Is really possible to achieve it?

So, that s my question. Is really possible for everyone without any major injury or discapacity to achieve a full middle split, a front split and a bridge? More specifically the middle split... Isn t there some kind of joint limit for some people? I understand achieving full pancake because is a muscular issue, but full middle split?

That just come to my mind today. I know we have to work consistently over the years. I am just so far from achieving any of the 3 stretches that sometimes I think maybe is not possible a 100% achievement. 

yes its possible the middle split in my own personal experience take too long because we neglected it for so many years the surrounding hip muscles are tiny so imagine those tiny muscle getting tinier and tighter it will take much more time to them to get back to our younger youth mobility, true its very disappointing to not see any fast progress but its just the process i saw so many gb athletes in instagram and here in the forum each one with its progression and its very hopeful and motivating to continue the process and we will get it back its just a matter of time 

Yes, most certainly yes.

Unless you are very stiff and have severe difficulties when lunging, straddling, bending and extending at the hips, and squating (maybe some more hip movements), it should not take you more than 12, maybe 18 months to nail both splits down if you work consistently.

Yes it is possible. I have already got full front split and I started training it as an adult. I am working towards on full bridge and middle split. Consistency is the key and proper execution.

MIddle split it is a problem of hip Joint physiology and anatomy which is pretty personal. you need to perform a test:

-standing on one leg

-externally rotate the other leg while holding it straight too

-lift the legs up to 90°.

If you have this range of motion you can reach the middle split no matter when you begin.

You need to understand that sometime nature creates some obstacle that must be considered a part of the equation,

@Vytautas Pilkauskas do you mean 18 months by following the Stretch Series and Foundation iM's or do you mean by doing more than that?

@Alessandro Mainente for that test, does on have to be able to lift the leg actively to 90° or is it enough to be able to lift it passively to that ROM?

I also believe that it's possible but I think it might take longer. I've been working on the Stretch Series consistently since they came out, which is just about two years now. I started at age 40 with average flexibility. I am improving constantly, but it's a really, really slow process.

It is enough to lift the legs passively.

15 hours ago, Alessandro Mainente said:

MIddle split it is a problem of hip Joint physiology and anatomy which is pretty personal. you need to perform a test:

-standing on one leg

-externally rotate the other leg while holding it straight too

-lift the legs up to 90°.

If you have this range of motion you can reach the middle split no matter when you begin.

You need to understand that sometime nature creates some obstacle that must be considered a part of the equation,

Great! Thanks Alessandro! I did it and no problem. Of course passively. Actively I could reach just aproximately 70º angle. It s very motivating to know that I can really achieve it.

Today, just 2 hours ago, I went to see my kids (I am a Physical Education teacher) while they were doing gymnastics. It was amazing, they are so flexible and mobile. I was jealous! Always when I see my younger kids I understand that is the natural state. Older ones are already tight, someones as much as me.

@Antonio Alías Montoya

Why don't you just keep doing it and see where you eventually end up? No matter what the middle split limit will be for you, don't you think it'll still be better than what your starting point was?

The body only responds to training, not to what our wishes are or to what we perceive our limitations to be. So just go out and continue doing what you've been doing and see where you'll end up.

I would do it even if I knew it in advance that I couldn t achieve it 100%. Some people have some real limitations, not just their perception. I ve got one, small, but it affects almost everything, specially Handstand, TB and HBP. My right collarbone is shorter. I was a year and half just trying to get a final diagnosis. I wasn t taken in the right path until I visited Wesley at Forma. My wish is just to be able train. I haven t been able to train for longer periods due to different pains- I just feel happy when I know that at least I can achieve some of the strechtes. We all start from a different point and with our own limitations. I know what a limitation is so that s why I asked this.

I am happy to hear your story Antonio. Thanks for sharing it with us. Everyone has limitations, I tend to refuse and accept mine and same as you, I would like to continue training. I feel happy with whatever progress that I make small or big it can be seen with time.

19 hours ago, Leo Trinidad said:

I am happy to hear your story Antonio. Thanks for sharing it with us. Everyone has limitations, I tend to refuse and accept mine and same as you, I would like to continue training. I feel happy with whatever progress that I make small or big it can be seen with time.

Thanks Leo for your words. I am really happy to be part of Gymnastic Bodies. My training is going really slow at this point, because I feel everything needs to open up, but at the same time I am quite calm inside because I know I am in the right place. I feel like i ve arrived to home and I don t have to worry more because with this program I ll be able to achieve my full athletic capacity, the best and healthiest version of myself. I am very thankful to this and I am just at the starting, so I can t imagine in a few years. Thanks coach and GB team! And Wes! He saved my life!

On 6 February 2017 at 7:31 PM, Antonio Alías Montoya said:

Great! Thanks Alessandro! I did it and no problem. Of course passively. Actively I could reach just aproximately 70º angle. It s very motivating to know that I can really achieve it.

Today, just 2 hours ago, I went to see my kids (I am a Physical Education teacher) while they were doing gymnastics. It was amazing, they are so flexible and mobile. I was jealous! Always when I see my younger kids I understand that is the natural state. Older ones are already tight, someones as much as me.

Hi Antonio

Sorry to have to ask this but as a relative newbie can you explain the difference between what you mean by lifting the Leg actively and passively that you mentioned here 

i too want to do this test to know that my ms series purchase wasn't made in vain 

many thanks 

Leigh 

No problem Leigh. I mean that I could not mantain my leg lifted at 90º angle just with my own strentgh, keeping my leg lifted in the air. That s actively. And pasively that I place my leg on a table or someone lifted for me and keep it in a 90º angle. At least this is what it has always meant for me I hope this make it clearer.

6 minutes ago, Antonio Alías Montoya said:

No problem Leigh. I mean that I could not mantain my leg lifted at 90º angle just with my own strentgh, keeping my leg lifted in the air. That s actively. And pasively that I place my leg on a table or someone lifted for me and keep it in a 90º angle. At least this is what it has always meant for me I hope this make it clearer.

Thanks Antonio I understand now . 

Thank you for explaining . Good luck with your training. I'm on the struggle with you but enjoying every minute of it making myself more mobile .

all the best 

Leigh 

All the best mobility for you too!

I wanna share to you guys that mastering tuck ups, straddle ups and v-ups coupled with their mobility really helped me on my pancake. The beauty of the other courses is that mastering them will make your life easier on the other ones.

On 8 February 2017 at 2:56 PM, Leo Trinidad said:

I wanna share to you guys that mastering tuck ups, straddle ups and v-ups coupled with their mobility really helped me on my pancake. The beauty of the other courses is that mastering them will make your life easier on the other ones.

Hey Leo great advice

just out of interest how is it that some people I see in Instagram etc (who do not follow gst) will post progress pics of their middle split progressing to almost full middle split after only a few weeks work . I've been told on this forum to really only spend the one session per week on the series and that the body will take time to achieve the 3 stretch series properly . I'm ok with this and am all for the patient, proper approach but it's quite demoralising to see this happen around me with them having  little to no knowledge of doing the right things to get the middle split . 

Genetics? Luck? Or both . 

On 2/10/2017 at 8:07 PM, Leigh Kettle said:

Hey Leo great advice

just out of interest how is it that some people I see in Instagram etc (who do not follow gst) will post progress pics of their middle split progressing to almost full middle split after only a few weeks work . I've been told on this forum to really only spend the one session per week on the series and that the body will take time to achieve the 3 stretch series properly . I'm ok with this and am all for the patient, proper approach but it's quite demoralising to see this happen around me with them having  little to no knowledge of doing the right things to get the middle split . 

Genetics? Luck? Or both . 

 

those people are just like the onces they pretend to get lean and ripped in no time mobility unlike muscle take more time especially the middle split theres no way some one can achieve a middle splits in just weeks unless he already achieved already and he stopped practicing for a moment and that is not an achievement its just show off

1 hour ago, Oussama KHELLADI said:

those people are just like the onces they pretend to get lean and ripped in no time mobility unlike muscle take more time especially the middle split theres no way some one can achieve a middle splits in just weeks unless he already achieved already and he stopped practicing for a moment and that is not an achievement its just show off

nice point that I want to share. if you have already reached the MS (e.g. when you were a kids) the process could take a LOT of time less!!

normally when you get used to have some posture without previous range of motion maintainance you tend to lose it, this it is extremely common for joint capsule. the major part of the range of motion it is reduced due to this passive joint structures.

1 hour ago, Oussama KHELLADI said:

those people are just like the onces they pretend to get lean and ripped in no time mobility unlike muscle take more time especially the middle split theres no way some one can achieve a middle splits in just weeks unless he already achieved already and he stopped practicing for a moment and that is not an achievement its just show off

Yeah I know the types lol. I was sure that they must have had previous flexibility to be able to get close in such a short space of time . I'd much rather do it coaches way . My body has never been flexible so I'm in for the long haul 

44 minutes ago, Alessandro Mainente said:

nice point that I want to share. if you have already reached the MS (e.g. when you were a kids) the process could take a LOT of time less!!

normally when you get used to have some posture without previous range of motion maintainance you tend to lose it, this it is extremely common for joint capsule. the major part of the range of motion it is reduced due to this passive joint structures.

Yes totally understand alessandro I did think this regarding their previous experience . 

One of the neat things about the MS, FS, and Thoracic Bridge stretches, and indeed GST is that you are able to easily see your progress and celebrate victories, despite not having "reached the end goal" so to speak. Those minor victories are sufficient to carry you on when you see others reaching new levels of mobility that you consider to be a dream. And they also minimize the need to constantly compare your progress with others.

On 2/12/2017 at 0:42 PM, Alessandro Mainente said:

nice point that I want to share. if you have already reached the MS (e.g. when you were a kids) the process could take a LOT of time less!!

normally when you get used to have some posture without previous range of motion maintainance you tend to lose it, this it is extremely common for joint capsule. the major part of the range of motion it is reduced due to this passive joint structures.

yes i remember when i was young and the image is still in my head my coach told me do the splits and i did it i was 6 or 7 years old 

9 hours ago, John Kiggundu said:

One of the neat things about the MS, FS, and Thoracic Bridge stretches, and indeed GST is that you are able to easily see your progress and celebrate victories, despite not having "reached the end goal" so to speak. Those minor victories are sufficient to carry you on when you see others reaching new levels of mobility that you consider to be a dream. And they also minimize the need to constantly compare your progress with others.

yes as W Phelps said after one of his Gold medals    "It was one additional victory in a lifetime full of small wins"