Thread: trying to do the splits...

can anyone help?

yea, get off that stupid machine and stop trying to do the splits. Forcing yourself into ranges of motion is a great way to get hurt.

Originally Posted by P-funk

yea, get off that stupid machine and stop trying to do the splits. Forcing yourself into ranges of motion is a great way to get hurt.

x2

also: go buy Mark Rippetoe's book: Pracical Programming for Strength Athletes immediately.

Probably the easiest post P's ever had to make. Like he said definitly dont force things like that. Its kinda like saying, "I would love to bench 500". Now would you just throw it on the bar and give it a go? NO. You would spend time trying to work up to it. Same goes here.

is there a way to develop the ability?

stretch progressively, idenfity any tonic/phasic muscles that may be causing issues with large ranges of motion (physio, rehab worker etc)

use different positions, and try different types of stretching.

it takes time.

i do know that it takes time so i thought that machine could help me over time if i only progress a bit a day?

give yourself some days off, dont stretch hard every single day. going from standing to side splits is definately different to sitting on that with no load on your legs and stretching them out.

why buy that when you can just spread your legs wider yourself. everyones after something to do it for them nowdays. how do you think gymnasts, dancers, martial artists etc are able to do the splits? they dont use versaflex machines, they just stretch over a period of time regularly.

hmmmmm ok i guess that means the machine is going back lol.

lol

Training splits, I have been teaching Martial arts for many years and I had problems with splits many years ago I thought I was in capable of doing them,
Now I can do them both ways, I would take very hot baths then I would sit in front of the tv and stay in a stretch position as far as I could go for a hour a day. In two months I was doing the splits now I do opposite splits on bookks.

what has hot baths got to do with this?

Ok I'm not ripped and such but this is in my background, I was an amatuer kickboxer for a number of years and fought at 6'1" 173lb so I'm a similar build to you.

I start with a folding chair in front of me, and you want to sit bakwards on the chair and extend your feet outward. Then raise yourself off the chair with your upper body and slide it from underneath you but use it as a support. Then slowly lower yourself, what this does is allow you to use a portion of your body weight to stretch the muscle but allow you to support yourself on the chair.

Now what to do when you hit pain? Go up until the pain subsides and hold there for 15-20 seconds and slowly creep back up on the painful point. The pain is there because the muscles, tendons, ligiments(sp) aren't used to this range of motion.

Most importantly and I can not stress this enough, DO NOT PUSH YOURSELF TOO HARD IF IT HURTS BACK OFF, IF IT KEEPS HURTING STOP!!!!

It took me 6 months of doing this three days a week to get down easily. When your good and ready you can set up two folding chairs and do the splits on them. I will say this as a precaution, your leg muscle stability goes out the window. You are making yourself pliable and there for not as rigid and stable as you may be now. Squats suffer greatly.

so if it keeps hurting i should totally stop? or just try again after a week?

also I'm not to sure what you are doing with the chairs any pictures would be very helpful.

Thanks!

Originally Posted by TKD

so if it keeps hurting i should totally stop? or just try again after a week?

also I'm not to sure what you are doing with the chairs any pictures would be very helpful.

Thanks!

no stop for that session and try again after a few days.

With two chairs you have a foot on each one and the chairs are roughly 6' apart. So you are doing elevated splits and your body weight is taking you past 180*. You are nowhere near ready for that.

hmmmmm i see so what should i be doing?