I know Kara can!! But, can anyone else? Is it possible for someone who has NEVER been able to do a split 'learn' to do one? If so, how? Is it a stupid goal to have (ie, will I be at cross-purposes)?
I don't think it's a stupid goal. It was definitely a goal of mine a long time ago and I finally got myself to do it. I have no idea if learning it would in any way interfere with your goals, but my gut instinct is that it won't. It's been a long time since I thought myself how to do it (I think I was 13 or so back then) but if I remember correctly I just kept trying and trying and stretching everyday until I got to the point that I could do it. The way my old dance teacher used to have us work towards it was to kneel on the ground as if you were proposing to someone, on one knee with the other out in front. From there, put your hands on the floor on either side of you and straighten your front leg so it slides farther away from you. See how far you can get. When we used to do this in her presence she would then push down on our shoulders to get us down farther (and oh boy did that hurt). Other than that keep stretching out those hammies. My problem with my splits is that my back leg doesn't go back far enough so I always end up leaning forward a bit to compensate.
That's exactly how I remember learning to do the splits in dance class. It hurt like heck. For the middle split (I can't think of any better thing to call it), we used to have to lay on our backs with our legs in a V on the wall, slowly, they would sink farther and farther down. And, if that wasn't enough, our teacher would push them down too. I can still do a split with my right leg forward, am almost down with my left leg forward, and am nowhere near the middle anymore.
I think it's a fun goal! I shouldn't interfere with any of your other goals, it's really just additional stretching. Good luck and let us know how it goes.
Ha ha - no way! I think it is an awesome goal though. I've been doing some yoga and stretching the last few days and I like it. Seems to help take the pain away.
I can do it, but it's from doing yoga for years, with some motivation from dance. I never do anything that hurts. But if you stretch gradually every day so that it feels good, you'll eventually get there.
Yoga does several variations of leg stretches, and I usually would do the stretch littleMermaid describes, without the pain, during sets in the gym. But since starting NROLW I just sit there between sets :-)
As a girl, I could do them all three ways and never really even had to stretch. After I had my son, I could still do them right and left, but the middle went away. Now, I've pulled my hamstrings enough that I can't even do them to the side them all the way, but like you Jane, I want them back, so I've started doing some static stretching after my warm up jog before I lift. After just three times, I am seeing improvement. Just keep stretching.
Btw, I'm really glad you posted this because I was wondering if I was silly for wanting to do them again too, but any goal that improves you in someway can't be bad, can it?
I use to !!!!!!!!! When I was 13 , cheerleading try-outs were one day away!! I was so proud I finally mastered the SPLIT !!! WELL the morning of try-out , showing off & not warming up, I went into a split for my stepmom & POP !!!!! I had ripped the tendons off my hamstring!!!!! My Dad though I had ripped my pants ( that's how loud it was ) I was in so much pain ... They rushed me to the ER & needless to say I didn't make cheerleading & I was also outta sports for about 6mo !!!!!!!! Ever since I haven't been able to even get close to a split.... Might be in my head... anyway> Good luck w/ your goal !!! I don't think it is silly at all! We all have goals : My goal last year was to run a 5k just one time in my life... When I would tell my friends they would say " you'll ruin your knees, or WHY?? " ,, or something neg. like that..... Well I did it & now my goal is have awesome biceps !! weird goal for most women,, my friends don't even know because they wouldn't understand!!!!!1 BUT YOU ALL DO !!!! That is why I love this Forum!! Lots of different people w/ one goal in mind !!! that one goal : TO MEET OUR GOALS !!!!!!! Gotta Split haha Tanya
I can, from tae kwon do. I started TKD when I was 21 and had never done a split before then. My master tells us stories of people who started with him in their 40s and 50s and learned to do splits, so I don't think it's ever too late to start.
We worked up to them like Kara and beach_plums described. Just do it nice and easy once you're already warmed up. Move out until it's almost painful, and then relax in to the stretch; hold for about 20 seconds, and then stretch out just a little further. Try not to support yourself on your legs so much, because it's hard for them to hold you up (tense) and relax (stretch) at the same time.
I can do front splits (L/R) but not middle splits (which I've never been able to do).
I would recommend that you work on these after a workout (cardio or weights) when you are fully, fully warmed up. The reason I say this is because when I am not warmed-up, I can do a R split and almost L split but can feel the tension in the hamstring (on both sides) so that indicated to me to not try to do the split after only a warm-up (because I don't want to pull the hamstring). After a workout, during cool down, I can do both splits with no issue. I've been keeping up with these because I want go back to dancing.
__________________ Just because your mother thinks you're special doesn't mean I do
Can anyone do a split?
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