The way to the splits is not an easy one, but with the right tips, you'll see improvements quickly! The splits are not only an eye-catcher, but also a complex stretching exercise.
The splits stretch the calf muscles, the shin muscles, the anterior and posterior thigh muscles, and part of the hip muscles. From this we can see why it is so demanding, because each of the muscles mentioned must have above-average stretching ability. However, this can be achieved through a lot of practice and, above all, patience.
Through inner peace to success
Inner calmness is an important part of training, because the stretchability of the muscles is often not structurally determined, but emanates from the autonomic nervous system. The autonomic nervous system often blocks the extensibility of the muscles to protect them from injury. Therefore, it is important for the body to receive an appropriate stimulus. The appropriate stimulus can be determined by being able to breathe steadily during stretching and by the muscles not trembling during this time. Deep breathing also has an active effect on the autonomic nervous system and signals "relaxation", which leads to greater flexibility in the position already assumed.
The training
The optimal workout consists of three phases: Warm-Up, Stretching and Cool-Down.
The warm-up serves to prepare the body for the upcoming stretching program. Among other things, it raises the body's core temperature, which already has a positive effect on mobility. A ten-minute, relaxed run-in, for example, is a good way to do this. This is followed by stretching, which should consist of as many different exercises as possible, as many muscles need to be prepared. In addition, the stretching exercises should be ordered according to objective and subjective difficulty. This means that objectively there are clearly easier and more challenging stretching exercises, but subjectively the order can differ again. Basically, each position should be held for about thirty seconds. The cool-down is made up of various loosening exercises, so that the body can better process the set stimulus and a quick regeneration is promoted. A simple variant is the gentle "shaking out" of the stretched muscles.
Our 3 favorite exercises
Forward bend
- Legs stretched
- Upper back remains straight
- Move hands towards feet
Benefits: Stretching the hamstrings and calf muscles
Butterfly
- Soles of feet touch each other
- Bend legs
- Back remains straight
Benefits: Stretch hip muscles
Pigeon
- Front leg lies bent on the floor
- Rear leg is pulled towards the shoulder with the help of the arm
- Upper body remains as straight as possible
Benefit: Stretching the front thigh muscles, hip muscles, gluteal muscles and shin muscles.
Our three favorite exercises are for direct splits preparation and are therefore challenging. If these positions are not yet possible, numerous preliminaries are available. Any stretching exercise is suitable, which stresses the required musculature or parts of it.
We wish you a lot of fun and success while practicing!
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