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The Bendy Blog: Flexibility Training Articles
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Beginner-Friendly Shoulder Conditioning
Whenever I’m warming up my shoulders for backbends, I like to include some conditioning exercises as well. Like I’ve said before flexibility training is as much about strength as it is about stretching. If you are trying to get more open shoulders, like in a bridge, you’ll see more progress incorporating some strength and active flexibility exercises like these.
10 Minute Splits Routine
This 10-minute routine is what I base my own training off of. It’s great because you can still squeeze it in on days you’re pressed for time, or you can run through the whole series 2-3 times to get progressively deeper. This routine aims to thoroughly stretch out (both passively and actively) the major “supporting” muscles in a split - mainly your hip flexors and hamstrings. Often these are the muscles that feel like they’re holding students back from achieving a nice flat split.
How to Modify a Toy Bow for Contortion Archery
So you just bought a cheap toy bow so you can finally give this whole contortion archery thing a try - but surprise, it’s way harder than you expected! The arrow keeps falling off, you can’t even grab it with your toes… Unfortunately most children’s toy designers are not engineering these things with the budding contortionist in mind. Luckily there are couple of super easy modifications you can make to make any toy bow more foot-archery-friendly!
My Favorite Flexibility Props
I get asked a lot (more frequently now that we’re all quarantined at home) for recommendations for what sorts of yoga blocks to buy for home practice, what foam roller I recommend, or what bow I’m using in my contortion archery videos. So here’s my official Big List of Stuff I’ve Bought for Contortion That I’d Wildly Endorse.
Quick and Easy Shoulder Warm Up
Shoulders are a critical part of any circus practice, whether you’re backbending, handbalancing or doing aerials - so it’s important to give them the proper love and attention they need in your warm up.
Here are some great exercises to help warm up your shoulders, get your joints moving, and start explore your mobility. I like to start with mobility work, then move on to conditioning.
Protecting Your Low Back When Backbending
Does your low back always feel sore after backbending? It's extremely common for people to "dump" a lot of the bend from a backbend into their low back. Your spine has a natural curve here in your lumbar spine, so this is typically where your back “wants” to bend first! But without proper core engagement you may be relying on your bones and joints in your spine to hold the bend instead of your muscles - ouch!
PNF Stretching at Home: Middle Splits
If you’re working to get your middle splits but your stretching routine only consists of doing a middle split and holding it for 5 minutes, it’s going to take you ages to get your hips to the ground. Instead of endlessly passively stretching your hips, add in a little active flexibility work each practice to teach your body to overcome the stretch reflex.
Best Bows for Contortion Archery
I can’t remember what inspired me to want to start shooting things with my feet - it may have been the fever of the Hunger Games recently being released. Lo and behold my disappointment when I started researching what type of bow to use, and no amount of feverish Googling could find any resources on the subject. I mean, this is the internet, I thought EVERYTHING was on here (especially foot stuff…). So here is my own experiential research and recommendations for you, dear reader!
The Ultimate Bridge Pose Progression Guide
Being able to do a bridge is a common back flexibility goal, but if you can’t just “do a bridge” you may not know where to start! Here we have a simple progression of pose variations you can use as goals to practice and build the strength and control to eventually do a full bridge. Let’s get started!
Wall Heel Slides for Tight Hamstrings
If you have tight hamstrings and trying to touch your toes in a standing forward fold feels like a laughable exercise - it’s time to switch up your stretch. While there’s nothing “wrong” with a good ol’ forward fold, for the less flexy among us it’s honestly not an ideal exercise to start with. Give these Wall Heel Slides a try instead!
Active Straddle Warmup: Pancake Good Mornings
This is favorite warm up by far for straddles and middle splits. Straddle pancake good mornings can be done with body weight as part of your skill-specific warm up routine, or with heavier weights (dumbbells, weighted plates, etc) as a conditioning exercise later in your practice.
Trouble Breathing in a Chest Stand? Elevate Yo’ Shoulders!
Having trouble breathing in a chest stand? Is your neck upper back flexibility holding you back? Most people need to spend a lot of time training upper back (thoracic) flexibility as well as neck flexibility to get a nice round curve in a chest stand (and to be able to safely hold that pose without dumping too much pressure into the neck). But in a pinch you can use props to help adjust and progress!