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The Bendy Blog: Flexibility Training Articles
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Lift That Leg! 7 Stretches for a Higher Y Scale Leg Hold
A “Y Scale” or a side leg hold is one of my favorite standing contortion shapes because it’s one of the first ones I ever learned to do. Most students tend to enjoy this shape because it looks cool (obviously!) and is typically easier to train than a “traditional” standing split or the even-more-complex needle scale.
Earlier this week I posted a quick how-to showing the basic mechanics of how to do a Y scale. Today we’ll be looking at how to make it look bendier (working on our flexibility to lift the leg higher, make it look split-ier, etc).
How to Do a Y Scale Leg Hold
A standing side leg hold, often called a “Y Scale” in the contortion world, is a fun (and impressive!) standing balance that showcases leg flexibility. Unlike a “regular” standing split, a Y Scale is an open split position that allows for both turn-out in the hips, and a tilt of the hips to maximize how high we can lift our leg.
Let’s look at two ways to do this pose: both the traditional standing variation, as well as an easier-to-balance variation lying on the floor.
7 Oversplit Preparation Drills for Active Front Split Flexibility
Working on oversplits with your leg(s) on blocks is of course helpful for students who already have splits to take it to the next level - but they’re also helpful for students who are looking to close the last couple of inches on their splits to get them flat once and for all!
A great way to prepare your hips before diving in to full oversplit holds is to work on active drills for your hamstrings (front leg) and hip flexors (back leg) to challenge them in the elevated and increased range-of-motion positions they will be in when you are in a full oversplit.
4 Active Flexibility Drills to Strengthen Your Front Splits
If you’re trying to get lower in your front splits - passive stretching is only part of the equation, you need to make sure you’re strengthening your muscles to support this unique range of motion in your hips (front hip flexion and back hip extension). These 4 drills help strengthen our hips to support both the front AND back leg stretches needed to flatten our front splits.
Controlling Rogue Hips - Keeping Your Hips Square in a Split
On Monday I talked about what it means to have “square” hips in a split, and why that’s often a preferred position to train in. Today we’ll talk about ways to help train your hips to stay square to ensure you’re getting that sweet sweet hip flexor stretch, and avoid letting your hips open to “cheat” the stretch.
How to Tell if Your Split is “Square” (the “Butt Cheek Test” and More!)
Are you keeping your hips square when practicing front splits and lunges? Do you know how to tell? Here are some of the most common ways I like showing students you can check for yourself if your hips are properly “square.”
What Muscles Do I Need to Stretch for the Front Splits?
If you’re asking what muscles do you need to stretch for a front split - then congratulations on trying to train smarter! Understanding the basic anatomy behind stretches can not only help you choose better stretches to reach your goals, but it can also help you understand where you should be feeling the stretch, and how to stretch with proper form.
Work Your Active Split Flexibility with Front Split Slides
If you’re looking to train flatter (and stronger!) front splits, working on your active flexibility is a must - particularly working on strengthening your hamstrings and hip flexors while they’re at their end range of motion. These sliding drills below are one of my favorite ways to train active front splits because they strengthen our muscles across a pretty full range of motion, including the end range, helping increase our flexibility over time.
Knee Pain in Middle Splits? Try These Adjustments
If you experience knee pain when practicing your middle splits, you’re not alone. It’s not uncommon for new practitioners to feel some discomfort in their knees - and I’m not talking about “good stretch” discomfort. So you’re wise to learn what’s going on to fix this issue!
How to Close the Last Inch(es) on Your Splits
So you’ve been training you front splits for what feels like for-ev-er only to get stuck 1-2 inches away from the ground for months. Sound familiar?
Don’t despair! There are two main things I’ve found help students the most once you get oh-so-close and need to just close that last inch or two to get that sweet sweet touchdown.
How to Fake a Split: The “Illusion” Split
Whether you are oh-so-close to flat splits, or still quite a ways away from the floor - anyone can fake a split if you do it at the right angle! And “faking” your split is easier and more comfortable than your regular split, so it’s fun to learn how to do.
Help! My Front Knee Hurts in a Front Split
Stretching should never hurt - so if you’re experiencing acute pain in your knee when doing splits, you’re smart to look for a solution! There are several things that can lead to the sensation of pain in the underside of our knee. These three (below) are the most common causes I run into with my students - and thankfully all can be easily modified for during your training session, and conditioned to “fix” over time to keep your knees safe and strong while you continue to stretch.