Isometric sidesplit progression log

Hello. I decided to start posting my results here. With the intention of getting some good advice about the different challenges that i may face on my way down in the side split.

A little about me.

Done martial arts from i was 5 and all the way through my teenage years.

As an adult i never really forgot the mindset and i always maintained some decent high kicks etc.

Now im currently training gymnastics. And some weight lifting. I do not have a certain contest in mind. However i enjoy archiving personal goal.

1 year ago i archived full sidesplit.

However it wasn't what i hoped it to be. I had done the relaxed approach and found myself being very fragile and unable to do anything but to breath slowly when out in the position. And it lead to irritation of the knee joint. And also it could only be archived after some sick ass leg workouts followed by yoga exercises. And some foam rolling. I realized this wasn't what i was looking for

Found the article on this forum a couple of months ago and started doing those exercises.

Im doing them every other day.

And currently im at the 5x45 sec stage. Soon moving on to 5x 1min

I do 140kg 1rm squats. (However these days i do mostly front squats)

And i do 180kg deadlifts.

My body weight is at 88kg. (Currently cutting down. Wanna be around 84 and 82)

Horse stance i have neglected. Which is horrible as it was my favorit in the young days.

Anyways i figured the best way to get the good advises would be to simply put myself up here. And hey. Maybe some other people would find inspiration my my struggles shortcomings and success experiences.

So hi everybody. Please welcome me

 

Look like you're off to a good start! My advice is buy baggies shorts


Redcoat Ninja will be here soon to tell you the best ways to improve your splits

 

Thanks for the kind words. and yes advice and possitive criticism is always appreciated

The shorts can handle alot more stretching it is just because i have huge ass thighs. And they get stuck on those. A simple tuck and there is plenty of fabrik between my legs if you look at my legs they also seem to be bending due to the muscles on top of the thigh. It looks kinda fun

 

Good effort.

Do you usually stretch in the footwear shown in your picture (shoes on carpet)?

 

I stretch out preferably after training (and the best workouts are after some heavy leg training)

The stretching happens either at the gym. Or at the gymnastic training.

And this is actually not my normal spot. It was just the one with a mirror in front of it.

In the beginning i always did it barefoot. But when im using shoes and standing on this surface. It becomes sort of slippery. And i can feel thos stresses the muscles more. Trying it as a way of improving the strenght

Don't know if im doing the wrong thing?

 

Put glossy magazines underneath your feet if you are stretching on carpet.

Put folded up t-shirts or sweatshirts under your feet if you are stretching on hardwood floor.

Maybe put a chair in front of you so you can control your rate of descent in the stretch, and how much weight you put on your muscles?

 

I will try and do that

I usually have a box in front of me. But for the sake of the picture it was moved away

How much weight i put on my legs? Perhaps i have misunderstood? But it was my belief that all the weight should be on my legs. And the box was only used for keeping balance in case i am tilting. Have i misunderstood something?

 

so did it today and 2 days ago.

both days i tryed to experiment with doing this on really slippery surface and i have to say it make the exercise. alot harder! before i could do holds of 1 minute. now im at 10-15 seconds.

so ye im just trying to get my legs conditioned to this.
at the moment.

the end goal would be to sit in a straddle split between 2 chairs.

 

Skipped training yesterday due to too much soreness in all of my body.

So iso training today after a good leg workout.

So im standing on a slippery surface and i must say. That i feel like something is done wrong here.

When you guys do this is it with constant support from a box in front of you. Or do you support yourself only with your legs? I cannot seem to hold this tension for very long without just a little bit of support from my hands.

Anyway i did 5 sets of 45 secs. On slippery surface and with a constant grip on a box

 

Supporting yourself with your hands is fine.

 

another round of iso today. i felt completely off (currently refiguring my diet to make sure i get everything that i need)

so i did 30 secsx 5 rounds.

not impressed but had nothing more to give.