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Splits, flexibility, health

Discussion in 'Fitness' started by Dares Greeneye, Jun 3, 2022.

  1. :emoji_exclamation::emoji_exclamation:OKAY BIG UPDATE! I have just managed to do a side split! :emoji_smiley::emoji_exclamation::emoji_exclamation:

    Sooo how long did it take me? :emoji_thinking: Around 5 and a half months :emoji_slight_smile::emoji_thumbsup: I have got down to the floor before, but today is officially the first day I have managed to do so without feeling much pull or discomfort. Or at least for like 15 seconds or so, after that I have started to feel the stretch. However I got down... and I was fine! :emoji_v::emoji_smiley: A real progress there.

    I had been lingering at around 1-2 inches above ground for a looong time, perhaps maybe even 2 or so months, but I'm past that point now and reached a whole new depth, the completely unknown level of stretch for me and my own body till now :emoji_slight_smile:

    I will take a photo once the lighting, positioning and time will be suitable for it, because I'm at dorms and there is my roommate walking through or some things in the way etc. But I will take a photo and post it here after some of my future sessions while adjusting to side split :emoji_relieved:
     
    Swift Escape likes this.
  2. Heinz 2

    Heinz 2 Fapstronaut


    Congratulations. Now try a front split. Watch out to work on both sides equally.

    Next, do oversplits training. :)
     
    Dares Greeneye likes this.
  3. Heinz 2

    Heinz 2 Fapstronaut

    I find side splits a bit easier because you can relax into it. With front splits, you have to switch sides to do both sides equally.
    There are still some centimeters left to the ground.
    A few days ago, I bought knee protectors and yoga blocks. Let’s see how that helps.
     
    Dares Greeneye likes this.
  4. I haven't been consistent with stretching in the past weeks at all because of life, but yesterday I've tried the side splits again, and while they weren't perfect as the angle of my legs wasn't total 180° because of slippery floor which gave me a hard time tensing my legs a bit to keep them in place from sliding, I got the the ground fully and quite comfortably after a few initial minutes and held perhaps 170° angle or so :emoji_slight_smile::emoji_thumbsup: I don't want to risk injury, so I wont get to doing oversplits right away, as I feel like I still need to perfect the side split, but doing splits in overall is something I want to improve in a long run, so I will definitely get to the oversplits once the time comes.

    Yoga blocks are an amazing feature, I will buy them as well in the future, and knee protectors may come in really handy with front splits. I haven't started stretching for these yet, only tried how far I can reach during a few sessions, but I can see myself starting training for that this summer :emoji_sunny:

    Thank you for the suggestions :emoji_medal:
     
    Heinz 2 likes this.
  5. I'm wondering, once you learn to do the splits, let's say in a period of 3 months, do you have to do the splits for 10-15min everyday to maintain that or does it take longer, let's say weeks to months, for your body to "forget" the splits?
     
  6. It depends from person to person; there even is a rare condition which allows you to become limber waaaay faster than for other people. I've read that a person that has this condition managed to reach full side split in just a week.

    My experience is that once you manage to reach a certain level of flexibility, the body needs only very little of stretching even after months to reach it again. I had to stretch my legs before to be able to put my palms flat on a floor while standing without crouching my legs when I was 13 years old (the reason was shortened sinews in them); it took months for me to be able to do it back then, but once I did, I have basically never lost the ability to do it almost cold without any preparation or warm up. It has been 9 years since then.

    When it comes to splits, it's not necessary to stretch every day for them nor for progress or maintaining the level of your reach. But again it's the same as far as I can say; once you are able to do them, body has this inner memory, so even if you stopped for a long time and didn't move much (because of injury etc.), it wont have to adapt to the move from the beginning again. It never forgets so to speak. When it comes to maintaining only (meaning not having to fast-adapt again), I'd say that all you need to do is doing the stretch once a week, because after you're done, it's very possible that you will feel it for one, sometimes even 2 and more days after. That means that the reaction that the stretch has triggered is still in the process. The question is how long and intense the single session would be, how much movement you get overally, how is your sleep (I've noticed that I'm not as flexible when I didn't sleep well), whether you have been stressed a lot recently, and so on. I'm confident to say though that even if all of that wasn't to your advantage, 1 session per week would be enough to maintain the stretch level.
     
  7. Thank you for your reply, that's really motivating to hear!
    I did the side splits as a child but switched sports and have focused on weightlifting since puberty. Now I'm thinking about learning the splits again. I have about the length of an elbow left to reach the floor and have been stagnating on this level for some time. I believe for me it's the harmstrings that are not so flexible bc of long sitting at the table at work.
     
    Heinz 2 and Dares Greeneye like this.
  8. Heinz 2

    Heinz 2 Fapstronaut

    I’ve downloaded the app “Just Another Workout Timer” and use it the following way:
    5 minutes warmup:
    • lay on right side and swing left leg up 20 times (0:30)
    • grab and hold left leg (0:20)
    • repeat with right leg (0:30+0:20)
    • lay on back, right leg bent. Swing left leg up 20 times (0:30)
    • grab and hold left leg (0:20)
    • repeat with right leg (0:30+0:20)
    • lay on right side and swing left leg up 20 times (0:30)
    • grab and hold left leg (0:20)
    • repeat with right leg (0:30+0:20)

    25 minutes splits: 6 repetitions of
    • middle splits (1:10)
    • left split (0:45)
    • right split (0:45)
    • left split (0:45)
    • right split (0:45)
     
    Dares Greeneye likes this.
  9. Heinz 2

    Heinz 2 Fapstronaut

    5 minute warmup (as explained above):
    repeat (3) {
    left leg (20 s); hold (20 s);
    }

    5 minute splits:
    middle split (30 s); lean left (30 s); lean right (30 s); center (10 s); hands up (15 s);
    prepare for left split (5 s);
    left split (45 s); right split (45 s); left split (45 s); right split (45 s);

    10 minute splits:
    repeat (4) {
    middle split (30 s); left split (30 s); right split (30 s); left split (30 s); right split (30 s);
    }
     
    Dares Greeneye likes this.
  10. Heinz 2

    Heinz 2 Fapstronaut

    Side split checklist:
    • Sitting in side split with hands in the air (→ possible after some warmup)
    • In side split, lean forward until the chest reaches the ground. Do the thighs still touch the floor, or is there a gap? (→ for me it’s still about 2.5 cm or 1″).

    Front split checklist:
    • back foot straight, i.e. only big toe touches the ground
    • back knee below leg
    Any tips how to further improve the front split or measure success?
     
    Dares Greeneye likes this.
  11. laser_focus

    laser_focus Fapstronaut

    8
    7
    3
    have you continued training? Did you achieve your front split?
     

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