Another splits thread

[newbalance]

Yes, another thread about splits.

 

Is it possible one has reached an age where splits are impossible to do all the way? I stretch and stretch, but I have reached a point where it hurts my hip sockets more than it pains the stretched muscle.

 

What do you think? Can some just not do them?

[SaiFightsMS]

It is not a matter of age as it is a matter of an individuals joint structure and musculature. And the connective tissue.

[Scorcho]

Doing splits requires more than just stretching you legs, but also your back and butt. Check this out:

 

https://www.ifafitness.com/stretch/stretch7.htm

[Looneyas]

Your problem is not your stretching its the flexibility in your hips,

 

There are a few exercises that you will have to do to obtain the side splits. Hip stretches find out what types will help u are go from there.

[pcam16]

Which splits are we talking about here?

 

The ones where your legs are out at each side or the ones where your legs are infront and behind you?

[newbalance]

out to the side.

 

i cant do it, and i think my hips are just not going to give me any more space to work with.

 

i was doing round house kicks last night, and did one with my right leg, and leaned to the left side...well, i leaned a little too far and something gave in the left hip socket and i came crashing down. It wasnt serious, just sudden sharp pain. it wasnt a stretched muscle, it was more of a joint pain.

[newbalance]

out to the side.

 

i cant do it, and i think my hips are just not going to give me any more space to work with.

 

i was doing round house kicks last night, and did one with my right leg, and leaned to the left side...well, i leaned a little too far and something gave in the left hip socket and i came crashing down. It wasnt serious, just sudden sharp pain. it wasnt a stretched muscle, it was more of a joint pain. so i dont think ill be able to split all the way out to the sides.

[pcam16]

I think you may need to start doing hip flexor stretches! That should help!

 

I'm kinda in the same palce as you because i can't seem to get any lower so i'm gonna try the hip flexor streches and hopefully that should help!

[Practise is the Key]

I know my granpas friend his well over 60 he can do every kind of splits even chair splis i think when you get old your bone get more softer and splits get easily prove me wrong.....

 

well i don't know bye^_^

[spongebob]

Here are a few tips to help those who would like to learn the spliz. These are techniques that have worked for me, but you might want to taylor them to your own body type.

 

First of all take it easy. You will not learn them in a matter of a few weeks. It takes time for your body to adjust. It is good to set goals, but give yourself some realistic time depending on how flexible you are in the first place. For some people it might be a year for one type of split. For others it might take them 6 months. Depends on how close to the ground you are. I would suggest working on the front splitz first. They seem to be easier for most people. After you learn those, you will find your flexibility for the middle (Russian) whatever will come easier. Plus knowing that you can do the front ones will give you confidence and eagerness to finish the last one. (Just my opinion)

 

For the front splitz, the best exercises that I have found are the ballerina type, where you place your foot on a ledge, (counter top, bar, stairs, whatever you can find that is about hip level or slightly higher) If you can't place your foot on a ledge, then go for something lower like a chair.

 

Practise bending down slowly, where the object of the exercise is to ultimately place your forehead on your knee. Do not have high expectations at first. Your first attempt will feel stiff (even for people who know how to do the splitz, your first attempt will be like telling your muscles "remember this?") With your second attempt, you should be able to bring your forehead a little lower. Your third attempt lower yet. Do about 6 or 7 of these.

 

Now I know that everybody recommends that you do not bounce when doing streches. However, I find that doing small bounces are very helpfull to getting your flexiblily a little more loose. I'm only talking about 1 or 2 inch bounces. If you push yourself too much, you will injure yourself, most likely. If you bounce yourself by more than a few inches, then you could rip your muscles, or even fracture your lower lumbar area. So small bounces are the key.

 

NO pain NO gain. This is true to a certain extent. However, Someone once told me that a good stretch has to last three minutes, and that's the way balerinas do it. I once stretched for a full three minutes, and could hardly walk for the next 2 days. I do not believe that we have to punish ourselves that much.

 

I believe in many stretches that last less than one minute, maybe even a half a minute, but very often during the day. In other words, practice the forehead to the knee atleast three times a day and maybe a few other stretches. My personal belief is that frequent stretches throughout the day is better than a 3 minute grueling stretch that will injure yourself.

 

I'm not saying that you will never feel soreness the next day, but that frequency is the key. Probably the fequencey of streches will add up to 3 minutes anyway. The higher the frequency, the better!

 

Now this might be hard for working people. It's something that many people would like to do in privacy. --Well you'll just have to come up with your own solutions. If there's a will there's a way. If you really want to learn to do the splitz, you have to keep your thoughts positive. This is sooooooo important. So many times you'll be attempting to them, and you might think to yourself, " There's no way I can get down any further with breaking my hip" or "This is only for young people"

 

The word can't and the mental thought "can't"- should not exist. If it does, well, you're right then, you will never be able to do them.

 

Now, with the ballerina stretch, I call it, you can sometimes place a whole leg on the counter instead of a foot, -you might find this more relaxing. The key to getting more flexible is relaxing. If you are tense, the harder it is. Some people suggest taking a warm bath before stretching. Some people suggest tiring out the muscles a little by holding a kiba dachi for a while, or a forward lunge, then easing into the splitz.

 

With your foot on the counter try to shift your leg sideways, like the side splitz, so that the inside of your knee is now on the counter. Practice streching this way. Then shift again, so the your kneecap (or the front of your leg) is now on the counter, and stretch your back towards the leg. In other words, do this stretch with many different angles.

 

Once you are able to get your forehead to your knee, then technically you should be able to do the splitz, or get very close.

 

One mistake that I see many beginners doing is that the back leg is bent.

 

DO Not bend your back knee at all. This will change the angle of the split that you are trying to do. Try to go down with both knees straight. The back foot should be sideways, with your back thigh sideways as well. You will never be able to do the front splitz with your thigh completely under you, touching the ground.

 

Other exercises: You probably have been doing them all along. The ones where you sit on the floor, legs spread apart, and bend to touch your forehead to your knee, or in the middle.

 

The butterfly (I call it) is a good stretch too, where you hold your feet together and press your knees down. I like to bounce just a little with these exercises.

 

To the wall!!!!! This is great if you feel your hip is going out of place when you do the middle splitz. Simply find a wall and spread your legs, and try to get as close to the wall as possible. Another good one is to lye down on the floor, with your butt right up against the wall and let your legs spread apart naturally and let gravity do the work.

 

Close but no cigar? Keep practicing, you'll get it soon!!!! Some things you can try are placing magazines or books under you, then removing them one at a time as you get closer to the ground. Some people like slippery floors or socks to help them. I used the couch and the coffee table as hand holds to help me down.

 

OK, so now you finally know how to do the front spitz, Congratulations!! Your front kicks should be amazing. Kicking is great and will help you with dynamic stretching. This too will help you become flexible as well as the static stretches I mentioned above.

 

Once you are able to do the front splitz comfortalbly, then try moving your upper body more to the side, like doing the side split but with your legs still in the front split position. This will help your true side split tremendously. Do this with both front splitz.

 

When learing the front split, usually there is a leg that you favour more than the other. You may find this leg more flexible. For me it was the left leg forward. If you are southpaw, or goofy foot, you may feel more comfortable with the right leg forward.

 

Really you should learn both, as I mentioned, you would like to kick high with both legs.

 

Keep a record, mentally or whatever. Note in inches how far you are from the ground. Most important keep positive.

 

Money is a good motivator. I told my kids, I would give them $20.00 when they could get right to the ground doing the splitz. Guess what---?

 

It worked! I was out $40.00 in a matter of weeks.

 

Once you are able to do the splitz very comfortably, you can practice the "oversplitz"

 

This is what we used to do in gymnastics when we wanted to do a handstand and have our legs split perfectly in the air.

 

Take a book or two and place it under your front foot. The books or pillow should raise your front foot a few inches. Now try getting to the ground.

 

Good luck with your quest to learn the splitz. Remember they are not impossible. Many people with many different body types, ages, weight are able to do them, and you can too! All it takes, like so many things, is practice. With a positive attitude and frequent stretching, you'll be able to get down there in no time!!