Reformer Pilates Plank Exercises: Long Stretch, Elephant and How to Keep Hands and Feet Stable

Plank exercises on the Pilates Reformer are among the moments in class you feel through your whole body. Hands on the footbar, feet against the shoulder rests, the carriage moving beneath your legs… and your core working hard so that nothing shifts out of place. The long stretch series and its variations are wonderfully complete exercises, but they are also highly sensitive to a detail that is often overlooked: how secure your points of contact are.

In this guide we cover the most common Reformer Pilates plank exercises, how to place your hands and feet in each one, and what you need so that sweat doesn't turn the series into a constant battle not to slip.

What makes a plank on the Reformer different

A plank on the floor is already demanding, but on the Reformer there is one key difference: one of your points of support sits on a surface that moves. Your hands usually rest on the footbar, which is fixed, while your feet rest on the carriage or against the shoulder rests, which travel with the tension of the springs.

That has several practical consequences:

• Your body becomes a bridge between a fixed point and a moving one. If one end slips, the whole line loses its alignment.
• The springs are unforgiving. With the light resistance typical of this series, the carriage reacts to even the smallest slide of the foot.
• Your hands carry a lot of weight. With damp palms, your grip on the footbar and the load on your wrists change completely.

If terms like footbar, shoulder rests or platform are new to you, start with our guide to the parts of the Pilates Reformer.

The most common plank exercises

Long stretch

This is the classic Reformer plank. Hands on the footbar, body in a straight line and feet against the shoulder rests, usually with the heels on the edge and the toes on the carriage. The carriage slides back and returns while the torso stays rigid like a board. The critical point here is the foot: if it slips against the shoulder rest or on the carriage, the movement loses range and control.

Down stretch

Kneeling on the carriage, feet against the shoulder rests and hands on the footbar, the pelvis lowers forward as the chest opens. It combines kneeling support with hand support, so it needs a secure surface at both ends. To go deeper into that foundation, see our guide to kneeling exercises on the Pilates Reformer.

Up stretch

It starts from a pike position with the hips lifted and moves into a plank as you push the carriage back. It demands a great deal of abdominal control, with the weight constantly shifting between hands and feet.

Elephant

Hands on the footbar and feet flat on the carriage, hips high and back rounded. The legs push the carriage back and draw it home again. This is perhaps the exercise where foot grip on the upholstery matters most, because the whole sole rests on a surface that moves.

Plank variations in contemporary studios

Many boutique studios include planks with the hands on the carriage and the feet on the platform or the floor, or side planks with one foot on the carriage. The position changes, but the principle is the same: one fixed support, one moving support and a body that must hold its line.

How to place your hands and feet

Hands

Place your hands shoulder-width apart and spread the weight across the whole palm and the base of the fingers, rather than sinking into the wrist. If your hand slides or needs repositioning mid-series, it is usually about sweat rather than strength: dry your hands before you start.

Feet

In the long stretch, agree the foot position against the shoulder rest with your instructor and hold it for the whole series. In the elephant, rest the whole sole, heels down if your flexibility allows. In both cases the foot should stay still: if it moves while the carriage travels, the surface isn't holding you.

Torso and hips

In a plank, head, back and pelvis form a single line. Avoid letting the hips sag or lift too high as the carriage moves: your legs and core do the work. To organise your points of support across every other exercise, read our guide on how to stay stable on the Reformer carriage.

If you feel discomfort in your wrists, shoulders or lower back during a plank, mention it to your instructor: these exercises have modifications and alternatives for every level.

Why you slip in a plank (and what doesn't work)

Plank work often comes midway through or near the end of class, when you are already sweating. Reformer upholstery is smooth and easy to clean, which every studio needs, but with damp feet or hands it offers little grip. And the answer isn't to grip harder.

• A bath towel on the carriage: it slides on the vinyl and bunches under the sole of your foot just as the carriage moves.
• Grip socks alone: they help the foot, but they don't deal with sweat on the carriage or with hand support. We explain this in Pilates grip socks for the Reformer: what they solve and what they don't.
• Tensing your shoulders and neck: it compensates for a few seconds, but it breaks your alignment and makes the exercise less effective.

What your surface needs for plank work

• Grip on both sides: the underside stays fixed to the carriage and the top side holds your feet even when you sweat.
• A thin, even thickness: so you can feel the carriage and no folds form under your foot.
• A size that covers the carriage: so you don't have to reposition it when moving from lying exercises into a plank.
• Easy to wash: it collects sweat from hands and feet every session.

Make your plank more stable with the Bellman Pilates non-slip towel

The Bellman Pilates Non-Slip Reformer Pilates Towel is designed for the most demanding points of contact on the Reformer. With 85% grip on both sides, it stays fixed to the upholstery while holding your feet in the long stretch and elephant, and gives you a dry surface to wipe your hands between sets. Its thin profile doesn't bunch up, so you can leave it in place for the whole class.

It comes in blue, pink and grey, washes easily without losing grip and fits in any bag. If the plank is where you start to slip, start with the surface: discover the Bellman Pilates non-slip towel.