Scissors: A Complete Guide
Quick Intro
Scissors is a mat Pilates exercise performed curled up with both legs straight and lifted, pulling one leg toward the face with both hands while the other reaches away low, then switching with a scissor-like exchange and two quick pulses before each switch. The breath is timed to the alternating stretch while the core stays stable underneath it, and that timing is what the exercise trains.
Equipment Needed
No equipment is required. A Yoga Mat underneath is an optional way to soften the floor beneath the shoulders.
Why It Matters
Pulling one leg toward the face repeatedly asks for hamstring range, and holding the curled-up position through the exchange while timing the switch with the breath takes staying power and control. A muscle at the back of the thigh (hamstrings, biceps femoris) lengthens as each leg pulls toward the face, and the abdominal muscles running down the front of the stomach (rectus abdominis) hold the curled-up lift throughout. The deep hip flexor (hip flexors, iliopsoas) controls the reaching leg as it stays low, and a deep core muscle that wraps around the torso like a corset (transverse abdominis) keeps the torso from rocking during the exchange.
When to Do It
Scissors works well in the supine abdominal portion of a Pilates mat session, usually placed among the other alternating leg exercises. Two to three sessions a week is a reasonable pace for building this coordinated exchange.
Anyone with a current lower back or hamstring issue should get individual guidance before adding this exercise, since the combination of a curled-up hold and a repeated hamstring pull places demand on both.
Getting Ready
A few slow, single-leg pulls toward the face, without the full exchange yet, warm up the hamstrings before the scissor pattern is added. Holding the curled-up position for a few breaths previews the abdominal effort the whole exercise sustains.
Step-by-Step Instructions
1. The setup. Curl up with both legs straight and lifted, hands ready to reach for the top leg.
2. The pull. Use both hands to pull one leg toward the face while the other reaches away and low.
3. The pulses. Add two small pulses, deepening the pull slightly with each one.
4. The switch. Exchange legs in a scissor-like motion and repeat the pull-and-pulse on the other side.
How Many, How Often
Scissors is dosed by reps, with each switch-and-pull to one side counting as one.
| Level | Where you’re at | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Beginner | New to the scissor-like exchange between legs | 2 sets of 6 to 8 reps per side, keeping the reaching leg higher |
| Intermediate | The exchange feels smooth and coordinated | 2 to 3 sets of 8 to 10 reps per side |
| Advanced | Comfortable with a low reaching leg and a fast exchange | 3 sets of 10 to 12 reps per side |
The core, not the arms, preventing the torso from rocking matters more here than how forcefully the legs pull, since letting the torso sway to help the pull trades stability for a bigger-looking stretch.
Modifications and Variations
As an easier version, Scissors — Slow Alternation slows the switch between legs considerably, letting the pull and the coordination both be learned without the pace demand of the full version.
As a harder version, Scissors — Hands Free removes the hands from the pull, asking the hip flexors and abdominals to control the leg position without any assistance from the arms.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Letting the torso rock to help pull the leg closer. Using the whole body’s momentum, with the arms and hip flexibility playing only a small part, to bring the leg toward the face takes the stability work out of the exercise. The core should keep the torso still while only the legs and arms do the reaching.
Letting the reaching leg drift up toward hip height. Allowing the away-reaching leg to lift well above the mat shortens the lever and reduces the abdominal demand the exercise depends on. Keeping that leg low, just off the mat, keeps the abdominals working.
Alternating without completing each pull first. Switching sides quickly, before each pull-and-pulse sequence fully finishes, turns a controlled stretch-and-stability exercise into a fast, sloppy kick. A slightly slower pace that lets each side complete its full pull does more than speed does.
After Your Set
Hugging both knees into the chest and rocking gently from side to side releases the lower back after a set built around repeated hamstring pulls. A standing or seated hamstring stretch on each leg finishes easing out the muscle that worked through the repeated exchange.
Going Deeper
This exercise usually works well as a hamstring stretch paired with a core-stability challenge, since pulling one leg toward the face while the other reaches away and low asks the torso to stay still under a constantly shifting load. Rocking the torso can make the pull feel deeper than the hamstrings alone allow. Keeping the torso still and letting the hamstrings set the limit on the pull, even if that means less apparent range, builds flexibility faster than rocking through it.
Someone new to this exercise generally manages the coordinated exchange with a higher reaching leg within a few sessions, then works toward a lower leg and a smoother exchange over two to three weeks.
How to Know You’re Improving
- A torso that stays still through the pull
- A reaching leg that stays low
- A pull-and-pulse sequence that completes fully before each switch
- A pulling range that grows while the torso stays controlled
A torso that never rocks during the pull matters more than how forcefully the leg is pulled.
Muscles Worked
- Biceps Femoris (a muscle at the back of the thigh, lengthening as each leg pulls toward the face)
- Rectus Abdominis (the abdominal muscles running down the front of the stomach, holding the curled-up lift throughout)
- Iliopsoas (the deep hip flexor, controlling the reaching leg as it stays low)
- Transverse Abdominis (a deep core muscle that wraps around the torso like a corset, keeping the torso from rocking during the exchange)
FAQ
Why does the exercise say not to rock the torso? Rocking the torso substitutes body momentum for the hamstring stretch and hip-flexor control this exercise is meant to build. Keeping the torso still leaves the stretch to the hamstrings and the steadying to the core.
Is it normal to feel a bigger pull on one side than the other? Yes, a difference in hamstring flexibility between the two legs is common. Giving the tighter side the same number of reps as the looser one, rather than favoring what feels easier, tends to close that gap over time.
Is some hamstring or ab fatigue after this exercise normal? Yes, fatigue through the hamstrings and abdominals after several reps per side is expected. A sharp, localized pain anywhere in the lower back calls for a different response: stop, ease off and check in with a doctor or physical therapist if it doesn’t settle.
Is a slower exchange acceptable if the full pace feels like too much? Yes, a slower pace is a reasonable way to build the pattern before reaching for full speed, and Scissors — Slow Alternation is built that way.
How often should Scissors be practiced? Two to three times a week, as part of the supine abdominal portion of a broader mat session, is enough repetition to build this coordinated exchange.
Related to Scissors — Slow Alternation as the easier version with a slower exchange and Scissors — Hands Free as the harder version performed without the hands assisting the pull.