Topic: the splits

[Chris [.5gibbon] Stevenson!]

i want them!!!  i used to be a martial artist (still kinda am when im not training for pk) and as a martial artist the splits were the end all be all, to me, of nifty things a martial artist could do to demonstrate flexibility.  anyway, i was stretching the other day after an absolutely perfect day of training(which i love alot! ) and it just hit me  why don't i just learn the splits?!    so now i have added that to my list of new year resolutions.  i am currently at a 155 degree angle and getting better every day, but i was just wondering if it is a realistic goal to obtain the splits in a one year period without causing long term dammage?

[Icarus]

Completely realistic. I had a friend that i did martial arts with and we both wanted to do with splits. We just did stretches everyday when we weren't doing much else (while hanging out, watching tv, reading...). We each can do a different type, but we both accomplished it under a year.

Just keep at it. 155 degrees is pretty good! Just make sure you stretch...I made the mistake of not stretching before trying to show off and I was walking funny for a while afterwards.

[Chris [.5gibbon] Stevenson!]

awsome! thats really good to hear.     haha ya i did the same thing with high kicks and dislocated my hip   very unpleasant! i was out for a couple months... actually it still sucks 

[Charles Moreland]

This is the one part that frustrates me. I stopped training tkd during peak growth periods and now have a really horrible split. I'm talking barely 110 degrees. I've never measured but it's not good at all. Been working on them for several months (used to be barely 90). It pains me to think of how slow flexibility comes back. Sucks knowing you USED to be able to do something and then lose it. I'm hoping by this time next year I too will have a full split.

[Chris [.5gibbon] Stevenson!]

^ sweet!  i know what you mean when i re-started stretching for the splits the pain was terrible and i was at 120ish.   i don't really know if the splits would be all that aplicable to parkour, but i don't see how it could hurt.  besides i always liked it because it showes that you have dicipline.  not that you don't have dicipline if your a martial artist and you can't do the splits, but you know what i mean        oh btw if you have some (alot of) extra money laying around, i strongly suggest you get one of these  http://www.ukti-ilt.com/iltshop_files/versaflex.jpg   me and my friend who i took tkd with combined some cash and bought one  they work really great if you take off the leg guards and reatach them down by your ankles.    thats how i got from 120 to 155.

[Chris [.5gibbon] Stevenson!]

http://www.timinvermont.com/fitness/faq16.htm#SEC36    wow!... read this if you are interested in stretching    i gust learned more than i have learned this entire school year thus far.

[Charles Moreland]

I hope you're not doing this to get a higher kick by the way. If you are then you are going about the wrong path.

[Chris [.5gibbon] Stevenson!]

ya I read that part I honestly just want to be able to do them   my kicks are high enough as is

[Steven Low]

There was a study.. forgot where.. where a group of people stretched 5x a day. After a month they ALL had the splits.

Year is waaay too long especially if you're already at 155 degrees. You should be able to make it within a couple months if you even do 1x every day.

[Charles Moreland]

There was a study.. forgot where.. where a group of people stretched 5x a day. After a month they ALL had the splits.

Year is waaay too long especially if you're already at 155 degrees. You should be able to make it within a couple months if you even do 1x every day.

I've just heard bad things about stretching too fast. Data is pretty much jumbled between people who were perfectly fine and people who had horrible side effects from over stretching or something.

I'm perfectly fine with a year.

[Steven Low]

Uh, I haven't seen any jumbled data.

Flexibility for everyone is very good unless you already have good flexibility in which dipping into rhythmic and contortionist flexibility (oversplits, hyperextended joints, etc.) can be bad long term for the joints cause of stretched ligaments and stuff.

[Chris [.5gibbon] Stevenson!]

ya i read in that big long article that any average person can reach maximal flexibility in the lower body in two months if you streatch every day in the morning by using pnf stretching and passive stretching alternately each day.   that is awsome!     i don't know about 5x a day i would probably get too sore 

[Charles Moreland]

Uh, I haven't seen any jumbled data.

Flexibility for everyone is very good unless you already have good flexibility in which dipping into rhythmic and contortionist flexibility (oversplits, hyperextended joints, etc.) can be bad long term for the joints cause of stretched ligaments and stuff.

Just went back to familiarize and found the inconclusiveness is regarding injury reduction. Obviously I didn't read it too carefully. Apologies.

On another note, grats on the 1,000!

[John [sss24] Chadwell]

Well are you guys flexible I bet I can barely do 80-90 degrees(yeah I'm a contorsionist) but I'm trying to improve

[Steven Low]

I can get about 160ish degrees (180 would be splits) out of most of my splits. Gotta keep working them more.. I might have lost some since I haven't done them in a while.

And yes, it helps a lot when exercising as well as moving like in Parkour as well.

[revkon]

in developing side splits, i was wondering what differences there are between descending into the split from a standing position and opening your legs into the split from a seated position.  in particular, i'd like to know if one way is more effective than the other

[Muse_of_Fire]

The latter is easier on your joints, especially your knees. Also, you are less prone to "cheat" with inward rotation if you open from seated, particularly if you rotate outward first. For box splits, descending from standing is easier, but again it's tough on the joints, knees especially. I recommend going into box splits from the frog stretch, although IMO box splits don't provide anything that a good side split gives you (unless you are overly flexible).

Bottom line: from sitting is best IMO. Others may have different opinions based on their experience.

[Muse_of_Fire]

Incidentally, I am working on a "Training for splits" article which should be out in Spring(ish). In the meantime, check out a kind of sneak preview here, about 2/3 of the way down the thread.