Those darned splits

[Sierra]

When you can hold your torso flat down on your thigh for 30 seconds so your face is below your knee, you have enough hamstring flexibility to do a split with that leg in front.  

 When you can get your thighs in at least a straight line (preferably a little beyond that) and hold for 30 seconds, you have enough hip flexor flexibility for a split with that leg in back.

I have been stretching for these forever. And for a while now I have been able to get my torso flat on my leg and my thighs in a straight line. But I am not even close to having a standard front to back split on either side. There's probably ten inches between me and the floor.

So what gives?

[Doubletoe]

I have been stretching for these forever. And for a while now I have been able to get my torso flat on my leg and my thighs in a straight line. But I am not even close to having a standard front to back split on either side. There's probably ten inches between me and the floor.

So what gives?

Then it's probably your hip flexor on the back leg that's the problem.  I think I posted some hip flexor stretches as well, but if you can't find them, let me know.

[Sierra]

I'll keep working on my hip flexors

I'm just getting impatient. It's been months and months since I began stretching daily.

Are straddle stretches (sit in a V and lean forward) important for splits?

[Doubletoe]

I'll keep working on my hip flexors

I'm just getting impatient. It's been months and months since I began stretching daily.

Are straddle stretches (sit in a V and lean forward) important for splits?

It took me a year of stretching before I could do a full forward split, so I understand how you feel.  Then again, I hadn't been able to do the splits my whole life, so what was another year, right?  LOL!  When looking for different hip flexor stretches, explore quadriceps stretches as well.  As skaters, a lot of us have tight quads and those are the muscles that are connected to the hip flexors so you need to stretch your quads for sure.  Also, if your hamstrings are more flexible than your hip flexors, try leaning forward with your chest flat to your front thigh as you go down into your split.  Even better, try it on a ballet barre, with your back foot behind you on the barre and your front foot on the floor with your chest flat down on your front thigh.  Then just slide back as far as you can, raise your torso and push your pelvis down.
For forward splits, you don't need to do the straddle stretch; that's just for middle splits.

[Sierra]

It took me a year of stretching before I could do a full forward split, so I understand how you feel.  Then again, I hadn't been able to do the splits my whole life, so what was another year, right?  LOL!  When looking for different hip flexor stretches, explore quadriceps stretches as well.  As skaters, a lot of us have tight quads and those are the muscles that are connected to the hip flexors so you need to stretch your quads for sure.  Also, if your hamstrings are more flexible than your hip flexors, try leaning forward with your chest flat to your front thigh as you go down into your split.  Even better, try it on a ballet barre, with your back foot behind you on the barre and your front foot on the floor with your chest flat down on your front thigh.  Then just slide back as far as you can, raise your torso and push your pelvis down.
For forward splits, you don't need to do the straddle stretch; that's just for middle splits.

Thanks!
My quads have always been very flexible. I stretch them once in a while just to maintain. That standing one with the foot pulled up behind does nothing- I have to do that stretch where you sit on a bench with your thighs split and pull the back foot up to your butt, and even that stretch is very easy.

[sk8Joyful]

As skaters, a lot of us have tight quads and those are the muscles that are connected to the hip flexors so you need to stretch your quads for sure.  
Also, if your hamstrings are more flexible than your hip flexors, try leaning forward with your chest flat to your front thigh as you go down into your split.  
Even better,
try it on a ballet barre, with your back foot behind you on the barre and your front foot on the floor with your chest flat down on your front thigh.  
Then just slide back as far as you can, raise your torso and push your pelvis down.
For forward splits, you don't need to do the straddle stretch; that's just for middle splits.

re this: "try it on a ballet barre, with your back foot behind you on the barre and your front foot on the floor with your chest flat down on your front thigh. 
Then just slide back as far as you can, raise your torso and push your pelvis down."

do you have a couple pictures of this by any chance?

[Doubletoe]

re this: "try it on a ballet barre, with your back foot behind you on the barre and your front foot on the floor with your chest flat down on your front thigh. 
Then just slide back as far as you can, raise your torso and push your pelvis down."

do you have a couple pictures of this by any chance?

Ballet barre position would be like this http://www2.snapfish.com/snapfish/slideshow/AlbumID=2824819022/PictureID=103633684022/a=164099431_164099431/otsc=SHR/otsi=SPIClink/COBRAND_NAME=snapfish/
but with chest flat down on the front thigh like this http://www2.snapfish.com/snapfish/slideshow/AlbumID=2824819022/PictureID=103633685022/a=164099431_164099431/otsc=SHR/otsi=SPIClink/COBRAND_NAME=snapfish/as you slide the back leg back on the barre to get into the split

[sk8Joyful]

Ballet barre position would be like this http://www2.snapfish.com/snapfish/slideshow/AlbumID=2824819022/PictureID=103633684022/a=164099431_164099431/otsc=SHR/otsi=SPIClink/COBRAND_NAME=snapfish/
but with chest flat down on the front thigh like this http://www2.snapfish.com/snapfish/slideshow/AlbumID=2824819022/PictureID=103633685022/a=164099431_164099431/otsc=SHR/otsi=SPIClink/COBRAND_NAME=snapfish/as you slide the back leg back on the barre to get into the split

THANK you! kindly. - I'm not quite there, anymore. - But (at 59; no-no still 23, lol) give me some time, and I will again

[Sierra]

Last night I sat on a table and hung my front leg over the end so that my knee was bent at a 90º angle. Then I extended my back leg out on the rest of the table. I have a perfect split that way, except for my lower leg hanging off the table & not straight at all. So it must be hamstring flexibility. But when I attempt the full split using the ballet barre method, I can put my torso down on my front leg, no problem. So it's appearing to be hamstring flexibility, but logically can't be?
During the split I feel a stretch on the inside of my thigh, the spot that straddle stretches stretch. Am I doing something wrong?

[kayskate]

I do a barre split but slide to the front so the leading leg is on the barre. I also do a barre split to the side to mimic a box split which i am currently working on.
For a floor exercise, I have been sliding to a front split from a standing position. This gets me all the way to he floor. I believe this is more difficult that positioning on the floor from a stretch to a split. When I was a kid, I did a sliding front split and changed directions before getting all the way down. For example, start in a standing position and begin to slide down to the floor with the right leg leading. Pivot on the way down to land in a left leg leading split. I have not tried this again yet. Will give it a shot at the gym soon.

Kay

[Kat]

OMG, the barre splits look scary!  I know how those would end for me--my feet would slide and I'd get stuck into a way more split position than my body could actually do (because of gravity) and I'd end up hurt (and still stuck!).

[Doubletoe]

OMG, the barre splits look scary!  I know how those would end for me--my feet would slide and I'd get stuck into a way more split position than my body could actually do (because of gravity) and I'd end up hurt (and still stuck!).

The good thing about the barre split (at least the one where the back foot is behind you on the barre) is that gravity will not make you split more than your body can comfortably split.  You just slide the back leg back on the barre as far as you can.  If you try to drop from a standing position all the way down to a split on the floor, that could hurt you, though!

[momomizu]

i actually used to just drop down after not doing it for like 6 years. although i was in my schools gymnastics club and we did stretch for a bit before. we did round off splits and that helped me go ALL the way down. i think i was left leading. well its been 5 years...so i dont think thatll happen anytime soon ><

[kayskate]

I started working on over-splits last week. Over - splits are greater than 180 degrees. I am doing this by propping my leading leg on mats and doing the splits. For now, my split is just bridging the gap b/w floor and mat. I guess it will take practice to get the split all the way to the floor. Anybody else working on this or have exp?

Kay

[Doubletoe]

I started working on over-splits last week. Over - splits are greater than 180 degrees. I am doing this by propping my leading leg on mats and doing the splits. For now, my split is just bridging the gap b/w floor and mat. I guess it will take practice to get the split all the way to the floor. Anybody else working on this or have exp?

Kay

Yes, once you can sit in a 180 degree split without much discomfort, you can start doing over splits by putting something under your front foot to raise it.  I have used a 3" thick catalog and a 5" thick foam block (figuring the 5" foam would compress down to 3" once I had my weight on it).  The extra 3" was not difficult to achieve.  I haven't attempted more than that, although I'm sure I could increase my over split if I worked on it every time I stretched. . .

[kayskate]

yesterday i split slightly more than 180. my left leading split is doing better than right for now, but i work them equally.

Kay

[lindafmb]

Oversplits...I mention them in the thread Sierra started about mastering her Bielmann.

I can also oversplit all three of my splits, but the very best instruction I've found comes from some friends of mine, also former gymnasts.

Check THIS out:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZnuzUVNJnUY&tracker=False

The Valentinos have their professional vid's as well, you can find them from their YouTube channel.

Enjoy!

[sk8lady]

Okay, I don't believe that guy is actually human!!!

[hopskipjump]

In dance class they do the v sit trying to get stomachs/chests on the floor, but then they pull up on their elbows.  Since they started doing this, most girls (and most were really far from getting their splits) are almost there. 

[lindafmb]

Okay, I don't believe that guy is actually human!!!

hahaha! That's Emil, and I assure you, he IS human, and a really nice guy, too.

Here's another piece someone else did on him:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4GSwiqmSyMU