Saw — Three Pulses: A Complete Guide
Quick Intro
Saw — Three Pulses is a mat Pilates exercise performed seated with the legs extended wide, rotating the torso and reaching one hand toward the opposite foot, then adding three small pulses at the end of the reach before returning upright. Pulsing at the deepest point of the reach is what makes this harder than Saw.
Equipment Needed
No equipment is required. A Yoga Mat underneath is an optional way to cushion the sit bones during the seated rotation.
Why It Matters
Pulsing at the end of the reach asks the hamstrings and rotated spine to stay under tension across several small movements, and controlling those pulses without losing the rotation takes precision. The waist muscles along the side of the torso (obliques) drive and hold the rotation through all three pulses, and the lower back muscles (erector spinae) support the spine as it stays turned. A muscle at the back of the thigh (hamstrings, biceps femoris) stays under sustained stretch through the pulsing, a deep core muscle that wraps around the torso like a corset (transverse abdominis) keeps the trunk from collapsing as the pulses continue and the inner thigh muscles (adductors) anchor the wide-legged base the rotation works from.
When to Do It
Saw — Three Pulses works well in the seated spinal portion of a Pilates mat session, usually placed once the standard single-reach rotation feels smooth and controlled. Two to three sessions a week is a reasonable pace for building this pulsed end-range hold.
Anyone with a current lower back or hamstring issue should get individual guidance before adding this exercise, since pulsing at the end of a rotated forward reach places sustained demand on both.
Getting Ready
A few rounds of the regular single-reach rotation warm up the hamstrings and obliques before the pulses are added. A single small pulse, well short of the full reach, previews the end-range control the set will ask for.
Step-by-Step Instructions
1. The setup. Sit tall with the legs extended wide, arms out to the sides at shoulder height.
2. The rotation. Rotate the torso toward one leg, reaching the opposite hand toward the foot.
3. The pulses. Add three small pulses at the deepest point of the reach, keeping the rotation steady.
4. The return. Roll back up to a tall seated position and repeat on the other side.
How Many, How Often
Saw — Three Pulses is dosed by reps, with each rotation-and-three-pulse sequence to one side counting as one.
| Level | Where you’re at | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Beginner | New to holding the reach steady through pulses | 2 sets of 3 to 4 reps per side, with smaller pulses |
| Intermediate | The rotation stays steady through all three pulses | 2 to 3 sets of 4 to 5 reps per side |
| Advanced | Comfortable with a full reach and controlled pulses | 3 sets of 5 to 6 reps per side |
The rotation staying steady through all three pulses matters more here than how deep the reach goes, since letting the torso untwist between pulses trades end-range control for a bouncier-looking stretch.
Modifications and Variations
Compared to Saw, the easier version, this one adds three small pulses at the end of the rotational reach, which extends the time under stretch and asks for more control at end range. Someone who finds the pulses difficult to control can start with a single pulse and build up to the full three over time.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Turning the pulses into an aggressive bounce. A forceful, uncontrolled bounce at the end of the reach defeats the purpose of the sustained rotational stretch the three small pulses are meant to provide. Each pulse should be small and controlled, not a bigger version of the reach.
Letting the rotation unwind slightly between pulses. Allowing the torso to lose some of its twist between each pulse turns three connected pulses into three separate, smaller reaches. Holding the rotation steady while only the reach pulses keeps the exercise doing what it’s meant to.
Letting the hips lift or shift during the pulses. Allowing the sit bones to come up off the mat, or the pelvis to slide toward the reaching side, borrows range from the hips that should be coming from the spine. Keeping both sit bones grounded throughout the rotation and pulses protects the quality of the movement.
After Your Set
Sitting tall and taking a few gentle rotations in each direction, well short of the working range, helps the spine settle after several rounds of pulsed reaching. A wide-legged forward fold, resting the torso between the knees, eases out the hamstrings that stayed under sustained stretch through the pulses.
Going Deeper
This exercise usually works well as a test of end-range control, since pulsing at the deepest point of a rotated reach asks the hamstrings and obliques to sustain tension in a way a single smooth stretch never does. The pulses tend to get bigger and more bounce-driven once the small controlled version starts to feel too easy. Keeping every pulse small and deliberate, even once more range is available, builds flexibility faster than trading control for a bigger bounce.
Someone new to this exercise generally manages three small, controlled pulses within a few sessions, then works toward a fuller reach with the same controlled pulsing over two to three weeks.
How to Know You’re Improving
- A rotation that stays steady through all three pulses
- Pulses that stay small and controlled
- Sit bones that stay grounded through the whole sequence
- A reach that deepens while the pulses stay controlled
A rotation that never unwinds between pulses matters more than how deep the reach goes.
Muscles Worked
- Obliques (the waist muscles along the side of the torso, driving and holding the rotation through all three pulses)
- Erector Spinae (the lower back muscles, supporting the spine as it stays turned)
- Biceps Femoris (a muscle at the back of the thigh, staying under sustained stretch through the pulsing)
- Transverse Abdominis (a deep core muscle that wraps around the torso like a corset, keeping the trunk from collapsing as the pulses continue)
- Adductors (the inner thigh muscles, anchoring the wide-legged base the rotation works from)
FAQ
Why pulse at the reach’s deepest point at all? Pulsing at the deepest point of the reach extends the time the hamstrings and rotated spine spend under tension, which is what raises the coordination and flexibility demand beyond a single smooth stretch.
Is it normal for the pulses to feel harder to control on one side? Yes, a flexibility or control difference between the two sides is common. Matching the pulse count on the tighter side to the looser one is a reasonable way to close that gap over time.
Is some hamstring or oblique fatigue after this exercise normal? Yes, fatigue through the hamstrings and obliques after several pulsed reps is expected. A sharp, isolated pain in the lower back is a different signal, worth stopping for and checking with a doctor or physical therapist if it doesn’t ease on its own.
Is a single pulse acceptable if three feels like too much? Yes, starting with a single pulse and building toward the full three over several sessions is a reasonable way to work up to this version.
How often should the three-pulse Saw be practiced? Two to three times a week, as part of the seated spinal portion of a broader mat session, is enough repetition to build this pulsed end-range hold.
Related to Saw as the easier version with a single smooth reach.