30 Day Splits Training Challenge

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  • mom23mangos
    mom23mangos Posts: 3,070 Member
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    Xelsoo, I'm glad you reminded me because I meant to come in here and rant myself today. I've been stretching and yet I don't seem to be making much progress. I'm soooo close on my good side, but it just doesn't seem to be moving any closer. I was so frustrated this morning I grabbed a kettlebell to sit on my thigh to try to get some movement. LOL

    I KNOW I've progressed tremendously. Heck, I used to not be able to touch my toes. And I'm not going to give up, but yes, there are times I just want to shout how unfair it is I'm so unbendy and rant. So I totally feel you.

    I've also realized it's not my hamstrings holding me back (well, not all my hams) on my bad side. It's my butt. I think I've got a massive knot in there and probably need to do more foam rollering and work on my psoas as well.
  • mbaker566
    mbaker566 Posts: 11,233 Member
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    meh, i feel super tight. i could barely straighten my leg while lying on my back last night.
    keep working on it. also keeping in mind the more i walk and run the more i need to stretch to maintain
  • xelsoo
    xelsoo Posts: 194 Member
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    I know girls, I feel like my side split stretch hasn't progressed AT ALL! I know that's not true and I can feel I stretch significantly further during other exercises but it feels soo slow :'( I'm glad that I'm not alone here!

    @mom23mangos I had completely forgotten about foam rolling! Since my gym is cheap you actually have to ask for 'special' material like bands and foam rollers in the front desk (in exchange for your card) and I haven't seen anyone using them, but I think it's going to help me with my stiff left leg.
    Butt knots are real! They are just harder to pinpoint lol. Sometimes I'll visit the physio and she'll dig in my butt and I'm suddenly aware of how much contracted pain I'm carrying in my behind, it's crazy. We should massage our butts more, but it's hard to get in there with the fat cushion!
  • TiisTitanium
    TiisTitanium Posts: 235 Member
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    My splits stretching regime went completely off the rails for a few days there as i had to go away for work which meant no yoga, no stretching and no flexibility classes which is disappointing but I got back into routine today. I doubt very much that i have made progress with my splits but i have made progress with backbends and handstands so it is not all bad.

    My revised goal is to turn the 30 day challenge into a 90 day challenge which is probably more realistic given my age and lack of innate flexibility. Got to be persistent really and it is a goal that i really really want to achieve.
  • mom23mangos
    mom23mangos Posts: 3,070 Member
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    I'm down with 90 days as I'm not moving anywhere. :(
  • mbaker566
    mbaker566 Posts: 11,233 Member
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    i think i improved some this week but 90 days seems good to me :smile:
  • xelsoo
    xelsoo Posts: 194 Member
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    Haha I will probably need even more! But I'm up to try with 90 days...see if I can get that pulled leg feeling better by then and my legs into something resembling a far-fetched split.

    Should we just continue with this thread then? Or create a new one for the next month? I am lacking in challenge-creation-and-renewal experience :D
  • TiisTitanium
    TiisTitanium Posts: 235 Member
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    Lets just keep it rolling. That way at the end we can quote our beginning pics for before and after and be amazed how much we did actually prgoress :)
  • mbaker566
    mbaker566 Posts: 11,233 Member
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    sounds like a plan :smile:
  • TiisTitanium
    TiisTitanium Posts: 235 Member
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    I did some progress pics today. I don't think i have made any progress at all :'( Though admittedly I am super tight in the hips this week from weights and handstand training

    Day 1

    cfcv3m1czc2n.jpg

    Day 30

    torcwzmeiwj6.png

    Middle Splits Day 1

    23d3y7lf2ozx.jpg

    Middle Splits Day 30

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    I did find it amusing that I accidentally wore the same outfit for progress pics. It is now my official splits progress pics outfit. Fingers crossed that things are better for Day 60 :)




  • mbaker566
    mbaker566 Posts: 11,233 Member
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    i'll try to get some progress photos tonight. i think i'll have backslid. been running more
  • mom23mangos
    mom23mangos Posts: 3,070 Member
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    Ok, I at least got photos of my good side since I'm working from home today. I actually did make some progress! It's not a lot, but I'll take it.

    2zwb6o5in5z1.jpg
  • mom23mangos
    mom23mangos Posts: 3,070 Member
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    @TiisTitanium - I also wanted to say I can see some improvement in yours as well. It may be small, but it took me two years to get from where you are to where I am now. And your straddle is still better than mine.
  • TiisTitanium
    TiisTitanium Posts: 235 Member
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    I am on day 29 of a daily yoga challenge. I didn't think I was making much progress with improving my flexibility but today, for the first time ever i could put my heels on the ground during downward dog pose. Yay.

    And then tonight in my contortion class my teacher said that my splits had really improved. Double yay. Consistent daily practice is yielding some results at last!!
  • mbaker566
    mbaker566 Posts: 11,233 Member
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    so i find it interesting that different poses allow for different split ability

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    idr82qcjjoju.png

    also...look at the difference from one side to the other :sweat_smile:
    hm8vbo3d3ymw.png
  • DananaNanas
    DananaNanas Posts: 665 Member
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    I really need to stretch. As of Saturday I'm done teaching at the studio for the summer but I need to use this time to work on myself and my own goals rather than focusing on that of my students...

    @mom23mangos try pigeon pose if you have tightness in your glutes https://www.wikihow.fitness/Do-the-Yoga-Pigeon-Pose
  • mom23mangos
    mom23mangos Posts: 3,070 Member
    edited June 2018
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    @TiisTitanium - That's awesome!! I have NEVER been able to get my heels on the ground during down dog.

    @DananaNanas - I love pigeon and spend a lot of time in it. It's definitely more challenging on the side with the tight glutes. I'm working on making a DIY Theragun out of our reciprocating saw. I'm hoping to pummell the heck out of them with it. LOL

    Got in a good stretching session today after leg day.
  • mom23mangos
    mom23mangos Posts: 3,070 Member
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    Saw a really good stretching series on Instagram. You guys might be interested.

  • xelsoo
    xelsoo Posts: 194 Member
    edited June 2018
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    @mom23mangos thanks, I'll give it a try next day I have extra time in the gym. Your progress pics look good, you're sooo close! Are you working on handstands? How are your shoulders holding up? I haven't been dedicating too much time to them but this week I'm back at it

    @mbaker566 I've realized that as well, some poses just work better than others, and one side definitely is stretchier. Your foot behind the head pose is looking good, I think I'll start practicing for that one as well.

    @TiisTitanium I can see some progress in your pics and heels in the ground during downward dog is an achievement! I think I'm changing my outfit for progress pics as baggy pants are really not going to help show the progress lol.

    @DananaNanas you're so close to your 'school holidays'! Will you be rehearsing more for the dance production?

    I talked with my physiotherapist and she told me to not stretch at all for two weeks (or until my left hammie stopped hurting), which sounded appalling! This past week I went on a small holiday with my bf and used the time to rest and not stretch for a full 5 days. Yesterday I stretched for the first time and my leg is so much better! The pain has receded quite a lot which makes me think I was probably stressing it too much by stretching post-injury.

    I'm taking it easy on my left side but will take progress pics after a few days of getting back into it. If I took a photo today I doubt there'd be much progress to show :D
  • TiisTitanium
    TiisTitanium Posts: 235 Member
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    Good to see we are still going :)

    It is winter in my part of the world so I think I have gone backwards in my splits practice. Well tonight anyway as the circus gym was freezing and my hips didn't want to play nicely. Hopefully if I keep up my daily stretching practice by the time spring rolls around I'll be ahead on the bendy game.

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