Learn How to Do the Splits in 3-6 Months

[trevorturtle]

Being able to do the splits is not only a cool thing to be able to show your friends, but it can also save you from immense pain in a rare situation.

Take my yoga teacher, for example. He was skiing one day and caught an edge (or two) and found his skis slowly forcing him into the splits. With his booty practically on the ground, he managed to slowly pull himself back to standing. Onlookers jaws were on the floor.

If his body was not open enough to do the splits, he would have torn his groin, an injury that takes over a year to heal from.

While there may not be too much practical value from doing the splits, I really want to be able to do it and am attempting a 90 day trial doing this hardcore stretching 3 sets 3 times a week. My groin feels really good after each set. I've been doing it for a little over a week and have already noticed an improvement.

The technique I'm using I learned from Pavel Tsatsouline, called forced relaxation. You can learn more about it by checking out the article How to Do the Splits in 3-6 Months.

Anyone else want to join me in this trial? Anyone out there who can do the splits want to offer some advice?

[ssandra]

I would add some light stretching of the general muscles in your legs for the other 4 days.. nothing heavy, and not pushing it beyond to where you can go easily, but just some stretching.

If you only stretch one muscle group and not the rest, I don't know how healthy that is, in general.

And besides. Just as cool as the split, is the ability to touch your nose to your knees and your hands to the ground...

[ButterflyWoman]

I used to do the splits (sideways and front-to-back scissors style, either leg forward) when I was a kid. At that time I was doing ballet lessons once a week.

I second Sandra's suggestion that you need to start with stretching, and not just the legs. You need to stretch pretty much everything, from the top of your head down to your toes, because the muscular system is quite interrelated (that I know from university level biology, not ballet ). Approach it like any other exercise program, and warm up gently, then go through a complete, all over body stretching routine, and do it regularly (I only did ballet once a week, but I was also swimming and roller skating and riding a bike, plus whatever physical education we did at school).

And do be careful, because it's easy to pull muscles and even tendons doing stretching exercises. You need to be gentle at all times! I actually dislocated a knee doing stretching (a slightly improperly posed lunge) and I've never been the same (got two very messed up knees now that I'm middle-aged; I have to walk with a cane sometimes, even). I'm not saying injury is likely, but it's entirely possible, so be aware of that when you're doing your routine.

[Medusa locked]

I'm pretty flexible but can't quite do a full split. I like sock approach.

Ok..I'll join you in this trial. Callenge...Accepted.

Also, it's worth noting that's it's best to do this after warming up the muscles, for 2 reasons. 1, to prevent tearing and 2, to get a deeper stretch.

[Criseyde]

When I first learned to do them (several years ago), it was because I was a ballet dancer. I was really eager to be able to do it, and I ended up pulling my hamstring. That took about 4-6 weeks to recover from to the point of having no pain on a daily basis, and it set me back A LOT in my efforts. It probably took me 6 months *after* I was recovered to be able to get back to doing the splits.

Also, straddles ("sideways" splits) are much harder and take more time, so be careful.

Just be careful and go slowly in general.

[trevorturtle]

Originally Posted by ssandra

And besides. Just as cool as the split, is the ability to touch your nose to your knees and your hands to the ground...

Yes, definitely a good idea to have balance. However, I can easily touch my thumbs to the ground (without even being warm) and my nose to my knee. My hips/groin are definitely the tightest muscles, my quads and back are super open. My hamstrings could use a little work still, I'll try and do more legs on the wall while reading for good measure.

Originally Posted by ButterflyWoman

I used to do the splits (sideways and front-to-back scissors style, either leg forward) when I was a kid. At that time I was doing ballet lessons once a week.

I second Sandra's suggestion that you need to start with stretching, and not just the legs. You need to stretch pretty much everything, from the top of your head down to your toes, because the muscular system is quite interrelated (that I know from university level biology, not ballet ). Approach it like any other exercise program, and warm up gently, then go through a complete, all over body stretching routine, and do it regularly (I only did ballet once a week, but I was also swimming and roller skating and riding a bike, plus whatever physical education we did at school).

And do be careful, because it's easy to pull muscles and even tendons doing stretching exercises. You need to be gentle at all times! I actually dislocated a knee doing stretching (a slightly improperly posed lunge) and I've never been the same (got two very messed up knees now that I'm middle-aged; I have to walk with a cane sometimes, even). I'm not saying injury is likely, but it's entirely possible, so be aware of that when you're doing your routine.

I've been doing this routine these last 10 days and I feel no problems with not warming up. The technique I'm using sufficiently warms the body up so this is not a problem. I'm a seasoned yogi and am 100% into deeply stretching warm muscles, which is what this technique does.

Originally Posted by Medusa locked

I'm pretty flexible but can't quite do a full split. I like sock approach.

Ok..I'll join you in this trial. Callenge...Accepted.

Also, it's worth noting that's it's best to do this after warming up the muscles, for 2 reasons. 1, to prevent tearing and 2, to get a deeper stretch.

Yay! Medusa, feel free to experiment with warming your muscles up first, but if you follow the exercise as I mentioned, you will likely be completely warmed up by the time you start getting into a deep stretch. Tensing your muscles as tight as you can does a wonderful job of warming them up.

Originally Posted by Criseyde

When I first learned to do them (several years ago), it was because I was a ballet dancer. I was really eager to be able to do it, and I ended up pulling my hamstring. That took about 4-6 weeks to recover from to the point of having no pain on a daily basis, and it set me back A LOT in my efforts. It probably took me 6 months *after* I was recovered to be able to get back to doing the splits.

Also, straddles ("sideways" splits) are much harder and take more time, so be careful.

Just be careful and go slowly in general.

Thanks Criseyde. I've definitely had a similar experience when I first starting doing yoga (more of a strain than a pull though). I feel fairly confident in being able to listen to my body, and I feel that it's quite hard to pull a muscle by doing this technique correctly.

[ButterflyWoman]

Originally Posted by trevorturtle

I'm a seasoned yogi

Most people reading this thread are not. I wrote what I did mostly for posterity, because people surf into these forums from Google and other search engines all the time.

The general warning to be careful when doing deep stretching exercises was and is entirely valid (and I'm not the only person in this thread to have injured themselves this way, nor to urge caution and care).

[elucidate]

I always have this thought when I read about or hear a guy talking about wanting to do the splits, that he should watch out for his package for some reason? Is that an irrational fear?

[trevorturtle]

Originally Posted by ButterflyWoman

Most people reading this thread are not. I wrote what I did mostly for posterity, because people surf into these forums from Google and other search engines all the time.

The general warning to be careful when doing deep stretching exercises was and is entirely valid (and I'm not the only person in this thread to have injured themselves this way, nor to urge caution and care).

I agree with you about being careful. But I mentioned that I'm a seasoned yogi because I feel like I know what I'm doing in regards to stretching and that it would be difficult to injure yourself with this technique. I'm guessing you haven't tried it? It would be cool if you did and told me what you think.

Originally Posted by elucidate

I always have this thought when I read about or hear a guy talking about wanting to do the splits, that he should watch out for his package for some reason? Is that an irrational fear?

Maybe for dropping into the splits. Especially since I don't wear any underwear to keep 'em close. But it's not much of an issue until you can almost do it.

[Medusa locked]

Originally Posted by elucidate

I always have this thought when I read about or hear a guy talking about wanting to do the splits, that he should watch out for his package for some reason? Is that an irrational fear?

Lol...
I have this one stretch I do where I do have to watch my package. Its not the splits.

[Agota]

Originally Posted by ssandra

And besides. Just as cool as the split, is the ability to touch your nose to your knees and your hands to the ground...

What's really cool is an ability to touch your toes with your nose in a strecth where you sit with one leg straight in front of you.. One of my friends was able to do it, that's awesome!

I second someone's suggestion to do other stretches as well, not only splits. It's simply that there are muscles that affect your splits, but are stretched more efficiently by using exercises other than splits

[bodi]

This is based on what's known as isometric stretching, which is the method that improved my flexibility the most.

Having said that....children and adolescents whose bones are still growing should NOT perform these types of stretch's . They have a much greater chance of injury, as well as worse injuries.

Warming up for isometrics? Doesn't hurt, but not as big a deal as for passive or dynamic stretching.

[trevorturtle]

Originally Posted by Agota

I second someone's suggestion to do other stretches as well, not only splits. It's simply that there are muscles that affect your splits, but are stretched more efficiently by using exercises other than splits

Do you know which stretches/exercises these are?

[FelineNostalgia]

Sounds so fun! Will definitely give it a go Its been yunks since I did any proper stretching, might try an ease in period first.

[Medusa locked]

Originally Posted by bodi

This is based on what's known as isometric stretching, which is the method that improved my flexibility the most.

Having said that....children and adolescents whose bones are still growing should NOT perform these types of stretch's . They have a much greater chance of injury, as well as worse injuries.

Warming up for isometrics? Doesn't hurt, but not as big a deal as for passive or dynamic stretching.

That's interesting, however, I've heard that shaolin kids have intense and grueling stretch regimes based on isometric stretches.