I just put up a new youtube video, which shows how I like to go into my splits when doing intense flexibility training. This is an excerpt from my hip mobility class series.
This is the kind of work I like to do when trying to increase range in a position, which is very different than my regular daily mobility work for maintaining range and joint health.
I’m using a variety of different methods to help me get lower, stay safe, remain calm, build strength and control, and ensure lasting changes.
Here are the main takeaways from this video:
-Start in a long suspended lunge
-Keep hips square(a good cue is to turn the back foot in)
-Set up pillows under you at your desired height
-Gradually go deeper into the long lunge
-When you reach the pillows, relax and sink down while extending your back foot
-Perform contractions against and in the direction of the stretch while gradually sliding out further. I typically hold a contraction for 3-5 seconds followed by a few deep breaths where I try to allow myself to go further.
-Use supports on your hands to help keep the chest up.
-Feel free to remove pillows as necessary
-Keep going deeper until you feel you’re at the end of your range with your hips square. Stay calm and breathe deep through the discomfort.
-Once you have acclimated to your maximum square split, go ahead and turn your hips out to go deeper. This is not “proper technique” but builds confidence and allows you to go further. I think of this as the dessert to the main meal of the hips square splits.
-Breathe deep and stay calm for a few more breaths.
-How you exit the splits is crucial. This must be done slowly and deliberately without engaging any of the muscles that have been deeply stretched.
-Post up on your hands and take your upper body sideways to transfer to a laying down position. Shake your legs out and allow them to relax.
-Stand up slowly using your hands. Have a walk around to get a feel for the new range of motion you just created.
This is of course not the only way to train splits, but is a routine that I find useful for developing new range and offering a variety of different stimulation.
Give it a try, and check out the video below if you want to follow along.