How is this different from footwork with the arches on the bar?

The knees do the same job in both, but the raised heel changes what the ankle is asked for. Here the balls of the feet carry the press and the calves hold the ankle still throughout, while the arches Pilates Reformer Lying Knee Extension spreads the contact across the whole foot and leaves the ankle largely out of it.

Is this the same as a reformer calf raise?

No. In the Pilates Reformer Lying Calf Raise the legs stay straight and the carriage is moved by the ankle alone. In this movement the ankle angle is held fixed and the carriage is moved by the knees and hips extending.

Why keep the heels lifted for the whole set?

Holding the heels below the bar keeps the ankle in plantar flexion, which is what keeps the calves working while the knees do the pressing. Let the heels drift up level with the bar and the calves drop out of it, and the set quietly turns into the arches version on a smaller patch of foot.

How many springs should I use?

Spring settings differ between reformer brands, so go by how the carriage moves rather than by a number. Footwork usually sits at one of the heavier settings in a session, and the right load is the one that lets you press out and come back at the same steady speed without the carriage jerking or dropping.

My feet or calves keep cramping. What should I do?

Cramping in this position is common early on, as the foot and calf muscles are being asked to hold a load they rarely take. Stop the set, come off the bar and stretch the foot out, then restart with fewer reps, a lighter spring and the pressure spread across the ball of the foot rather than the toes. If it keeps happening, spend a few weeks on the arches version first.

Pilates Reformer Lying Knee Extension (On Toes)

What Is the Pilates Reformer Lying Knee Extension (On Toes)?

Pilates Reformer Lying Knee Extension (On Toes) is a compound exercise that primarily targets the quads and also engages the glutes, hamstrings and calves. It is a beginner-level movement performed lying face up on the reformer carriage, pressing the balls of the feet into the footbar to straighten the legs against the spring resistance and then bending the knees to let the carriage travel back. Because the body is supported and the load is horizontal, the legs work without carrying any body weight through the spine.

Footwork is where a reformer session usually starts, and the toes position is the first of the series, ahead of the arches and heels variations and typically run for around ten controlled repetitions. It serves as a leg warm-up and an alignment drill at the same time: with the pelvis fixed on the carriage and the feet fixed on the bar, there is nowhere for sloppy hip, knee and ankle tracking to hide. Trainers also use it as a low-load way to reintroduce knee extension when heavier work is not appropriate yet.

The quads drive the press and do most of the work, while the glutes and hamstrings extend the hip and the deep abdominals hold the pelvis steady. What the toes position adds is the ankle. Keeping the heels lifted below the bar means the calves and the small muscles of the foot stay loaded for the whole set, holding the ankle angle still while the knees open and close, which the arches Pilates Reformer Lying Knee Extension does not ask for and the Pilates Reformer Lying Knee Extension (On Heels) takes away almost entirely. Pressing through the ball of the foot also uses the part of the foot you push off from when you walk or run.

It suits anyone new to the reformer, as well as runners, dancers and people rebuilding leg strength after time off. If your feet or calves cramp or your ankle cannot hold the raised heel yet, build up with the arches version first and come back to this one. If you want the ankle work on its own rather than alongside a knee extension, that is the Pilates Reformer Lying Calf Raise, where the knees stay straight and only the ankle moves.

Muscles Worked

MuscleActivation

Rectus Femoris: Primary
Vastus Lateralis: Primary
Vastus Medialis: Primary
Gastrocnemius (Medial Head): High
Gluteus Maximus: High
Biceps Femoris: Medium
Gastrocnemius (Lateral Head): Medium
Soleus: Medium
Adductor Magnus: Low
Rectus Abdominis: Low

Instructions

Set the reformer springs to a moderate load and lie face up on the carriage.
Rest your head on the headrest and settle your shoulders against the shoulder rests.
Place the balls of both feet on the footbar, about hip width apart or heels together in a small V, with your heels lifted and hanging just below the bar.
Bend your knees so the carriage sits close to the footbar, with your knees pointing up and tracking over your second toes.
Let your arms rest along your sides on the carriage, palms down, and set your pelvis neutral with a small natural gap under your lower back.
Press through the balls of your feet to straighten your knees and push the carriage away from the footbar.
Finish with your legs long and your knees just short of locked.
Hold your heels at the same height the whole way out and back so the ankle angle never changes.
Bend your knees slowly to draw the carriage in against the springs, stopping just before it reaches the stopper.
Repeat for reps, keeping your head, shoulders and pelvis still throughout.

Common Mistakes

Finishing the press with the ankle
Pushing the heel down at the end of the range turns the last part of the press into a calf raise instead of a knee extension, so the quads stop short of the work they are there to do.
Knees falling in or bowing out
Letting the knees drift toward each other or out to the sides loads the joint off its line of travel; each knee should stay stacked over its second toe from start to finish.
Tucking the pelvis
Curling the tailbone up and flattening the lower back into the carriage as the legs straighten rotates the pelvis instead of extending the hip, and hides how much range the legs actually covered.
Snapping into a locked knee
Driving the legs hard into full extension jams the knee at the end of the range instead of stopping under control just short of it.
Letting the carriage come back on its own
Releasing the press and letting the springs pull the carriage home removes the whole lowering half of the set and usually ends with the carriage hitting the stopper.
Gripping with the toes
Curling the toes over the bar to hold on concentrates the load under them and is a common cause of the foot cramps beginners get in this position.

Injuries

Pilates Reformer Lying Knee Extension (On Toes) is a low risk exercise when performed with proper technique. The spine is supported on the carriage, the load is spring-driven and horizontal, and the feet never leave the bar, so there is very little that can go wrong quickly. The structures that do take a concentrated load are the forefoot and toes, which carry the whole press through a small contact area, the calf and Achilles tendon, which hold the raised heel for the entire set, and the front of the knee if the legs are snapped into extension.

Spread the pressure across the whole ball of the foot rather than letting it collect under the toes, and keep the toes long instead of curling them over the bar. Keep each knee tracking over its second toe through both directions of travel, stop the press just short of locking the knees, and control the return so the springs do not pull the carriage into the stopper. Choose a spring load you can move smoothly; if the carriage jerks on the way out or drops on the way back, the setting is too heavy.

If the raised heel is hard to hold, or your feet cramp early in the set, start with the Pilates Reformer Lying Knee Extension with the arches on the bar and add the toes position once the ankle and foot cope with it. To progress, add a spring, slow the tempo in both directions, or move to one leg at a time. Stop the set for sharp pain at the front of the knee, for heel or arch pain that builds rather than fades, or for a calf cramp that does not release when you come off the bar and stretch it out.

People with an irritable Achilles tendon, a current plantar fascia problem or limited ankle range should clear the toes position with a physical therapist or instructor first, since it holds the ankle plantarflexed under load for the whole set.

Overview

Primary Focus: Quads
Equipment: Pilates reformer
Modality: Strength
Difficulty: Beginner

Alternative Exercises

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: How is this different from footwork with the arches on the bar?: The knees do the same job in both, but the raised heel changes what the ankle is asked for. Here the balls of the feet carry the press and the calves hold the ankle still throughout, while the arches Pilates Reformer Lying Knee Extension spreads the contact across the whole foot and leaves the ankle largely out of it.
Q: Is this the same as a reformer calf raise?: No. In the Pilates Reformer Lying Calf Raise the legs stay straight and the carriage is moved by the ankle alone. In this movement the ankle angle is held fixed and the carriage is moved by the knees and hips extending.
Q: Why keep the heels lifted for the whole set?: Holding the heels below the bar keeps the ankle in plantar flexion, which is what keeps the calves working while the knees do the pressing. Let the heels drift up level with the bar and the calves drop out of it, and the set quietly turns into the arches version on a smaller patch of foot.
Q: How many springs should I use?: Spring settings differ between reformer brands, so go by how the carriage moves rather than by a number. Footwork usually sits at one of the heavier settings in a session, and the right load is the one that lets you press out and come back at the same steady speed without the carriage jerking or dropping.
Q: My feet or calves keep cramping. What should I do?: Cramping in this position is common early on, as the foot and calf muscles are being asked to hold a load they rarely take. Stop the set, come off the bar and stretch the foot out, then restart with fewer reps, a lighter spring and the pressure spread across the ball of the foot rather than the toes. If it keeps happening, spend a few weeks on the arches version first.