Extreme active flexibility- Are pike and straddle leg lifts going to do it?

[Santiago Pinzón]

Hey! So I came across this video and you can see in the beginning and the end the extreme active flexibility this woman has. It's amazing! My question is, in order to develop this type of control and strength, are pike and straddle leg lifts efficient? Or should I for example rest my leg as high as I can on a shelf and try to lift it from there? Any comments on how people in the contemporary dance community get to this levels would be appreciated. Thank you!

 

[Juliana Rose]

Hi Santiago, 

There are a lot of different active flexibility drills out there that you can find on youtube and you can experiment with a lot of them but it comes down to what works for your body. Here are some that I do with my students. 

• From seated straddle: lift leg over an object and back down again. Vary size of object and length of time you hold the leg up. 
• Stand straight leg pulses and small circles. 
• Standing leg extensions. 
• Weighted high kicks. 

[Alessandro Mainente]

IN order to develop this type of quality you need an impressive amount of antagonist muscles relaxation. without proper relaxation the possibility to develop this type of active work it is basically zero.

[Santiago Pinzón]

@Alessandro Mainente I have the splits, but I guess over-splits are a must? Or is it a matter or practicing for months/years the active component? This is where the difference between flexibility and suppleness starts to appear

@Juliana Rose Those are good ideas! Thank you, I'll try to implement some of them

[Alessandro Mainente]

Probably for you it is a matter of creating a decent strenght program.

[Alexander Egebak]

On 4/11/2016 at 2:14 AM, Santiago Pinzón said:

Hey! So I came across this video and you can see in the beginning and the end the extreme active flexibility this woman has. It's amazing! My question is, in order to develop this type of control and strength, are pike and straddle leg lifts efficient? Or should I for example rest my leg as high as I can on a shelf and try to lift it from there? Any comments on how people in the contemporary dance community get to this levels would be appreciated. Thank you!

 

It is a start. But if you have the splits I suggest you put your money on end range mobility/strength training, especially if you can have a partner bring your legs to that or a very similar position. Learning to control the range of motion is of primary importance.

Exercises that could be helpful to train for:

- Manna work (spotted maybe), including hanging leg raises and middle split holds.

- Press handstands and straddle handstands.

[Santiago Pinzón]

@Alexander Egebak So like getting my leg high however I can and then try to do holds or at least a negative right? 

[Alexander Egebak]

The important part is to not passively go into the position but rather use your muscles to pull yourself into the position.