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The position of the knees when in a pancake stretch should be pointing upwards or be externally rotated? Could it be that both are right but there s a different purpose to each version? Thank you! Andreas.

This might be a bit of a long shot but i will still give it a try to ask in here. Might be someone who has experienced something similar. I'm not quite sure when i got this injury, but it definitely got worsened or might even have started 2 years ago doing a mobility class. We were practicing the pancake and had a person to push on your lower back. I remember i could feel the pain in my right back/inner thigh, but i didn't really say anything (ye, i know it was stupid and i really regret it now). To day, 2 years after it still not good, i don't have any problem during the daily work, and i only feel pain when i specifically stretch in split position or like the pancake. Nothing at all when i'm doing butterfly stretch for instance. I've been to doctor and physiotherapist and they haven't really been able to identify the injury. I've tried several exercises from the physiotherapist but it hasn't got any better. i've tried longer break etc. The pain is like a stinging pain from the groin and all the way to inner knee. The pain only starts when i get into the outer position the feeling is like if i go any further i will get a injury like a ruptured muscle. I know thats probably not the case, but more to indicate how the pain is feeling. I think the injury might be located to the m. gracilis, but not certain about that either. It has just been frustrating for so long now and i don't really know what to do or how to rehabilitate it. So i hope someone might have any ideas or might have experienced something similar.

on my left leg when doing pancake work there's a horrible sharp pain and it makes progress very slow. No injury - anyone else get this?

Hey Everyone, So i know this is a bit vague, but I was at a proper gymnastics gym (ironically) and was stretching in the pancake position, a position i can usually get chest to floor in - and I shifted from side to side a little, and felt/heard a pop, right below my glute but in towards my groin, whatever muscle that is. Not quite hamstring, not quite groin, and I know I'm doing a horrible job explaining. I thought I had just seriously injured myself, but i stood up, got into a squat, moved around, no pain. That being said, I still don't have "pain" but I can't get as deep into a pancake without some tension and discomfort - I'd say a 2-3 on a 1-10, 1 being and itch, 10 being unconscious. From what my googling has led me to believe I probably have a very minor muscle/tendon strain, as I have no loss of strength, just a loss of perceived mobility - where i feel tension on the area, slight discomfort, and can't get as low as I like. The only two moves I feel this in are a pancake, or a really deep side to side squat; but i haven't lost any strength - which i read was one of the indicators of a stage 2+ tear. Has anyone had a similar injury? How did you deal with it? Did you stretch? Not stretch? Ice? Heat? Please let me know what's worked for the community, as I'm getting conflicting answers from training buddies and coaches, and I know if I go to the doc they'll prob just prescribe me something or say "you need an MRI." I have great insurance, but want to stay non-radiated unless absolutely essential. Thanks!

I did a quick search on the forum and didn't come up with anything - but I figured i'd throw it out there. I've been messing with GST and having FANTASTIC results, both with strength and mobility gains (thought i was highly mobile before, but my pikes and weighted pike hangs are effortless now, shoulder mobility and dislocate strength is increasing faster than i ever thought). One movement I'm still having a rough time with is the pancake (i can get low to the floor, but my groin/inner thigh mobility isn't where i'd like it - my legs are maybe just more than 45 degrees, i'd like them to be way farther) and also the middle split. When I was a kid I was a huge Jean Claude Van Damme fan (go ahead laugh, but when you're 5 years old Bloodsport and Kickboxer are great films lol), and could do middle splits all day, even held myself up between two chairs, could kick up to the wall and do a middle split against the wall even. I don't know if it was from a growth spurt or just not maintaining - but when i was about 12 i lost the ability to do that. I'd like to get at least close to it again. Does anybody have any good progressions or stretches to specifically develop middle split and pancake mobility?

Hi GB Community ! I remember some time ago when I was training JC with 20kg and good depth, and instantly after a couple of weeks doing this I test my pancake flexibility again and it was just much much better than before without training it directly. I was just able to touch the floor with my belly in a pancake position for the first time with the correct APT technique (long time ago I always did the pancake with a horrible rounded back). Is this true or it was just and eventually ? And assuming is right, because you feel the stretch pretty much in similar areas. Thanks

I´m 19 years old and started doing gymnastics 2 years ago. I made good progressions in terms of strength and balance but my bad flexibility keeps me from moving to new skills. My main goal now is to achieve the Press to Handstand. Therefore i am trying to improve my Pancake stretch because i think its the main reason that i can´t get the HSP yet. I can only go to the gym 2x a week, so that have to stretch alone the other times. I would like to hear some progressions to finally get the chest on the floor with legs spread apart which i can try at home and without a partner. Cheers