Flexibility? Plz Help

[pink123]

Hi everyone~

i have been doing gymnastics for a year, and I have never had any of my splits down! My left split (good side) is about 2-3 inches off the ground, but no matter what I can't seem to get them down! I stretched all day, and still have no progress! im beginning to give up hope, what do i do!?

Thanks Everyone

 

[ameragym]

There are over 23 methods of stretching.

Be careful not to induce a stress injury by doing too much too soon. Allow your limbs enough time to adapt to new exercise methods. Wait for your body to become resilient and elastic before adding more stress and frequency to your stretch exercises. Try not to induce a stretch reflex reaction while attempting new ways of stretching.

I recommend the following types of stretching...Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation or PNF is a form of passive and isometric stretching. The limb is allowed to be passively stretched to a limit at which point the subject exerts resistance against the force. Subsequently force is reapplied to move the again passive limb further than before.

Resistance Stretching is a stretching exercise process whereby the subject performs a contraction of a muscle continuously or virtually opposes the stretch while lengthening the targeted muscle. Usually the subject puts the muscle to be stretched in its shortest contracted position first before elongating it. Swimming Olympian Dara Torres brought resistance stretching into the limelight claiming it as her secret to success.

Isometric stretching involves no motion. The subject applies tension to the limb using an apparatus or stretch strap or his hands or someone else's hands while remaining still. The subject resists the force applied during the motionless exercise. The subject may use an inanimate object such as a ballet bar to exert force against it.

Massaged stretching is where another person or yourself massages the limbs during the exercise. This can be implemented in static, passive, isometric, facilitated, hyper-extension, PNF, posture and contortion stretching.

 

[blackbeltgymnast]

over splits

Have you heard of over splits?
If not, you can use your bed, the couch, just something off the ground at least by 1 foot.
Put your front foot on the bed, couch, or whatever you choose to use, and slide into your splits!
This helps so much!! do it while your watching tv, reading a book, talking on the phone, anything! Hold for about 3 minutes on each side.

You can do those for middle splits too, and you can do this:
Sit in a straddle facing the wall, and push yourself forward, and hold. Push yourself far enough that you can feel the stretch, but don't force yourself... that could hurt haha.
Once you can't feel the stretch anymore, push more and hold again. Do these stretches everyday!

Also, my friend does ballet, and she needed her spllits.. she told me that she took a hot bath, and stretched in the bath. And right after her bath, stretched some more.

Hope this helps!

 

[BlairBob]

Pink, try your splits by flexing the front foot as this will make the stretch harder. Do not round your back and lean your chest over your front leg by keep upright and square.

How often do you work your splits and for how long?

 

[BreezyGymnast]

I had this problem when i first started gymnastics too.. I wasn't close to any of my splits! and i know you probably don't want to hear this, but it takes time and gradually you will become musch more flexible.. but only if you stretch every day. It took me probably about a year and a half to get my good leg split down.. and now I've been doing gymnastics for 3 years and I have them all down! so trust me, they will get a lot easier if you keep working on them every day!! and also try to make sure that you're not holding yourself up while you're in your split.. like while youre in your left and right splits, you can put your arms out to the side insetead on touching the ground.. and in your middle, try putting your stomach on the ground instead of your ebows.. hope that kinda helped!!

 

[Megz]

I have to agree with BreezyGymnast here. I was the same when I started! I was known for being the least flexible in my class, for a good 2 years. During my third year of training, I managed to get my good leg (my left, same as you!) down for the first time. Everyone was so excited, not just me! After that, it was maybe another 6 months before my middle split and right leg were down too. So it just takes time, don't stress. A year is a very short time, don't forget. What progress you HAVE made with your splits sounds just fine!

Now though, 8 years later, I'm the MOST flexible person in my class! Strange huh? Once you get your splits, and you practice them plenty, it's hard to lose them. As long as you keep doing them your muscles will remain flexy, I promise! Make sure to do hypersplits (or 'oversplits') once you get them down on flat ground, as it stretches you more and makes the split position easier to get into with things like split leaps and such. Oh, and do some hamstring stretches (in a pike position, try to touch your head to your knees with straight legs) to help with right and left splits. Middle splits just take time. Some people get middles naturally for some reason. Something about hip and knee flexibility I think. Middle splits took me the longest time!

Keep practicing, you WILL get them down. Remember to warm down after practice too, as lactic acid build up in your hamstrings can make splits more painful. I'll send you some *good splits* vibes!

 

[dancesterx3]

there's so many videos on youtube, that show how to str5etch for the splits, but i found one by maybabytumbler, thats focused on stretches for the scorpion but she does a few stretches that will help in the getting of your splits. just search maybabytumbler how to do the scorpion.