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The Bendy Blog: Flexibility Training Articles
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Help! My Knee Hurts in a Lunge
Knee discomfort - especially in the back knee - while doing a lunge is not uncommon for folks with tighter hips. There are many reasons you might be feeling some knee pain while in a lunging position: weak quads, tight quads, improper patella tracking, too much pressure on the patella, etc. Thankfully, there are several modifications you can try that can alleviate some of the pressure on your knee so that you can still stretch comfortably!
Straddle vs. Middle Split - What’s the Difference?
Having dabbled in the wide world of contortion training for 11+ years now, I’ve come to learn that there are some serious inconsistencies in naming conventions for stretches/poses. But when it comes to straddles and middle splits, all instructors can agree that these are distinctly different poses. Why does that matter to you? It influences what muscles you need to train to be able to do them, and informs the “proper” form for safely working on your hip flexibility for these shapes.
How To Get Your Leg Higher in Three-Legged Downward Dog
Feel like your lifting leg is a dead weight in Three Leg Down Dog (Tri Pada Adho Mukha Svanasana)? Does trying to lift your leg higher make your calves and hamstrings burn like the dickens? Then this post is for you!
Wrist Warm Up for Handstands
Warming up your wrists should always be a part of your handstand training (or really any training where your hands are bearing body weight, like pole dancing, bodyweight calisthenics, or contortion). Warming up your wrists will not only make your handstands more comfortable and help prevent wrist injuries, but you can include conditioning exercises to strengthen your wrists to make your balances stronger!
How To: Active Straddle Hover
“Straddle hovers” are one of my favorite exercises for active straddle flexibility - not only do they super strengthen your hamstrings, they also make you feel like Jean Claude Van Damme doing an epic split between between two semi trucks.
How to Get More Open Shoulders in a Bridge
If you feel like most of the bend in your bridge comes from your low back - you’re not alone! For the vast majority of the population, a bridge (or “full wheel” in yoga) is a low-back dominant pose, taking advantage of the natural curve of your lumbar spine. If your bendy aspirations are to even out your bend (and progress to deeper backbending poses), you’ll need to learn to recruit your shoulders and upper back.
Not Making Progress Stretching? 7 Reasons Why
Generally speaking, most people who have an effective training regimen can expect to see (or feel) some sort of progress in about 4-6 weeks. So if you’ve been diligently stretching for months but aren’t seeing any progress, it’s time to look at your stretching routine.
These are some of the most common mistakes I see people make when it comes to trying to train flexibility that can inhibit progress (or even lead to injury - backwards progress)…
10-Minute Middle Split & Straddle Routine
This post is a long overdue follow up to my 10 Minute Front Splits Routine post from a couple of years ago. Below is a nice short stretching routine that’s a great foundation for working on your straddles and middle splits. Because both straddles and middle splits require inner thigh flexibility (quite a bit) and hamstring flexibility (straddle pancakes require a lot, middle splits just a little) - it’s helpful to work on them both at the same 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!
30-Day Toe Touch Flexibility Challenge
Calling all toe-touching wannabes! Join me and my lovely very-average-flexibility assistant Nate to learn a beginner-friendly stretching routine aimed to help improve your hamstring flexibility to help you touch your toes.
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.