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 Women's Discussion Board
 Flexibility and Splits - Help!
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| Author | Topic: Flexibility and Splits - Help! | ||
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Novice 
Posts: 10 |
Hi, I'm new to this board, but have been reading for a while. I'm getting ready for my first fitness competition (10 months away) and my biggest worry is flexibility. I have great flexibility in all but one area: Does anyone have any helpful tips on improving flexibility for center splits? It "feels" like one of those things that will just "click" one day, but this doesn't seem to be happening. I don't seem to be getting any closer to the floor, despite 20-30 minute stretching sessions daily. I have a splits machine, and keep getting stuck in the same spot. And I'm worried about pushing it too far and maybe tearing something; I can't afford any kind of injuries right now!! This is one area where my trainer has not been very helpful. In the past, I have gotten my splits all the way to the floor, with left leg in front, and with right leg in front, so I know I can get there again, but I have never gotten all the way to the floor with the center legs-straight-out-body-facing-forward splits. Any advice from someone who's been there and done that would be very helpful! Thanks in advance!    | ||
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Moderator 
Posts: 2326 |
Just get some rope, attach it to your legs at the ankles and suspend yourself from two trees while someone pulls on the rope - no wait, that's a Van Dam movie.... Your going to have to very slowly force them legs apart. Your fear of pulling a muscle is keeping your from pushing the limits. Hey, I'm about three inches off the ground right now! Never been "all the way" but then I don't do it every day. ------------------ Lobo  | ||
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Elite Bodybuilder 
Posts: 1364 |
I'm opposite - have the flexability for center splits better than side to side. Just keep working at it...go slow like you are. Try stretching against a wall too - on your butt, feet out to the sides so you are trying to do "splits" on the wall, hold for several minutes, when you can, schooch your tush/pelvis closer to the wall. While in this position work on flexing your feet and bending your knee so it lifts off the ground. Then slowly push it down pointing all the way out through the toes. First one side, then the other, then both together...this will work on stretching the pelvic area. Hope this made sense! ------------------ | ||
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Novice
Posts: 10 |
Thanks! I have not tried anything like the wall suggestion yet. Should I be sitting up facing the wall, or laying down with back flat against the ground while doing this? Fennec | ||
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Elite Bodybuilder
Posts: 764 |
Try rotating from the sides to the center. Go as deep as you can to one side...stay low then rotate to the center...then to the other side. Try to warm up your legs before you stretch. I weigh nearly 300lbs and appear to be very unflexible...but after I get my legs warmed up from walking or something like that...can drop straight down. B True | ||
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Elite Bodybuilder
Posts: 1364 |
Sitting facing the wall - its a killer and really loosens things up. ------------------ | ||
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Amateur Bodybuilder 
Posts: 78 |
ok, I was a gymnast so I can help you out here... To get your middle split there are a few ways we had to do this when training. 1. Put a mat or something about a foot or so tall on the floor then put one foot up on it and the other foot on the floor, then slide down into your spit. Make sure you only have your elbows on the floor so you can stretch as much as possible. You can do this for Right, Left and center splits. 2. Lay down up on the floor w/ your butt against the wall, put ankle weights on your ankles and do a straddle in the air w/ your heels against the wall and hold it for like 5-10 minutes. Gravity and the weights will put your split down. 3. Which is torture and what we had to do a lot but helped is this... Set up two folding chairs across from each other, put one foot on one chair, the other on the other chair and slide down into the middle split. Put only your hands on the floor infront of you (but when we had to do them we had to keep our hands on the chairs to the side of us so we had to let our bodyweight push us down!) it was TERRIBLE. Would make you cry everytime, worked but sucked! Good luck. Splits are tough but let me know how you do, I feel for ya! AJ | ||
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Novice
Posts: 10 |
Ouch ouch! Thanks for the tips... I'll let you know if they are working in a few weeks. Thanks everyone! Update: 2/8 HA HA HA!!! You should have SEEN me last night, attempting to straddle the chairs! I was laughing my ass off. I suspect I'll have to get a bit closer to the ground overall before I can use that technique. However, I did have much better success with both the sitting up facing the wall and the laying down with butt against the wall and legs up in the air, letting gravity work. Seemed to get farther than the splits machine, and more gentle - didn't hurt my knees. I'm going to use those two the rest of the week, then check against the splits machine to see what degree of angle I'm at. Thanks again! -Fennec [This message has been edited by Fennec (edited February 08, 2001).] | ||
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Moderator
Posts: 2326 |
I still like me rope and tree methode... Anyway, welcome to the board Fennec, you'll will find a good home here ------------------ Lobo | ||
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Amateur Bodybuilder
Posts: 64 |
Fennec - I have the exact same problem as you. I stretch and stretch the center splits with not much progress. Just yesterday I went a little farther than ever before, but still a ways to go. The front splits are fine. Thanks for asking this, it was helpful for me too......not fun. I've been trying a few of those stretches for months, and now I am only 4 months away from my first competition, and beginning to get worried......I hope I get them soon. [This message has been edited by fitgal (edited February 10, 2001).] | ||
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Amateur Bodybuilder
Posts: 78 |
Another good tip which really worked for me for middle splits is this. Slide down into your split whether its on mats or whatever but go as far down as you can go and squeeze your groin muscles as tight and as hard as they can be squeezed for 20-30 seconds, then immediately relax and I can guarantee you will slide and inch or two down. Do that a few times. Also make sure you're holding each split for at least 5-10 minutes at a time. Any shorter really won't work because the time factor is a big deal when trying to gain flexibility. Sucks to have those people that don't stretch hardly at all and can do all 3 splits!!! Makes me crazy when people are naturally so flexible!! Good luck! AJ | ||
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Amateur Bodybuilder
Posts: 64 |
I just remembered another stretch they do at gymnastics. The "froggy", lay facing the floor with your legs bent, knees out to the side. Looks funny, but stretches the center without straining your knees, even have someone push down on your butt. I do this one sometimes, but the other girls seem to like it more than I do. | ||
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Novice
Posts: 10 |
Fitgal - Yay! I'm not alone!! So glad to know there's someone else out there with the same problem. All these tips do seem to be helping. I was able to increase angle up to 150 degrees from 145 last week (it's nice to have the splits machine to check progress). I have noticed the stiffness and tightness when I'm stretching seems the worst when my legs are really sore from leg day. I'm not sure whether this is good and will keep them from tightening up on me, or if it is dangerous for me to be stretching that area during that time because the muscles are trying to recover. Anybody have advice on that? Thx, | ||
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Elite Bodybuilder
Posts: 1364 |
I wouldn't push the stretch as hard after leg day. You could be demanding too much from the muscle and cause injury/further stiffness...just take it easy and make sure you are taking your minerals to help your legs heal. ------------------ |
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posted February 07, 2001 10:32 AM