg to push the carriage while the other hovers.

Who should be careful

• Weight-bearing through the hands can aggravate wrist, hand or shoulder pain. Fists, forearms or a raised surface can reduce the load.
• Tight hamstrings make the straight-leg version hard to do well. Bending the knees keeps the focus on the spine instead of forcing a stretch.
• Reformer springs and the moving carriage add load and instability. Learn it with a qualified instructor, who can set the springs for your body and goals.

Related exercises

• Backstroke Intermediate
• The Hundred on the Reformer Intermediate
• Stomach Massage Intermediate
• Double Leg Stretch Intermediate
• Roll Up Intermediate

When to see a doctor or physical therapist

• Sharp or shooting pain in your lower back during the pike.
• Numbness or tingling traveling down your legs.
• Sudden pain in your shoulder joints when bearing weight.
• Dizziness when holding your head below your hips.

This page is general education, not a diagnosis or treatment plan. If you have a health condition, are pregnant or are recovering from an injury or surgery, check with your own clinician before trying new exercises.

How we put this page together. Exercise data (type, level, equipment and muscles) was compiled by our editors from the classical mat order in Joseph Pilates’ 1945 book and from commonly taught reformer repertoire. Muscle lists are a general anatomy guide; cueing differs between teachers. Text drafted with AI assistance and checked by the Editorial Team. See our editorial policy. Last checked October 2026.