Pilates
Pilates Chair Standing One-Arm Push-Up
The Pilates Chair Standing One-Arm Push-Up is a standing, forward-leaning press against a spring-loaded pedal. It trains your shoulders and arms while your trunk resists twisting.
- Intermediate
- Compound
- Moderate injury risk
- Rest 1 min
How to do it
- Stand facing the chair with your feet about hip-width apart.
- Hinge forward at your hips with your knees slightly bent.
- Place one palm securely on the raised pedal with your elbow bent.
- Extend your free arm to the side for balance.
- Press the pedal down by straightening your working elbow without locking it.
- Bend your elbow to guide the pedal back to its starting height.
- Repeat on the other side after completing your repetitions.
Form cues
- Keep your neck long.
- Breathe out through the press.
- Keep your whole foot grounded.
Common mistakes
- Turning your torsoKeep your chest facing the floor rather than rotating toward your working arm.
- Dropping your body onto the pedalKeep your trunk at a steady height so the press comes from your arm.
- Flaring your elbow sidewaysGuide your elbow back at a comfortable angle rather than directly out to the side.
Safety
A sudden pedal return or a sliding chair can make your supporting hand slip and cause a fall. Excessive spring resistance or fatigue can overload your wrist, elbow, or shoulder.
- Check that the chair is stable, the springs are secure, and any split-pedal connection is configured correctly.
- Have a qualified Pilates instructor select the spring setting and supervise your first attempts.
- Keep fingers clear of the pedal hinges and spring mechanism.
- At the end of the set, let the pedal return fully before removing your hand.
Choose a supported two-arm version or seek guidance from a physiotherapist if you have wrist, elbow, or shoulder pain or difficulty balancing in the forward-leaning position.
Muscles worked
Primary muscles
Secondary muscles
Equipment
- Pilates Chair
Sets and reps
- Sets
- 2–3
- Target
- 6–10 reps per side
- Rest
- 1 min
Start with a short pedal range that you can control without changing your body position.