Pilates
Pilates Jackknife
The Pilates Jackknife is an advanced mat exercise that rolls your hips overhead before lifting your legs toward the ceiling. It trains abdominal strength and control as you lift and lower your spine.
Higher injury risk. Read the safety notes before adding weight.
- Advanced
- Compound
- Higher injury risk
- Rest 45 sec
How to do it
- Lie on your back with your arms beside you, palms facing down.
- Raise your legs together to vertical above your hips.
- Roll your pelvis off the mat, bringing your legs overhead toward parallel with the floor.
- Reach your feet toward the ceiling, lifting your hips into a line supported across your shoulders and upper back.
- Roll your spine back onto the mat, one section at a time.
- Return your legs to vertical above your hips.
Form cues
- Exhale as your hips lift.
- Keep your knees long, not locked.
- Press evenly through both palms.
Common mistakes
- Swinging the legs to liftUse a smaller overhead range that lets you lift your pelvis without a kick.
- Dropping out of the inversionTake longer to lower than to lift so you can control the return.
- Separating or twisting the legsKeep your inner thighs close so both sides of your pelvis travel together.
Safety
Rolling too far can shift body weight onto your neck instead of your shoulders. Fatigue or lost control in the inverted position can cause an abrupt fall onto your back.
- Learn this advanced inversion with qualified in-person instruction.
- Keep your head centered on the mat; never turn it while your hips are lifted.
- Use a firm, nonslip mat with clear space beyond your head.
- End the set if you feel neck pressure or cannot lower smoothly.
If you have neck or back problems, osteoporosis, or a medical restriction on inversions, get advice from a physiotherapist or doctor before attempting this exercise.
Muscles worked
Primary muscles
Secondary muscles
Equipment
- Exercise Mat
Sets and reps
- Sets
- 2–3
- Target
- 3–5 reps
- Rest
- 45 sec
Start with a few precise repetitions rather than working to fatigue.