In Stretching Scientifically it says in reference to front splits,"...If you started to stretch past the age when elongating ligaments was possible,you will probably have difficulty touching the ground with the front of the thigh of the rear leg in this split..."
In all the photos of the front splits the rear leg is turned so the knee faces out and the inner thigh touches the floor for this reason.
However,all of the isolated stretches that help lead to the front splits AND the test for front split potential all have the front of the thigh pointing downwards.
Can anyone tell me why this is?
Wouldn't a stretch such as the yoga "warrior posture" be more beneficial(this is basically a front lunge but the rear leg is straight with the foot flat on the floor.I'm sure most martial artists have done this at some point).
Even though this hits the adductors which already gets stretched in side splits,it still mimics the leg/hip position of the front split more closely.
Dragon
front split technique
A split with knee facing to the side and thigh facing the floor is called the Martial Art Split. I prefer this to the side split stretch as it is closer to the position of the legs in high side and roundhouse kicks.
It also strecthes the adductors and the hamstrings simultaneously (that is if you had you right knee facing to the side then the right adductor and left hamstring would be stretched and vice versa), wheras front splits focuses on the hamstrings and side splits on the adductors (inner thigh) seperately.
If you are looking to improve your flexibility for high kicks then I would focus on the martial art split. Although I tend to incorporate one set of sidesplit to give my adductors a good seeing to!
It also strecthes the adductors and the hamstrings simultaneously (that is if you had you right knee facing to the side then the right adductor and left hamstring would be stretched and vice versa), wheras front splits focuses on the hamstrings and side splits on the adductors (inner thigh) seperately.
If you are looking to improve your flexibility for high kicks then I would focus on the martial art split. Although I tend to incorporate one set of sidesplit to give my adductors a good seeing to!
Thanks for the reply.
So how do you perform isolated stretches for the thigh?(if you do them at all)Do you perform these stretches(such as front lunge)with the thigh pointing down or out?
I seldom perform front splits anymore as it stresses my knee.Instead i stretch each part of the leg in isolation(adductors,hamstring,front of thigh,calf).
So how do you perform isolated stretches for the thigh?(if you do them at all)Do you perform these stretches(such as front lunge)with the thigh pointing down or out?
I seldom perform front splits anymore as it stresses my knee.Instead i stretch each part of the leg in isolation(adductors,hamstring,front of thigh,calf).
Thats okay, at first but you will need to do compund stretches eventually. When you kick you use many muscles, some that you cant isolate. In the MA split you must lock out your back leg or you will damage your knees. In the side split, try stretching with feet turned away, this takes a lot of torque off the knee.dragon wrote:Thanks for the reply.
So how do you perform isolated stretches for the thigh?(if you do them at all)Do you perform these stretches(such as front lunge)with the thigh pointing down or out?
I seldom perform front splits anymore as it stresses my knee.Instead i stretch each part of the leg in isolation(adductors,hamstring,front of thigh,calf).
You cant really isolate the adductors in a stretch, other than maybe the butterfly stretch. But this is more groin muscles.
Hi dragon,
I was watching Matt Furey the other day and he did an excercise that I find quite good. It doesn't pinpoint the muscles you and I have problems with but it does help, for me anyway.
It goes something like this:
* Feet shoulder width apart and toes pointing sideways, like Charlie Chaplin.
* Squat down til it stretches the inner thigh and front of the hip.
It's a dynamic strech, according to Furey, so repeat the squat.
It's a simple excercise that I think should target the muscles for the side splits primarily but I find that it helps me somewhat for the muscles that are hindering my front splits too.
It's a bit hard to keep the balance when doing the squats with feet pointing sideways so I try to ahve something to hold on to when I do it.
Merry Christmas to you all!
/Johan
I was watching Matt Furey the other day and he did an excercise that I find quite good. It doesn't pinpoint the muscles you and I have problems with but it does help, for me anyway.
It goes something like this:
* Feet shoulder width apart and toes pointing sideways, like Charlie Chaplin.
* Squat down til it stretches the inner thigh and front of the hip.
It's a dynamic strech, according to Furey, so repeat the squat.
It's a simple excercise that I think should target the muscles for the side splits primarily but I find that it helps me somewhat for the muscles that are hindering my front splits too.
It's a bit hard to keep the balance when doing the squats with feet pointing sideways so I try to ahve something to hold on to when I do it.
Merry Christmas to you all!
/Johan
I've never looked into the Matt Furey stuff before,Is it worth getting?
I also found a stretch which i find beneficial from Pavel Tsatsouline.
Assume a front lunge with back leg as straight as possible.Stay in this position then move your body straight up and down.To someone watching this may look like you're bouncing but you're meant to stay as relaxed as possible.Pavel calls this "floating".
This too is a dynamic stretch.He does this instead of leg swings to the rear and i must admit i find this targets the front of the hip/thigh better.
I,personally don't feel much of a stretch with the rear leg swings.
Dragon
I also found a stretch which i find beneficial from Pavel Tsatsouline.
Assume a front lunge with back leg as straight as possible.Stay in this position then move your body straight up and down.To someone watching this may look like you're bouncing but you're meant to stay as relaxed as possible.Pavel calls this "floating".
This too is a dynamic stretch.He does this instead of leg swings to the rear and i must admit i find this targets the front of the hip/thigh better.
I,personally don't feel much of a stretch with the rear leg swings.
Dragon
Mmm, I've not seen that much of Furey's stretching videos but I do like his strengthening videos. As far as I've seen they don't contain any suprising new excersices but they are few (maybe too few), easy to follow and easy to remember.
In what I've seen he's mostly doing hindu squats and push-ups and bridge excercises.
I haven't seen/read it all, far from it, so I can't give you a complete review.
Thanks for the tips on the lunge, will try it.
Do you have your foot in the matrial arts front splits, to the side, or to the front?
/Johan
In what I've seen he's mostly doing hindu squats and push-ups and bridge excercises.
I haven't seen/read it all, far from it, so I can't give you a complete review.
Thanks for the tips on the lunge, will try it.
Do you have your foot in the matrial arts front splits, to the side, or to the front?
/Johan