My Front/straddle & side splits weekly workout routine.

[Alessandro Di Sanzo]

Hi all!

I would like to share with you my weekly workout routine for front split and side splits. I wonder if it seems good.

Here's my planning.

Monday wednesday friday: front / straddle split routine.

Tuesday thursday saturday: side splits routine.

Front split routine.

1. Warm up: Abductor machine 4 set of 10 reps with 15 kg, trying to spread my thighs more and more.

2. Butterfly stretch: 3x 1 min

3. Pancake stretch: 4x 1 min

4. Straddle stretch Laying supinated with legs on the wall: 5x1 min

5. Sitting wall middle splits, trying to get my pelvis closer and closer to the wall: 5x1 min

Side splits routine

1. Warm up: single leg squat routine as from Foundation 1.

2. Low lunge pose :3x 1 min each side

3. Hamstring stretch seated forward bend: 3x1 min

4. Side split attempt : 4x45 sec (each side)

In the pics you can see my current level of side and front splits.

Do you think it is a good planning routine? How can I fix it? Also is it better if I do for each exercise all the sets planned in a row and then proceed to the next exercise, or to do 1 set of each exercise in a row and then repeat the cycle for 5 times?

I saw a few improves on straddle stretch, not so on side splits...

Let me know what you think!

Thank you!

[Daniel Burnham]

Not bad but for much accelerated progress you should include weighted stretches and pnf

[Blairbob]

Hips look unsquare on front splits (one leg in front, one leg to rear).

[Alessandro Di Sanzo]

Hips look unsquare on front splits (one leg in front, one leg to rear).

Sorry? I didn't understand well what you mean! How can I fix this?

[Murray Truelove]

Sorry? I didn't understand well what you mean! How can I fix this?

If your right foot was in front you would rotate your hips clockwise.

[Jeremy Huston]

(I think you're confusing Front/Side Splits.  Front is when you have one leg in front of your torso and one behind -- like an extreme lunge.  Side is when both legs are off to the sides -- like an extreme straddle.)

 

I recently got my splits (also with unsquare hips ), so I have some thoughts:

 

Throw some more pants on.  I've been using long underwear and sweat pants to keep my legs nice on warm.

 

I think you've got a good plan -- be sure to listen to your body and adapt accordingly.  If you go hard on Monday, you might not be able to make any real progress on Tuesday.

 

Cossack / Side-to-side squats are a great warmup for both splits, especially side splits.

 

You might find your progress in some of the stretches to stall due to their unweighted nature.  When this happens, switch to a version with more force.  For example, instead of butterfly, do straddle pull throughs (http://www.drillsandskills.com/stretching/Straddle/st005).

For example, instead of doing your laying straddle, flip it over so your feet are on the ground and butt up in the air.  Instead of Hamstring stretch seated forward bend, use kneeling pike (http://www.drillsandskills.com/stretching/Splits/sp002).

 

Good luck!

[FritsMB Mansvelt Beck]

What helped me quite a bit (and may help you too) is to “floss” my hamstrings (for front split and side split), gracilis and adductors (for side split) as part of my warmup.  I also find  it more effective doing my side splits by lowering down with support from my arms (leaning on a box, or the floor, depending on how far down you can go), sliding my feet sideways (with toes pointing up -more  of a hamstrings stretch- or feet on the floor -more of a gracilis and adductors stretch-).

"Flossing" is getting your fingers in between the gracilis and adductor on the inner thigh (or hamstrings on the back  of your leg) and moving them up and down while also trying to pull the muscles (fascia) apart. I found that it worked quite well doing it myself lying down in a butterfly stretch or with my legs up (for the hamstrings).Try it, you may like it.

[David McManamon]

I never train either front or side splits, always both, ideally 5+ days per week.  Any good flexibility class works your entire body although you could focus on front/side on alternating days, especially if you are using intense PNF style stretching on certain days.