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Of the many brag-worthy fitness feats, the split seems most like a you-can-or-you-can’t proposition. But just as you can train yourself to do a push-up and even a pull-up, with the right exercises and mentality, you can get yourself into a split — though you shouldn’t expect it to happen overnight.
“The most important thing to remember about stretching is that you have to go at your own pace,” says Kristina Nekyia of Fit & Bendy Flexibility Training in Los Angeles. “The ‘no pain, no gain' mentality that you see in other forms of fitness does not work with stretching. If you push too hard too fast, you risk injury.”
For some, that might mean months of consistent stretching, as well as core strengthening, to be able to support your upper body while your legs are splayed around you. “The best approach is not to set a deadline to achieve your splits, but to learn to enjoy the process of stretching,” Nekyia says. “If you stretch regularly, you will see improvement and you will reach your goals when your body is ready.”
Plus, even if the bragging rights that come with the end result are your motivating factor, that’s not the only reason to embark on the split journey. Working up to it will require daily stretching of the hamstrings and hip flexors — the same muscles that get overly tight from too much sitting. This means you’ll be protecting yourself from low back pain as well.
Nekyia adds that you’ll achieve much better results if your split-stretching routine is part of a greater flexibility plan. That said, ahead are the tips you need for perfecting your split, plus the stretches that will get you there.
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Get Your Routine In Order
Sticking to a schedule is paramount. That means three to five 30- to 60-minute sessions a week. No scrimping: You have impressive feats of contortionism to accomplish!
“Training your muscles is like training a puppy,” Nekyia says. “They learn best with repetition, and they don’t respond well to surprises.” That means following the same routine regularly, with a few tweaks as you see yourself responding. (More on this coming up.)
But first, know that cold muscles don’t stretch — they get pulled. “Muscles prefer to stretch when they are one to two degrees above your normal temperature,” Nekyia says. The easiest thing to do is to do your stretching after you’ve done your workout for the day. “Run around, do jumping jacks, go for a hike, anything to heat up.”
Another way to both increase flexibility and warm up the muscles is with self-myofascial release — better known as foam rolling. It’s especially great for ironing out the outer hips, glutes, and hamstrings, says Nekyia, who recommends using small rubber balls for a more targeted effort on tight spots as well. In general, you want to do your foam-rolling before you stretch.
So your order of operations is: workout/warm-up, foam roll, stretch.
Illustrated by Paola Delucca.Clik here to view.
Hamstring Stretch
Now it's time to start stretching!
For this one, you’ll need a prop — either a yoga strap, a belt, or a hand towel. Lie on your back. Loop your strap/belt/towel around one foot. Raise that leg up high toward your face, providing slight tension by holding the strap with your hands — but don’t pull or yank. You should feel a stretch along the back of your leg, particularly in your hamstrings along the back of your thigh. Hold for 30 seconds, then release and switch sides. Do 2 to 3 sets. As you progress in the coming weeks, you can increase the length of the stretch, up to 60 seconds.
Illustrated by Paola Delucca.Clik here to view.
Hip Flexor Stretch
The name of the game here: lunges. The goal is to release the hip flexors (on the front of your hips) while improving your strength to keep your hips square. Kneel on a mat, placing one foot in front of you. Extend the back leg long and straight behind you, while pressing your hips forward. If your front knee bends past 90 degrees, step it forward. Once you’re in position, adjust so your pelvis is square, so both hips are pointing straight forward. Settle into the lunge, holding for 30 seconds. Slowly come out of it and switch sides. Do 2 to 3 sets. Again, as you get more comfortable, you can increase up to 60 seconds.
A Booster To Try
On your third set of both the hamstring stretch and lunges, try adding this visualization technique, which can help increase range of motion of the tightest muscles holding you back. “When you are in a stretch, you can use your brain to identify the exact muscles that are most resistant,” Nekyia says. Close your eyes and really focus on where you feel tightest. Then inhale, and on your exhale, deliberately firm up the muscles that are stuck, applying slight pressure in the opposite direction of the stretch (about 30 to 40% of the muscles’ strength, she says). Hold that tension for 3 to 4 seconds, then completely let it go. You should notice a release, even if it’s just a few millimeters.
Illustrated by Paola Delucca.Clik here to view.
Supported Split
Now, get low — slowly. Nekyia recommends focusing on only the hamstring stretch and your lunges for the first two to four weeks before actually attempting the body position of a split at all. Once you’re ready, you’ll need two yoga blocks.
Start in the lunge position, holding the yoga blocks on either side of you on the floor. Slowly slide your front foot forward, using your blocks and upper body to support your weight so you don’t overstress your hips. Only go as low as you can, while still maintaining control with your hips square. At first, hold for just 15 seconds before coming out. Move around in between sets — “In class, we like to do silly dances in between splits to keep the muscles and our brains happy and relaxed,” says Nekyia — then attempt again two to three times on each side. As you get better, you can support less of your weight with your arms, and hold the split longer — up to 60 seconds.
Illustrated by Paola Delucca.Clik here to view.
Split
Eventually, you'll be able to get all the way down — and maybe even raise your arms as well. But don't rush it. This is an intense stretch that takes time and practice to achieve.
Think of the split like it's a marathon: You don't have to run a full 26.2 miles to get the health benefits, but even doing just half the training runs will pay dividends in terms of strength and endurance. Similarly, stretching your hamstrings and hip flexors on the daily will go a long way toward improving your mobility and keeping you pain-free.
Illustrated by Paola Delucca.Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here?
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