Side split pull to stand

Hi everyone,

I have really tricky question I think here are really experienced people which could help me out with this one. :-)

What is the exercise I am interested in. I will describe it I don't know how is it called. Ii is when you are in side split you flex hardly your inner thigh muscles and you finish in standing position. 

"Cai Yong - equilibriste" video on youtube did this exercise. :-)

My question is if you have any of suggestion how to train this exercise. Right now I am working on it as classical GTG format.  An what exercises could be beneficial to obtain this skill.

Thank you very much.

Rubi

In a hurry, but I don't think this is a good move to use GTG for, but all it mainly takes is adductor strength so things like adductor flyes or adductor pulldowns would work well (Search on Stadion.com). So would doing "power splits" as Coach detailed a few years ago (use the forum search function). Another way of training this would be doing the full ROM exercise while holding a band that is attached to something above to decrease your weight. Anything that involves you squeezing your legs together against resistance is going to help, to be honest.

Patrick Smith said:

In a hurry, but I don't think this is a good move to use GTG for, but all it mainly takes is adductor strength so things like adductor flyes or adductor pulldowns would work well (Search on Stadion.com). So would doing "power splits" as Coach detailed a few years ago (use the forum search function). Another way of training this would be doing the full ROM exercise while holding a band that is attached to something above to decrease your weight. Anything that involves you squeezing your legs together against resistance is going to help, to be honest.

Many thanks Patrick right now I am kinda working with decreasing my weight and perform my ROM (I dont have full side split yet) with squeezing my legs together. What about the structure of these exercises? Would it be fine if I use classsical 3 set 5 reps every day? :-) Thanks again.  

What are you currently able to do, and what are you doing to train? Are you able to get a straddle press handstand? Or are you stuck in terms of lifting the body up to handstand position?

Seabird said:

What are you currently able to do, and what are you doing to train? Are you able to get a straddle press handstand? Or are you stuck in terms of lifting the body up to handstand position?

Hi Seabird, you did not understand me :-)

I am sorry, dunno how to properly ad youtube video: Look at this video in 03:07 this guy does what I want to do. :-)

That... is ridiculous. : )

rubi said:

Many thanks Patrick right now I am kinda working with decreasing my weight and perform my ROM (I dont have full side split yet) with squeezing my legs together. What about the structure of these exercises? Would it be fine if I use classsical 3 set 5 reps every day? :-) Thanks again. 

Hey! In that case, the first thing you need to do is start working on your side split flexibility! Pick up a copy of Kit's book or Stretching Scientifically by Thomas Kurz and get started. If buying something isn't an option right now, check out the Stretching Resource on Martial Arts Planet. It's excellent material. If you encounter any problems, you can ask the prime flexibility expert and physical therapist over there, Dan Van Zandt, questions in this thread.

Read the thread that I linked to first, and you'll understand the importance of isometrics as a form of end ROM strength development as well as a means of increasing flexibility. You have to be very careful about approaching end ROM strength training without working up to it gently and careful.

The exercises I mentioned can be done with almost any set/rep scheme, but it depends on which you're doing. Adductor flyes/pull downs are generally high rep (maybe 2-3x25-50). Although, if you're doing squats or deadlifts with F1, you should be fine with just adding the appropriate amount of isometrics (aka contract/relax stretching) as a strength exercise to your routine.

Just don't push it too fast!

Also, don't take this the wrong way, but you may consider not embedding that youtube video into your signature. It's kind of obnoxious and it takes up a lot of screen space. It's a good video though, so maybe you can just include a link to it? 

And it's been shot before Lance Armstrongs confession

Patrick Smith said:

Hey! In that case, the first thing you need to do is start working on your side split flexibility! Pick up a copy of Kit's book or Stretching Scientifically by Thomas Kurz and get started. If buying something isn't an option right now, check out the Stretching Resource on Martial Arts Planet. It's excellent material. If you encounter any problems, you can ask the prime flexibility expert and physical therapist over there, Dan Van Zandt, questions in this thread.

 

Read the thread that I linked to first, and you'll understand the importance of isometrics as a form of end ROM strength development as well as a means of increasing flexibility. You have to be very careful about approaching end ROM strength training without working up to it gently and careful.

The exercises I mentioned can be done with almost any set/rep scheme, but it depends on which you're doing. Adductor flyes/pull downs are generally high rep (maybe 2-3x25-50). Although, if you're doing squats or deadlifts with F1, you should be fine with just adding the appropriate amount of isometrics (aka contract/relax stretching) as a strength exercise to your routine.

 

Just don't push it too fast!

 

Also, don't take this the wrong way, but you may consider not embedding that youtube video into your signature. It's kind of obnoxious and it takes up a lot of screen space. It's a good video though, so maybe you can just include a link to it? 

I has been long time ago since I visited this forum, the signature was deleted. Yeah it was annoying:-) Thanks so much, I work really hard to get side split, I am attending flexibility lectures twice a week plus at home one more flexibility workout. I'll definitely look at books you recommended. Thanks so much for your help maybe in few months I'll show my progress with this exercise :-) I am thinking about posting here some Natural Leg Curls which I obtain lately :-)

rubi said:

I has been long time ago since I visited this forum, the signature was deleted. Yeah it was annoying:-) Thanks so much, I work really hard to get side split, I am attending flexibility lectures twice a week plus at home one more flexibility workout. I'll definitely look at books you recommended. Thanks so much for your help maybe in few months I'll show my progress with this exercise :-) I am thinking about posting here some Natural Leg Curls which I obtain lately :-)

No problem, rubi. Bonne chance 

The pages I linked to are as good as the books (so you needn't purchase any books to get started) except for Kit Laughlin's book which is worth its weight in gold.

"The pages I linked to are as good as the books (so you needn't purchase any books to get started) except for Kit Laughlin's book which is worth its weight in gold."

Kit lauhglins book is worth 38,000 usd?

Seabird said:

"The pages I linked to are as good as the books (so you needn't purchase any books to get started) except for Kit Laughlin's book which is worth its weight in gold."

 

Kit lauhglins book is worth 38,000 usd?

I find it hard to disagree with that assessment. It's the definitive guide to stretching and the definitive index of awesome stretches.

Objective worth != Relative worth, though. Objectively, it's worth a lot. Relatively, it has to fit in.

Remember, he has a VERY slippery surface and the cloth on his legs help a lot. He is the only one i have seen who do it without pushing on his thighs with his arms. If you see Anatoly Zalievsky, who to my knowledge was the first to do it, he presses inwards on his thighs with his arms to generate more force. Cai Yong lifts his arms quickly to help instead. Very impressive, but this video is all about 2.25 for me hehe.

You should probably be able to slide very slowly into splits with some slippery socks before becoming able to slide up. Doing oversplits on elevated surfaces and pushing yourself to 180 degrees also comes to mind as an exercise.

Handbalancer said:

Remember, he has a VERY slippery surface and the cloth on his legs help a lot. He is the only one i have seen who do it without pushing on his thighs with his arms. If you see Anatoly Zalievsky, who to my knowledge was the first to do it, he presses inwards on his thighs with his arms to generate more force. Cai Yong lifts his arms quickly to help instead. Very impressive, but this video is all about 2.25 for me hehe.

 

You should probably be able to slide very slowly into splits with some slippery socks before becoming able to slide up. Doing oversplits on elevated surfaces and pushing yourself to 180 degrees also comes to mind as an exercise.

Thank for the advice, I am aware there has to be a slippery surface otherwise it would be godlike.   And the video is about the trasition. It is mind blow :-D But I need to keep myself down on the ground, because I never will be able to do that transition. Planche presses would be enough for me :-DDD I'll try to look out Anatoly Zalievsky. Do you have any interesting names to look out? I've seen your videos awesome skills.

In  my opinion, this would be a good progression:

1º. Get the splits in a isometric fashion way (no pasive range of motion). If you get oversplits and go to 180 from there... perfect.
- You should add more analitic stretches using a PNF or Isometrics. 
- You should build strength during the ROM that you are getting.

2º Training eccentric splits like you train eccentric oacs or hspu. 

3º Assisted concentrics splits.

4º Concentric splits.
 

Saw this on facebook today:

http://instagram.com/p/kSezzlC5Op/#

Consider the normal role of your adductors and how much power you can generate in a stretched position.  The difficulty of such a move is not for hobbyists or recreational athletes.