I perform the relaxed side split sitting on the floor and opening my legs outwards (heels on the floor) is this ok? as when i do them supporting my weight with my arms i can't seem to relax as my legs arnt strong enough.
Also the part thats holding me back is the muscle that seems to cross the knee joint at the back in my hamstring, if this muscle relaxed my adductors wud stretch a lot further. Any idears? i tried stretching with a pulley and got my leg really high (probably cos my body weight wasnt being supported)
Also it seems people practice isometrics without the appropriete strenth needed, is this ok?
Relaxed Side split
Hi,
1)The seated split will still stretch your adductors.The problem is many people can't open their legs wide enough without assistance of some sort(machines or a partner which isn't recommended).
2)The pain you are feeling maybe the insertion point of the tendon.This seems to present itself more during the seated split as opposed to the conventional side split.
3)I know it's not recommended in Stretching Scientifically or in the articles on this site to perform isometrics without first building strength but i think it depends how they are performed.
The tensions you apply can be as mild or intense as you wish.If you are just starting out and applying only mild tensions it may take you a little longer to see some results though.
Dragon.
1)The seated split will still stretch your adductors.The problem is many people can't open their legs wide enough without assistance of some sort(machines or a partner which isn't recommended).
2)The pain you are feeling maybe the insertion point of the tendon.This seems to present itself more during the seated split as opposed to the conventional side split.
3)I know it's not recommended in Stretching Scientifically or in the articles on this site to perform isometrics without first building strength but i think it depends how they are performed.
The tensions you apply can be as mild or intense as you wish.If you are just starting out and applying only mild tensions it may take you a little longer to see some results though.
Dragon.
Thanks mate, I'll go back to trying to support my body weight then, i did get lower this way but improvements stopped a while ago. I know it will get better with more leg strength but i need more core strenght first and was worried if i did isometrics it wud make my adductors stronger than they shud be at this point in training. I just wanted some results in flexibility as im in it for Martial Arts and all i seem to be doing is strength training.
Chingo
If you're a martial artist then your strength training should only be a means to an end,not an end in itself.
I've done the same thing with my own training in the past-started to concentrate more on the strength(or even the flexibility) aspects of training so much that i was even dropping martial arts training to fit it all in.This defeats the purpose of why i was training in the first place.
I've already quoted this before but it's worth mentioning again.Steve Cotter(do a google search,he knows his stuff) says,
"....but as a rule of thumb, the strength training curriculum should not exceed 30% of the martial artist's total training. In other words, to be efficient with his use of time, the martial artist should spend at least 70% of the total practice time on the martial art skill training and not on lifting weights."
Dragon.
I've done the same thing with my own training in the past-started to concentrate more on the strength(or even the flexibility) aspects of training so much that i was even dropping martial arts training to fit it all in.This defeats the purpose of why i was training in the first place.
I've already quoted this before but it's worth mentioning again.Steve Cotter(do a google search,he knows his stuff) says,
"....but as a rule of thumb, the strength training curriculum should not exceed 30% of the martial artist's total training. In other words, to be efficient with his use of time, the martial artist should spend at least 70% of the total practice time on the martial art skill training and not on lifting weights."
Dragon.