How Sore is good? Specifically middle split

I'm wondering how sore I should be after a heavy middle split session (I'm early in fundamentals).  The middle split series is the most challenging given where I'm at mobility-wise and I find that my inner hamstrings are on fire during the stretch session and still quite sore in the days following.  I'm trying to push but within the bounds of safety and wondering if I'm overdoing it and slowing down my progress.

For context I am so inflexible at the moment that I can barely sit upright in pancake and must use stretch straps to lean forward at all.

Thanks,

Clay

Hi Clay, well I can consider sore if you need 2-4 days to recover completely.

Hey Clay,

I suggest not pushing any of the stretches harder than a 3-4 out of 10.

Thanks guys very helpful feedback.

A common misconception is that stretching requires lots of pain or "going hard". The key to stretching is to learn to relax into the movement. When you have a full pancake, it doesn't hurt to do a pancake: you get in a straddle and lean forward, and you might feel a little tension when your torso touches the floor.

Nothing should feel like it's "on fire" when you're first starting out. When you start holding a pose, find and intensity and depth where you're feeling the stretch at a tolerable level of discomfort. Spend some time holding the position, trying to relax, and when the discomfort starts to subside a bit try to move just a little further into the stretch. As you become more experienced, you'll find that you're gradually able to relax more reliably and tolerate a greater amount of intensity in the stretch. 

In my opinion 1, 2 or maximum 3 days soared is fine. 4 days is a bit too much, but still on the safe area. 1 week to recover is waaay too much, which means you pushed too hard. Once I was 9 days soared in my legs, what a nightmare!

I would say 1-2 days is a good amount of time. It's for that reason they recommend not performing the two lower body stretches on sequential days. But your call. And as Everett and Joshua said, keep things pain-free. It should feel like a stretch but it shouldn't feel like pain. If that makes sense.

I would also add that your soreness should not be able to affect your training the following day to the point that you will need to take that day off.