How do I do the splits in Gymnastics?

Question

I could do it when I was 9 and it didn't hurt at all!

I stopped trying and now I can't do it, I need to know how you train?

Answer 1

Make sure you do straddle stretches. Sit with your legs spread as far as they can before it hurts. Reach to one of your feet until it hurts a little, count to ten, and then go to the middle and do the same thing, and the other foot as well.

Now, the next good stretch is sitting on your butt, feet straight out in front of you. Reach for your toes and count to ten again. Do this twice, or three times if you can. Also, if you can have someone gently push on you, it would really get you to the splits quicker.

Next, the butterfly stretch! Sit on your but with the souls of your feet touching each other. It's kinda like a weird Indian style position. Then, try to touch your head to your feet. Go as far as you can go and hold it for ten seconds. Do this three times, coming up for a breather between each one. Then, press on your knees; try to make them touch the ground. Hold it for ten secounds, for three times.

Practicing your splits every day after these stretches will help you immensely. Also practicing things like toe touches on a trampoline will help as well. This may be cheerleading stuff, but it will help you in all aspects of dance as far as flexibility goes.

ALWAYS PRACTICE YOUR SPLITS AT LEAST TWICE A DAY!

I hope I helped!

Answer 2

Short splits can help you stretch the necessary muscles to help you get further down in your splits. To do short splits get on your knees and stick one foot out in front of you. Make sure your not sitting on your foot and that your leg is straight in front of you (in front of your belly button and your hips are not pointing sideways) Once your leg is straight out in front of you bend your knee forward without moving your foot or your knee thats on the floor. Your knee should be right over your ankle, not over your toes and not behind your ankle. Hold that with your shoulders back for 20 seconds then make your front leg straight and put your chin on your knee. Make sure you kips your belly button facing your knee and your hips pointing straight not sideways. Hold that one for 20 seconds and then switch legs. If you do this every day 2 times a day you will see a difference in your splits. Doing your splits with your front foot up on a mat always helps as well. Hope this helped!

Answer 3

just make sure your stretch and dont "bounce" your stretch and hold it. if you bounce it is easier to pull a muscle. and then get a mat or something about 3 or 4 inches off the gorund and put your foot on it and do your split and then have your back leg on the mat and face away from the mat and split out and try to reach for the mat. hold both of these for 30 sec. and make sure you do both legs. for your middles put one foot on the mat and slide out and try to get your shoulders on the floor but dont roll out of your splits. hold them for 30 sec and you can do that twice. thats what helped me get my splits down

Answer 4

make sure you stretch before you do them and go down slowly don't go all the way down and pull something and you can do over splits by putting one leg up on an elevated mat a low one and this will stretch your legs even more and you will be able to go all the way down in no time.

Answer 5

Just do it and don't think about it. Remember the old adage; "No pain, No gain"!!!