pancake position

hi, i wnat this position but i cannot reach it!!!

my piked position isn't bad, i can stay with my chest near the knees! but if i straddle my legs it seems thta i i lose immediately all my flexibility!!! there is something i can do to improve this position? i need it for some skill and i think is a great thing to improve my split!!

i usually follow for the stretching a book of David de Angelis (powerflex stretching) but there i snothing in particulary for this position..or a progression

thanks for the reply

Are you stretching to each leg as well? Aside from stretching to the middle try to reach past both legs with your hands. Also make sure you practice for time, it takes at LEAST 20 seconds to get the "full potential" of a stretch in. So hold as far down possible for around a minute. Also practice it with someone of your back, if you know any kids less than 10 years old you can have them sit on your back, or just have someone push on your back with their hands. Also it might help if you practice the "butterfly" stretch (Otherwise known the dragonfly! )

Just make sure you don't rush it and hurt yourself

The "NewGuy"

usually i don't have someone who can push my back down..the butterfly is from seated position?

Yup, the butterfly is from a seated position. (Don't confuse it with the butterfly on rings! :shock: ) Do you know what I am talking about? Or should I explain it?

This position is different from a pike, you can be pretty flexible in a pike but tight in a pancake. Pancake is a stretch on its own I am not sure why you would try to do other stretches to get a pancake when you can just do the pancake itself.

Go into a straddle while sitting on the floor (make sure that your knee and toes are facing the ceiling) grab either the floor or something else in front of you and pull forward while keeping your lower back flat (instead of curving it). A few sets of 30 seconds holds 1-2 times per week and you'll see improvements.

thanks for the reply...yes i know what are you meaning with butterfly from seated position

Something that helped me with the hip compression is actually just spending time in the squat position.

I would imagine that standing straddle pikes would help as well, especially in the beginning.

Razz said:

Something that helped me with the hip compression is actually just spending time in the squat position.

That actually makes allot of sense.

squat position is the same of umo position?

ok for me is sumo position, here the legs must be on the same virtual line? and open as much as possbile?

Why do my legs want to rotate inwards during this stretch? Is it worth getting this stretch all the way down with multiple leg widths?

Lavastine said:

Why do my legs want to rotate inwards during this stretch?

I believe it is normal for the legs, feet and toes to rotate down as you roll your upper body down. I have to think that other than just working the pancake itself that Slizz's suggestion of straddle pikes would be most beneficial as a secondary stretch.

He could also just be relatively tight in the internal hip rotators. If you have a really good straight-backed butterfly stretch, like if you can touch the outside of your knees to the ground without using your hands for assistance while keeping your back straight and vertical then I don't know what to tell you, but if you CAN'T do that it will probably help some to develop that stretch. It's the same stretch that gives you crazy hip mobility for rubber guard stuff. You have to have VERY flexible internal hip rotators for that.

I know it may sound odd but I'm really of the opinion that (for guys) you get more bang for your stretching buck by focusing on "straight" stretches such as lunge, low lunge, hurdle stretch (knee in), half split, front split, etc.

slizzardman said:

He could also just be relatively tight in the internal hip rotators. If you have a really good straight-backed butterfly stretch, like if you can touch the outside of your knees to the ground without using your hands for assistance while keeping your back straight and vertical then I don't know what to tell you, but if you CAN'T do that it will probably help some to develop that stretch. It's the same stretch that gives you crazy hip mobility for rubber guard stuff. You have to have VERY flexible internal hip rotators for that.

Wait, a butterfly will stretch the internal rotators? A butterfly position is externally rotated. The only real internal rotation stretch I know of is the leg position from "Reclining Hero"

If you are externally rotating the internal rotators must stretch to allow this.

jl5555 said:

I know it may sound odd but I'm really of the opinion that (for guys) you get more bang for your stretching buck by focusing on "straight" stretches such as lunge, low lunge, hurdle stretch (knee in), half split, front split, etc.

That depends on what you want. It is very hard to work on hip rotation with straight legs. No leverage.

slizzardman said:

That depends on what you want. It is very hard to work on hip rotation with straight legs. No leverage.

I understand that, and I wish I understood the terminology better, but I believe that becoming proficient first at the forward stretches that involve the hip, such as lunge, etc. will then lead to better progress with the side stretches.

Best to work all the angles evenly.

Most, but not all, do better starting with wide leg forward bends like pancake.

I'm not sure what you mean by lunges, because they require both knees to bend.

jl5555 said:

I understand that, and I wish I understood the terminology better, but I believe that becoming proficient first at the forward stretches that involve the hip, such as lunge, etc. will then lead to better progress with the side stretches.

The lunge works internal rotation on the rear leg, so this makes sense

If you keep a neutral pelvis, yes it does. I don't think you'd get the same degree of stretch on the internal rotators as you will with a butterfly, but developing a strong and deep split squat position with parallel feet and neutral hips is very very good.

Hey Alex,

This is what I did to get my pancake. I did 4 sets of intense 30 second pancake stretches. As you get closer to the fourth set, you'll be able to get lower and lower. Be prepared to suffer though cause it really did suck doing these. It took me about 2 months to get a solid pancake doing this method when working it 4 days a week. Hope this helps.

Justin

It can also help if you do frog stretch with hips in the air before the pancake and then from the frog position try to lower your hips down and forward to the ground for 10 reps (yes, like humping the floor ).