Different types of side splits

[Sven]

Hey,

i am new to the stretching method of Thomas Kurz (round about 6 weeks) and i still have made good progress. But i have a question now to the isometric side split stretches: When i do the stretch with my feet pointing forward i can go down upto 40 cm to the ground, when i do it with my feet pointing up, i can go much lower (round about 20 cm to the floor). And now my question is, why can i get much lower in the split with my feet pointing upward? Is this perhaps a problem with my aligment of my pelvis in the split with feet pointing forward? Or is it normal that the split with feet pointing forward is harder to reach because of other muscles affected in this type of split?

I would be thankful for any comments to my issue.

[davepleydell]

I would say with your feet pointing up it's more your hamstrings rather than your adductors. Are your hamstrings more flexible?

David

[tyciol]

You have better flexibility with your hips externally/laterally rotated, rather than internally/medially rotated... besides the adductor/hamstring thing already mentioned, it might have to do with the flexibility of the internal/external hip rotators. In your case, maybe your internal rotators are longer than your external rotators. That's why, when you're internally rotated, your externals tighten up and impede you, but when you externally rotate, it is not a problem?

Another thing is that I think in some cases, rotating the ball of the femur in the hip socket, I think it moves it out of the way or, it is in a better possition to abduct or whatever. There was an explanation in one of the books but I forget which page.