Problems keeping feet together in SL/PE1 - Arch Body Hold

Basically what the title says. My knees are too together and it makes it (for all I know) impossible for the heels of my feet to touch. Depending on the rotation, keeping the balls of the feet together seems easier, and I found that internally rotating the hips actually makes this even easier (though that's contrary to the cues for this exercise as I understand it).

The problem persists even when I, for example, do headstands or whatever; the heels of my feet will just not touch. Activating the adductors just makes this worse, as they are in contact and create even more space (though little) between the legs. The only way I can make them touch is if I bend the knees a little, but keeping the knees locked will take priority in this cases. Is this something thats correctable or just inherent to my build? Should I just stop worrying about this? Besides this problem, my ABH is getting better, and have achieved what is to me acceptable ROM (legs completely off the ground, quads not touching the floor, elevating from the glutes and hamstrings), but no matter what corrections I make, the heels touching just seems like a physiological impossibility.

Here are a couple of pictures of the legs themselves so you can see what I mean about my build. One is externally rotated hips, the other internally.

Stretching piriformis has made all the difference for me. I too experienced a sense of anatomical impossibility; after stretching this muscle it's easy.

I also press knees and feet together as part of my pre-arch sequence. Squeeze glutes, press together as well as you can, and lift from that position.

I suppose it's possible that you actually can't touch both for some reason or another, but I've had so many instances of apparent impossibility that turned out to be a case of cryptic immobility that I've become pretty sceptical on the subject of anatomical limitation.

actually, as time went on, I found that the external rotation I would do to get more extension was just a way of cheating myself. tight TFL puts up a good fight and makes us want to resort to externally rotating, if you can do it with the leg casually internally rotated (like not forced) you'll be good.

Thxs for the replies guys. I am actually pretty religious about stretching the piriformis and hip flexors (which is what made me able to achieve passable rom in the first place); it made no change adressing this particular problem however.

Keilani Gutierrez said:

actually, as time went on, I found that the external rotation I would do to get more extension was just a way of cheating myself. tight TFL puts up a good fight and makes us want to resort to externally rotating, if you can do it with the leg casually internally rotated (like not forced) you'll be good.

I've tested isolating and stretching TFL today after reading your post, and I have to say it did make some difference. With the leg a little internally rotated I can just barely touch my heels together, but it still feels I'm battling against my knees for every millimeter. Moreover, this internal rotation limits the rom quite a bit, and multiplies the cramping in the glutes . Also, I got my girlfriend to assist me in keeping the legs together but made no difference, so I've little doubt now that the physical impossibility is pretty pronounced (at least without internally rotating a little).

I will of course continue experimenting with this (particularly by stretching TFL previous to every workout), but since many people seem to have considered achieving mastery with external rotation, I can't help but wonder if I'm overanalyzing this element and keeping myself from progress, when I could consider mastery achieved with knees glued to each other but heels just out of reach of each other, and just keep making progress by keeping the element as a warm up forever (which is what I will due regardless). I'm in no rush to do this however, so I suppose the decision will depend on how well the experimentation goes. Keilani, since you have struggled with something similar to this I would really appreciate your comments on the matter

oh, i was just sharing that because it's helped somewhat. I remember posting in this huge thread on the ABH and that cue made it onto a sticky. I get less hip pops this way and it's the exact position i would put my back leg to do a lunge. 

Keilani Gutierrez said:

actually, as time went on, I found that the external rotation I would do to get more extension was just a way of cheating myself. tight TFL puts up a good fight and makes us want to resort to externally rotating, if you can do it with the leg casually internally rotated (like not forced) you'll be good.

Interestingly the test (Ober's?) for TFL/ITB tightness is basically assessing the amount (or lack) of abduction when the hip is extended. This is one of the main reasons that runners will externally rotate or abduct their trailing leg upon lift-off. If you have a tight TFL then you'll likely have a tough time keeping your knees together in bridges, for example.

EDIT: A tight TFL could also inhibit glute activation to some extent?