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Question: How to do the splits!?
Ok, I take a dance class (Jazz/Hip-Hop) and I'm on my school's Dance Team!. In my dance class, since it's part Jazz, we do some kicks and leaps, and of course when we warm up, we do the splits (right, left, side)!. When I do my splits, my butt is a good 6 inches off the ground!. Is there anyway that I can, I guess, train myself to go all the way down!? Anything that will help! Seriously, like, when I see somebody doing the splits, and they're all the way down, you have no idea how much it bothers me!. I look down, and I try to release my arms (they hold my body weight) and I try to drop myself some more, but then my thighs feel like they're ripping!. I need help!Www@QuestionHome@Com


Best Answer - Chosen by Asker:
Whatever you do, PLEASE don't release your arms or your thighs really will rip!. Truly! When I was a young jazz dancer, I tore both my hamstrings doing the splits (not both at once - you'd think I'd learn after I tore my left hamstring the first time but no, I went and tore the right hamstring about 12 months later)!. If you think that sounds painful, you're right - and unless you get physio, your hamstrings heal even tighter, so your splits will be worse afterwards not better!.

Practising the splits won't help you do the splits, because your muscles are under such pressure they cramp up and resist the stretch!. The secret is to stretch each of the muscles independently, in positions where you can let them relax!.

Think about what's stopping you reaching the floor!. Let your back leg bend sideways - can you get your butt on the floor easily with your front leg straight out in front of you!? If you can't, then you need to stretch your hamstrings!. If you can, then your only problem is your back leg - specifically, in the muscles on the front of your thigh and pelvis, which are too tight to let your back leg go straight out backwards!.

You probably know the kind of stretches to do - the most common one is to stand on one leg, lift your other leg behind you and catch hold of your foot behind your butt!. Really think about pushing your pelvis forward to get maximum stretch through your hip and quad!. Google quadricep stretches and you'll find a few more!.

It takes patience but you will get there!

Sirena
http://bellydanceoz!.com








Www@QuestionHome@Com

Hiya,

Ok so, the splits is not something you can do over night it takes a while what I did was exercise ten minutes a day so that I didn't do much and gave my legs time to get more flexible

Exercises to do when doing the splits:

Put one leg on a stand and keep them both straight and touch your toes

Put both legs together and touch your toes

Spread both legs out and then reach forward

You MUST practice everyday!

Good luck!

Www@QuestionHome@Com

first, don't force yourself down!.
if it's hurting you, stop!
because if you pull a muscle, you won't be able to dance for a while til it heals!.
then when it heals, you'll backtrack and hafta start all over again!.

but if you want to know some good stretches, watch these:
(center splits) http://www!.youtube!.com/watch!?v=gpXuoV9kc!.!.!.
(right and left splits) http://www!.youtube!.com/watch!?v=UqgfsFFPF!.!.!.

remember that it takes time to be able to do the splits!.
just practice every single day, and you should be able to do them in a couple months or so!.

have fun and good luck! :DWww@QuestionHome@Com

i just got my splits the other day!.

i am an avid jazz, hiphop, ballet, modern, pointe dancer!

definetly don't pull your hands off the ground, it will seriously injur you!.

i practiced everyday twice a day until i hit the ground, and when i hit the ground, i leaned forward to stretch more!.

trust me this will workWww@QuestionHome@Com

trust me do NOT let go!. i had the same exact problem as you do!. when i was about 8 yrs old i got really mad at myself and i just let go!. it does rip your thigh muscles!. and it hurts INSANELY bad!. the only advantage is that now i can take long brakes and still do them!. BUT DON'T DO IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! it is a lot easier to do them every day!. hold if for minuteintervalss and repeat throughout the day on all three sides!. (right, left, middle) hope this helps :)Www@QuestionHome@Com

This summer I REALLY wanted to be able to do the splits!. So I stretched for at least an hour every single day!. I started in the beginning of August and now, 2 1/2 months later, I can do it!! Don't expect yourself to be able to do it right away, you have to work for it!. I am naturally very unflexible but I really wanted it so I worked for it!. Look up some stretches and do them whenever you have free time or when you're watching TV or something!. And once you can do it, don't stop stretching or you'll lose it!. Good luck!!Www@QuestionHome@Com

this is the most common asked question, and its very simple: PRACTICE! everyday!. hold it where it hurts, but dont push yourself more than that!. my thighs feel like theyre ripping too but eventually it will go away!. i know how you feel!. GOOD LUCK!!Www@QuestionHome@Com

in continuation to the last answer from another person, I would like to point out the fact that leaning forward will not stretch you more, it will take pressure off of your hips and actually stretch you *less!.* If you would like to get more of a stretch, you could just lean back and once your very and I mean VERY comfortable with that grab your back leg and bend it so that you get a very good stretch in your back leg and then put your head past your toes and that will stretch you!. Another thing you can do once getting down in your splits is to flex your back food and put your toes on the ground with your heel pointing up towards the ceiling!. This take all pressure off of the front leg and moves it to the back!. It's such a weird stretch but it works!Www@QuestionHome@Com

There is no way you can quickly "learn" to do the splits, it will take time and practice before your tendons will allow you to bend in that direction!. Each day, practice trying to do the splits (in both directions for the side splits)!. Stretch until it just *barely* starts to hurt, then stay in that position for 15-30 seconds!. You can repeat this throughout the day!. But one thing to remember- the WORST thing you can do is try to force yourself down or over-stretch!. That will just put you at risk for a lot of soreness or even an injury, making any sort of dancing at all difficult!.
I used to be incredibly stiff in elementary school, and then discovered one day in high school several years ago that I was finally flexible enough to do them!
One other tip- stretching is beneficial before exercise, as most people know!. But something I've discovered is that I am much more flexible after working out (especially swimming for some reason), so maybe try practicing your splits before and after a nice aerobic workout!. Good luck!Www@QuestionHome@Com