How the challenge works: The first one to full side and front splits wins!

Challengers: AMR and Widerbeast

We realize that this challenge may not generate too much interest with other forum members. We are posting the challenge here just so we can have a common ground for communication. Of course any and all comments are welcome.

Below is a picture of the goal. Bonus points for having a gorgeous girl on your lap while doing the splits. ;)

Hey, that's a neat challenge.

Ouch. I'd give more than a couple of bonus points for the lady on the legs. That's gotta make it about ten times as hard.

I've been trying to do the splits for more than six months, and it's just not happening. It's really annoying too, because I could do them when I was twelve. I checked out an online guide called work your way to the splits, and even it didn't seem to help much.

There was one day I stretched so hard I was sore for a week. Please post your progress experiences here, and maybe I can get some tips on how to become more flexible without killing myself.

Maybe if I had someone to challenge me, I might be more motivated.

Hey, that's a neat challenge.

Ouch. I'd give more than a couple of bonus points for the lady on the legs. That's gotta make it about ten times as hard.

I've been trying to do the splits for more than six months, and it's just not happening. It's really annoying too, because I could do them when I was twelve. I checked out an online guide called work your way to the splits, and even it didn't seem to help much.

There was one day I stretched so hard I was sore for a week. Please post your progress experiences here, and maybe I can get some tips on how to become more flexible without killing myself.

Maybe if I had someone to challenge me, I might be more motivated.

here's a LINK (http://www.stadion.com/column.html) to some articles that discuss the method that I'll be using. I also have the book "Stretching Scientifically" by Thomas Kurz.

Feel free to join us in this challenge if you'd like.

Guava
I challenge you to join our challenge !
Anyone is welcome to join along if AMR agrees.

I plan on carrying on till i get this so it may become a rolling challenge where once the winner steps down we kick off again maybe with extra people.

Widers

Sounds like a great challenge.

It's one of thoses things that I'd like to be able to do, but the road sounds grueling. I already hate legs day :p

Good luck to you. How long do you think it'll take ?

I am going to aim for about 11 weeks. I was very close about 6 years ago and that took about 4 months without knowing what i was doing. I had a better base flexability then though.
I already hate legs day
How can you hate leg days. if anything its the cardio the next morning thats fun!

Widers

Guava
I challenge you to join our challenge !
Anyone is welcome to join along if AMR agrees.

I plan on carrying on till i get this so it may become a rolling challenge where once the winner steps down we kick off again maybe with extra people.

Widers

anyone who wants to join in is welcome. The more the merrier.
:)

I'm also hoping for about 12 weeks to get to the full side split. I expect it to be very difficult.

I'd be interested in joining since flexibility is extremely important for my sport and position (hockey goaltender), however my main focus right now is cutting... don't know if trying to do this at the same time as cutting would be good for me focus-wise. I do plan to do a 30-45 minute stretching routine every day, so it might be nice to have a goal like this, though.

Puddy i am cutting at the moment. I could see it slowing the process abit but my recovery rates are up on when i was bulking previously anyway. I plan to improve my general flexability awell i am not just intending to go for the splits.
Widers

I'm discovering that there is going to be A LOT of strength development while increasing my flexibility.

The method I'm using is as follows.

1. sink into a low horse stance with your feet a little wider than shoulder width apart. A horse stance is like you're sitting in a chair without the chair.

2. Hold this position for 30 seconds. All the while flexing your whole mid section, glutes , quads and hip flexors. Then relax for 30 seconds. Just stand up.

3. After 30 seconds of rest widen your feet a bit more and drop into a low horse stance again. Your quads should be parallel to the floor. Hold for 30 and rest for 30.

4. Widen your stance again and repeat until you can no longer widen your stance.

The flexing of the muscles around the hips is key to reduce joint pain.

Last night I was able to place my feet wider than ever before. I've read (not sure where) that you can actually increase flexibility on a daily basis. Not huge amounts of course just little by little.

Anyway, I can see my quads, glutes and hip flexors getting really strong. So far so good. :tu:

Stretched it just a bit more last night. I feel like I've made some decent progress in just this week. I can't imagine where I'll be in a month. Look out Jean Claude Van Dam!

Top three things i have learned so far.


Dont Do isometric stretches before a Martial arts class. Even if its on the morning and the class is in the evening. My fine motor control was shot. I ended up overstreching a few muscles because i had beat up my stretch reflex earlyier aswell.
Dont try and stretch when you are not 100% confident in your balance and that you can stop stretching at anytime. If i am not adequately supported i cannt relax into the stretch. When i am massively over cautious relaxing into it is much easier.
Breath Dammit

AMR, the "friend" that borrowed my digi camera forgot to take the memory card out of their puter. as soon as i get it back i will post pics.

The method I'm following says that once I can comfortably sink into a low horse stance with my feet about double shoulder width apart and hold it for a few minutes, then I'll be ready to try a full side split. So I can do the whole double shoulder width horse stance thing but it's anything but comfortable and my limit is about 30 seconds. I'm going to atempt slowly "stretching" this time out to hopefully be at 3 minutes within the next 6 weeks or so. We'll see how it goes. So far so good.

# Dont Do isometric stretches before a Martial arts class. Even if its on the morning and the class is in the evening. My fine motor control was shot. I ended up overstreching a few muscles because i had beat up my stretch reflex earlyier aswell.

Dont try and stretch when you are not 100% confident in your balance and that you can stop stretching at anytime. If i am not adequately supported i cannt relax into the stretch. When i am massively over cautious relaxing into it is much easier.

Breath Dammit


Here's some stuff that's been working for me.

I've been doing all my stretching at night after the day's activities. It's been working for me so far.

I've noticed that my balance during the stretch has gotten a little better. I used to have to keep my hands out in front of me to keep my balance but now I can actually chamber them for a bit.

One thing that I've done to pass the time of the stretch and to control my breathing is to practice some punching/handgrappling drills while in my stretch. Try it out, the time goes by quick.

AMR,
I have been doing passive stretching every morning after cardio in the gym missing out any muscle groups i plan to work that day or on the day after working them. I actually get quite sore if i stretch them on the same day as working them. Three times a week i now do stretch - contract - stretch type stretches for all body parts following the same rule as the passive on an evening.
I think the main muscle group that is going to cause me a problem is going to be the hip flexors as they seem to be very tight and unforgiving compared to other muscles
Wilders

Why is the last post of this challenge from Sept 15th? I want updates! I want pictures! I want in!

I'm stepping in here today, announcing that I'll be shooting for a full side split (to begin with anyways). This is something that I've been longing to do for ages, and this might be the inspiration I need. I'm certainly going to bookmark this thread, and look up how I will go about this thing.

Oh, before I forget, I'm not really anywhere near being able to do the full split, so don't mind me too much.

Knubb, if you want in, then you're in! I've been keeping up with my stretching but my workouts lately don't align with the concepts on this site very well so I haven't been around too much lately.

My flexibility has increased very slowly. A full side split by Christmas is my goal!

I want updates! I want pictures! I want in!

I second that !! (OK, not the "in" part, ....yes, I'm a coward)

I believe i have some unfinished business here.
I lost interest because i didnt measure progress. Yes I could see improvement but i didnt measure it in a spreadsheet.
Learning from my previous mistake i now intend to record the distance that i span on the floor and convert that into height from floor.
So that i dont just put off starting I start right now. This one will be quite inaccurate but better than putting it off.

Side splits Distance on floor = 155 cm
Assuming legs are the same length and that they are 92cm long i can chop the triangle in to a right angled one, Then i can use pythagoras to tell me that i am 50cm off the floor in a side splits position.

This time I am serious !!!! Expect updates every few days !!!
I want some peer presure on this so anyone feel free to prompt for updates if they are not forthcoming.
Wilders

I've been trying to do the splits for more than six months, and it's just not happening. It's really annoying too, because I could do them when I was twelve. I checked out an online guide called work your way to the splits, and even it didn't seem to help much.

I'm a lot more flexible than I was in September of 2004. I can do the splits now.

One way I worked on my flexibility was to pull my leg up towards my head while lying on my side. It was even easier when I strapped on an ankle weight to increase the force of gravity instead of using my hands to pull it towards me.

I'm confused about the title of this thread:
The AMR - Widerbeast Flexibility Challenge!
There's an L in your username right? Someone said we have a Widerbeast and a Wilderbeast as members, but I didn't check on that. :confused:

Good measuring technique. I like the idea of being able to quantify results.

Sorry guava,
They are both me !!!!
I accidently missed the l out when i first registered and got John to change it a while back. It was amusing at one point to see how many people didnt even notice that there was a difference. I will get on to John to change the title of the thread.
Wilders

One way I worked on my flexibility was to pull my leg up towards my head while lying on my side. It was even easier when I strapped on an ankle weight to increase the force of gravity instead of using my hands to pull it towards me.

I will try that thanks Guava. I suspect that i may struggle because my legs are alot stronger than my arms. I think using body weight to stretch will be more productive in my case but adding weights like you suggest may tip the balance in my favour.
Wilders

160cm span thats a height of 45 cm
Most likely the biggest gain i will make.

Wilders

Span 164cm
Height = 41.7

Legs day, a rowing challenge and a bad migraine slowed progress this week. Just managed to ekk out a small amount though.

I just seemed to have stopped improving for no apparent reason. I have been static stretching every morning after a warm up but i havent inproved any for the last week. Gonna try some PNF stuff for the next week that should get it moving !!!!
Wilders

Height 35cm
The PNF strethcing has made a massive difference. :tucool:
But it makes me sore as helll. :mad:
I need leave some time to adapt for a while so i plan on just static stretching for a week until the muscles have got comfortable with their new range of motion.

What kind of PNF stretches are you doing?

I am using the simple version. Contract Relax
Stretch to my percieved maximum using static stretching then slowly build to a near max contraction on the stretched muscle taking about 20 seconds. Then relax the muscle and breath out while lowering into the stretch abit more.
I usually do this twice for each muscle group apart from when strething back muscles.

Wilders