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Pilates

Reformer Control Front

Reformer Control Front is a moving plank with your hands on the carriage and feet on the footbar. It trains abdominal control as you move the carriage without letting your trunk sag or twist.

Higher injury risk. Read the safety notes before adding weight.

  • Advanced
  • Compound
  • Higher injury risk
  • Rest 1 min
Video by KevTheTrainer on YouTube

How to do it

  1. Kneel on the carriage facing the shoulder rests, with your back toward the footbar.
  2. Place your hands securely on the shoulder rests.
  3. Place the ball of one foot on the footbar.
  4. Step your other foot onto the footbar into a straight-arm plank, with your shoulders above your wrists.
  5. Press the carriage a short distance away from the footbar through your shoulders, keeping your elbows straight.
  6. Draw the carriage back until your shoulders are above your wrists again.
  7. After your final repetition, lower your knees onto the carriage.
  8. Bring your feet off the footbar.

Form cues

  • Push tall through your shoulders
  • Keep your ribs over your pelvis
  • Reach your heels backward
  • Breathe steadily throughout

Common mistakes

  • Lower back saggingShorten the carriage travel until you can keep your trunk in one long line.
  • Piking the hips on returnBring the carriage home through your shoulders rather than lifting your hips.
  • Snapping the carriage closedResist the springs on the return so the carriage approaches the stopper quietly.

Safety

Elevated feet and a moving hand support create a fall risk if your grip slips or the carriage escapes your control. Fatigue can also overload your wrists, shoulders, or lower back.

  • Have a qualified Pilates instructor select the spring setting and supervise your first attempts; lighter springs are not necessarily easier.
  • Confirm that the footbar is locked and the shoulder rests are secure and suitable for supporting your hands.
  • Keep hand and foot contact surfaces dry and free of slippery fabric.
  • End the set before shaking or fatigue prevents a controlled return.

Choose a supported kneeling alternative or seek physiotherapist advice first if you have wrist, shoulder, or back pain, or cannot comfortably support yourself in a floor plank.

Muscles worked

Front

Primary muscles

  • Abs

Secondary muscles

  • Hip Flexors
  • Obliques

Equipment

  • Pilates Reformer

Sets and reps

Sets
1–2
Target
3–6 reps
Rest
1 min

Start with a small carriage range rather than trying to match the travel of an experienced practitioner.