Actions are represented in terms of their ensuing effects. This fundamental axiom of the ideomotor framework has been repeatedly demonstrated empirically, thus establishing that effect anticipations are vital for planning and executing goal-directed movements. Yet, the question of how effect anticipations shape action control has received less attention. While contemporary accounts of ideomotor action control often emphasize the importance of goals (i.e., anticipated end-states), historical formulations have also suggested the importance of desired changes (i.e., anticipated transitions). As previous findings can be explained by both accounts alike, we conducted a series of experiments to examine whether actions are represented in terms of end-states or transition. Our results consistently support the notion of transitional instead of goal-based representations, thereby providing an important step towards a further specification of the ideomotor framework.