Straddle width and pancake elements

Hi guys, I have two questions regarding straddle width in the pancake elements. When I was still practicing capoeira I had a comfortable sitting straddle of about 120-130 degrees (hardly any pancakey flexion, however). Over the past couple of years my right gracilis seems to have tightened substantially, to the point that I have to limit my straddle to 90 degrees max if I even want to consider working painlessly on my (still almost non-existent) flexion in the pancake elements of the MSs. So I have two questions:

1) What is the minimum straddle width necessary for pancake work, before it's so narrow it actually becomes pike work?

2) Would it be a good strategy to work towards full pancake at, for example, 90 degree straddle, and then start over with a slightly wider straddle, work up to full pancake again, increase straddle width again and on and on? Or should we work on increasing straddle width and flexion simultaneously?

Bonus question: does anyone have any suggestions to release my gracilis? It doesn't feel like something that just needs to get flexible through stretching - when I get into a stretch I hardly feel anything until I reach a certain point at which it suddenly becomes a sharp, painful 'pull'.

I would say 45 degrees and the difference between straddle and pancake work being that you can still reach your hands to your feet. If you can reach your hands to your feet it could be considered straddle work, however if your legs are closer to 180 degrees and your hands don't touch the feet as readily that'd be more exclusively pancake. Obviously there's some overlap, but so it goes will all gymnastic movement. It's never one movement or muscle working in isolation.

For pancake work, you need straddle until you can grab your heels with your hands when your hands are straight. This width is sufficient for your pancake work.

Itamar sha said:

For pancake work, you need straddle until you can grab your heels with your hands when your arms are straight. This width is sufficient for your pancake work.

Exactly right.  If you cannot wrap your hands around your feet, the legs are too wide.

Yours in Fitness,

Coach Sommer

And if I can't wrap my hands around my feet, even when legs are together, should I use a strap and have legs open to 45 degrees?

If someone would reply to my question in the above post I would be very grateful.

TIA

Yes, if you can't touch your toes with feet together it means your hamstrings and hips are exceptionally tight. To effectively train straddle and pancake positions, you need to be able to get into a position that works those areas. If you can't get into those positions with ease, then you need to work on them: blocks, straps, on inclines, etc. Eventually, your flexibility increases to the point where you can touch your toes, and so it goes. If you can't do the prescribed anything you need to first break it down and track it back to a point where you can. This goes for everything: hinge rows, straddle tucks, pushups, deck squats, twisting squats, and on, and on. If you can't get into the position, how can you train the position? Furthermore, if you can't get into the position your deficits are such that they're preventing you from working in the right way, you need to augment and correct those deficits.