stretches for front splits

DON'T LURK... Join The Discussion!

Members see FEWER ads

Please can someone give me some stretches that can help me achieve the splits. I stretch everyday and i need to get the splits (front splits please) down in two weeks. All stretches possible will help.

Thanks
 
Just keep doing your splits. It's sort of like trying to nail a simple skill - the only way to really get it is to keep practicing. When you stretch your splits, hold for at least one minute (preferably two) on each side. Push your shoulders back so that you aren't resting on your hands, or hold your arms over your head (although if you're holding for two minutes, this may get tiring). If you can't reach the ground when you put your shoulders back, and can't keep your balance, stack books or similar to hold on to (we use paralettes at the gym).

Pike stretches are also helpful for front splits. You can do oversplits if you have a comfortable way to do them at home. You need them in two weeks? If you're not close-ish right now, I don't know if you can get them by then...it takes time, because your body needs to adjust to an unnatural position like the splits. Your body doesn't need to do splits in the normal world, so it's not designed to be able to, and it resists attempts to get to split.
 
Good luck. I hope you're really close to full splits if you only have 2 weeks to get them. You don't want to rush your body and hurt yourself. If you're not that close, I would just do lunges (with the back knee on the floor) to stretch out the hip flexors and hamstring stretches (put your leg on something at 90 degrees). Stretching these areas out seperately is less work than a full split. But if you're close, than by all means just keep trying for that full split. Sometimes it helps to move around instead of just keeping still the whole time. Like, push down in the splits for a few seconds, relax, do it again, and so on.
 
Getting splits is not a quick and easy thing to do, and it also depends on how much you are willing to push yourself and deal with pain. Here are a few stretches:

1. Pike stretch on the floor--feet pointed and flexed
2. Pike stretch with feet elevated
3. Splits on the floor--hold about 2 minutes if possible
4. Splits with front leg up on an elevated surface--hold about 2 minutes
5. Splits with back leg up on an elevated surface--hold about 2 minutes
6. Splits with back leg bent at 90 degree angle--hold about 1 minute
7. Lunge stretch--hold about 30 seconds

Make sure to keep breathing while you stretch. Also make sure to relax and let your muscles stretch--don't push against the stretching.
8. Lunge stretch with back leg bent at 90 degree angle--hold about 30 seconds
9. Over splits with both legs on elevated surfaces--hold about 2 minutes
 
I used these stretches, and did them daily-
Stretching and Flexibility - Working Toward the Splits
Took me about a month to get crappy splits down, and a few more months to get them squared- but I stopped working as hard so that's what slowed down the progress.

One of the most important things that helped me was get them warm first- after a jog, squats, at the end of practice, whatever- stretching cold muscles just hurt more and didn't advance me as much.


On a similar note, does anybody have tips on getting side splits? They just refuse, really.
 
What I do...

Well, I am a rather flexible gymnast but I can tell you what my coach does with some girls who aren't! First, you lunge forward with your front leg in the front and open your hips so that the stretch is on your back leg's upper thigh. hold for 15-30 seconds and then straighten your front leg and keeping your back leg how it was before, (bent at 90 degrees) touch your forehead to your leg, as far as you can go, (a good goal would be to get to your knee) and then reach out your hands as far as they can go beside your head. hold for 15-30 seconds. Then, lunge forward, grab the heel of your back foot and pull the back foot forwards. You should feel a stretch in your back leg's quadriceps. Hold for 15-30 seconds. Then, you put your front leg on something like a thick book or encyclopedia (we'll start with something low because you aren't flexible enough to do anything much higher) and slide into a split. Be careful not to bend your legs because that just makes it harder to learn a good split! :cold: Also, do NOT use your arms to push yourself up while you are in a split. You need to stay relaxed and keep your leg muscles loose so that your body can get used to being in this position. Hold for 30-70 seconds depending on how flexible you are and how comfortable your body is in that position so far. Then, remove the book or encyclopedia and do a floor split. Hold for 60-120 seconds depending again on how flexible you are and how comfortable your body is in that position. Then, repeat with other leg. :D:D:D
 
Hey all you have 2 do is do your splits like put your front foot up onto a mat or something! GOOD LUCK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 

New Posts

DON'T LURK... Join The Discussion!

Members see FEWER ads

Gymnaverse :: Recent Activity

College Gym News

New Posts

Back