Request: Pics for motivation

Post questions and tips on making your stretches or your whole flexibility training most effective.
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douroucouli
Posts: 4
Joined: Sep 20, 2006 23:50
Location: Minnesota

Request: Pics for motivation

Post by douroucouli »

Hey all,

I've set the goal of my birthday in June as when I'd like to achieve the hanging split. The pictures on Stadion's testimonial page are inspirational and I was wondering if those of you who have achieved this goal already would be willing to share pictures of your splits. I'd like to commit to this timeline and it is certainly within reason considering my current level of flexibility and strength. Your pictures would be helpful in my efforts so please post them or send links if you can.

Thanks for your help.

Tim...
Posts: 47
Joined: Sep 07, 2006 03:45

Post by Tim... »

Hi.

I'm always a bit nervous when people give themselves time limits for achieving flexibility goals for two reasons:

1) When progress is not up to their expectations, they start trying too hard and get injured.

2) When progress is not up to their expectations, they get disheartened and give up.

As far as the hanging split is concerned, this really is a gimmick that is used as a marketing ploy to impress people. OK, it indicates a certain amount of strength in the extended position, but it has no value in itself. I got caught up with the hanging split in the past, but these days think of it as a bit of a joke.

Using raised surfaces for over-split training is fine, but sitting between two chairs is nothing more than a party trick to sell books and videos.

Cheers

Tim...

douroucouli
Posts: 4
Joined: Sep 20, 2006 23:50
Location: Minnesota

Post by douroucouli »

Tim... wrote:Hi.

I'm always a bit nervous when people give themselves time limits for achieving flexibility goals for two reasons:

1) When progress is not up to their expectations, they start trying too hard and get injured.

2) When progress is not up to their expectations, they get disheartened and give up.

As far as the hanging split is concerned, this really is a gimmick that is used as a marketing ploy to impress people. OK, it indicates a certain amount of strength in the extended position, but it has no value in itself. I got caught up with the hanging split in the past, but these days think of it as a bit of a joke.

Using raised surfaces for over-split training is fine, but sitting between two chairs is nothing more than a party trick to sell books and videos.

Cheers

Tim...
OK, good for you. I'm setting a goal and if you're not into it then so be it. It's not as though I am starting from scratch (17 years of martial arts) and trying to get to full splits in 4 months (I could probably achieve it sooner). I'm flexible, my legs are relatively strong and I want to get to the next level of flexibility and maybe I'd like to show off a little. It certainly wouldn't hurt my TKD school to have a pic of someone doing splits between two standing bags or on chairs and it might as well be me in that pic. To each his own.

Tim...
Posts: 47
Joined: Sep 07, 2006 03:45

Post by Tim... »

Hi.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not having a go at you. I'm just suggesting that having a time limit is often self defeating. I've been doing martial arts for about the same length of time as you, and teaching Yoga for a few years, and during that time I've seen these problems again and again.

I hope you do reach your goal. Hopefully you will do it in a shorter time, but don't get stressed if it takes you a little longer.

I don't have a picture with chairs, but I've got one of a raised roadkill when I was doing over-split training. This was a couple of months ago, about 4-5 few weeks after a knee operation:

Image

See, I'm guilty of silly stuff too! :)

Good luck.

Tim...

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