30 Day Splits Training Challenge

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  • mom23mangos
    mom23mangos Posts: 3,070 Member
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    Thank you for the feedback @DananaNanas! I can tell you are going to be super helpful to this group. Sadly there isn't much we can offer you except support. Do you come from a dance/gymnastics/yoga background? Were you always flexible? I'm just wondering how much a really stiff 40-something can really improve.
  • DananaNanas
    DananaNanas Posts: 665 Member
    edited April 2018
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    mom23mangos wrote: »
    but I figured stretching after leg day was better than cold at home later tonight.

    Yesyesyes.

    I want to reiterate this for everyone. The best time to stretch with the goal of increasing flexibility is after your muscles are already warm, not as a warm up! At the very least warm up your large muscle groups before attempting stretching for flexibility... in my classes we run in place, do jumping jacks, high knees, squats, etc. before sitting on the floor and really getting into our stretching.

    I'm not a PT or anything like that but I have been dancing for 25ish years, I have a bachelor's degree in dance in education, and have been teaching at local dance studios, in theatre productions, and high school dance/drill teams for about 8 years :)

    I was actually just offered a position (on Sunday!) in a new limited engagement dance production in our city's theatre district. I want to work on my flexibility and try to make some things I can already do look easier because my splits and heel stretches don't come without effort! So I'm just here for support and accountability to myself :)
  • mom23mangos
    mom23mangos Posts: 3,070 Member
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    @DananaNanas - do you ever do Yin Yoga? I've heard that you actually WANT to be cold for Yin since it targets the connective tissue vs. the muscles.
  • DananaNanas
    DananaNanas Posts: 665 Member
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    @mom23mangos I just read a study on it because I wasn't aware of it! I really only come across Hatha yoga in my area..targeting connective tissue vs. muscles is something I should look into but I certainly wouldn't want to be going into my splits cold!
  • mom23mangos
    mom23mangos Posts: 3,070 Member
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    DananaNanas wrote: »
    @mom23mangos I just read a study on it because I wasn't aware of it! I really only come across Hatha yoga in my area..targeting connective tissue vs. muscles is something I should look into but I certainly wouldn't want to be going into my splits cold!

    Nooooooo. And you never push to end range movements with Yin either. You just find that spot where you feel it and kind of just sink into it. It's crazy to feel the muscles just relax after a couple of minutes. I LOVE Yin. It's actually made me really in tune with my muscles and I can pretty easily relax them on command now. And it's so relaxing and meditative. Perfect for right before bed. You can do some searches on YouTube. There's a couple by Fightmaster Yoga I really like. I also just signed up for Mobility WOD because my upper body mobility is trash.
  • DananaNanas
    DananaNanas Posts: 665 Member
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    ^^ I’ll have to look into that!! I’m always up for trying something new.
  • DananaNanas
    DananaNanas Posts: 665 Member
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    @xelsoo finally got around to taking pics of #13 for you... like I said I stretch both ways but try flexing your feet and keeping a flat back and you can get a really good hamstring stretch!


  • DananaNanas
    DananaNanas Posts: 665 Member
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    Sooo splits are ok but my faces in the overhead heel stretches are pretty great. I look scared :D

  • wezreeeee77
    wezreeeee77 Posts: 12 Member
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    DananaNanas wrote: »
    Sooo splits are ok but my faces in the overhead heel stretches are pretty great. I look scared :D

    WOW
    DAMN GIRL
    That's fantastic!
  • wezreeeee77
    wezreeeee77 Posts: 12 Member
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    I am no where near a heel stretch, I think I might be bit too old to ever get there now! Regretting quitting ballet at 5
  • DananaNanas
    DananaNanas Posts: 665 Member
    edited April 2018
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    wezreeeee77 wrote: »



    WOW
    DAMN GIRL
    That's fantastic!

    Thanks, still a long way from goal though!
  • xelsoo
    xelsoo Posts: 194 Member
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    DananaNanas wrote: »
    @xelsoo finally got around to taking pics of #13 for you... like I said I stretch both ways but try flexing your feet and keeping a flat back and you can get a really good hamstring stretch!


    Thank you! I'll try this this evening, I can already feel it in my hamstrings...

    The rest of your pics are great, I didn't even see your face I'm so in awe of how you can put your legs up there. Very motivational!
  • mom23mangos
    mom23mangos Posts: 3,070 Member
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    wezreeeee77 wrote: »
    DananaNanas wrote: »
    Sooo splits are ok but my faces in the overhead heel stretches are pretty great. I look scared :D

    WOW
    DAMN GIRL
    That's fantastic!

    Just even to be able to balance like that without falling over on your face!
    wezreeeee77 wrote: »
    I am no where near a heel stretch, I think I might be bit too old to ever get there now! Regretting quitting ballet at 5

    I'm with you there @wezreeeee77. I'll be satisfied if I can achieve the side splits on just one side. At my age I don't think I'll ever be able to get anywhere close to a straddle. I wish I did dance or gymnastics as a kid so I would have that muscle/CNS memory.
  • TiisTitanium
    TiisTitanium Posts: 235 Member
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    Hello people I am totally up for this challenge as well. Thanks for the heads up about it @mom23mangos.

    I have been working on my splits for years now though haven’t really focused on it for a couple of months now which has been a mistake as I feel like I am going backwards. I am a keen amateur aerialist but more poor hip mobility is holding me back.

    I have just started a 30 day yoga challenge in an effort to improve my overall flexibility and a 30 day splits challenge sounds like something I want to do as well.

    I will post some pictures of current splits later on but it will be pretty bad. Sniff. Sometimes I just think my hips are just badly put together.
  • kschr201
    kschr201 Posts: 219 Member
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    I'll join. I could do the splits like a decade ago. They're long gone now
  • DananaNanas
    DananaNanas Posts: 665 Member
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    Welcome @TiisTitanium and @kschr201 !
  • xelsoo
    xelsoo Posts: 194 Member
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    DananaNanas wrote: »
    Welcome @TiisTitanium and @kschr201 !

    Yes, welcome both!

    I'll post progress photos around the two week mark to check if my posture needs correcting etc, though I feel there won't be much 'progress' in itself :D
  • TiisTitanium
    TiisTitanium Posts: 235 Member
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    Thanks for the welcome. I'll do my Day 1picture tomorrow morning. Now is no good as I just finished a trapeze class were we working on doubles trapeze and my partner was a big dude rather than a petite dancer so my hips are bit broken now (haha that sounds so much worse than it was).

    I am not sure now much closer to the floor i will get after a month but I like having something to focus on rather than just thinking about how I need to do more for my hip range of motion.
  • mbaker566
    mbaker566 Posts: 11,233 Member
    edited April 2018
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    wezreeeee77 wrote: »
    It took me a LONG time to get anywhere with silks and now I still find I get knackered with all the climbing quickly which limits the moves. Hoop/Lyra is So much more forgiving! Kudos to your son! Harness is awesome!

    that's why i like hammock :wink:

    I'm working on my splits too and head to foot. running and tight shoulders are impeding my progress.
    alignment is key. try to keep things even. shoulders over hips, and don't skew your hips off axis.
    when doing staff pose or variations of, straight back as much as you can. i tell my yoga students to frame their legs with their forearms. i don't care if they touch their toes
  • mbaker566
    mbaker566 Posts: 11,233 Member
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    mom23mangos wrote: »
    @DananaNanas - do you ever do Yin Yoga? I've heard that you actually WANT to be cold for Yin since it targets the connective tissue vs. the muscles.

    i'm strongly against cold stretching. it's asking for injury.
    warming up with a sun or moon salutation and then stretch. NEVER stretch cold

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