That hurts me just looking at it!
Most of us feel the same way about middle splits.
Underneath that simple appearance must lie an unimaginable history of pain and suffering. You may have seen footage of hard core training methods bordering on the edge of torture and thought “maybe that’s not for me”.
But what if there’s a more varied and systematic approach?
As an adult looking to achieve the middle split I needed a program that was rigorous enough to get results without risking injury: after some research and experimentation I went with the split stretch series from gymnastics bodies as my main workout while supplementing with other flexibility exercises I’ve found from youtubers like Tom Merrick, the bodyweight warrior.
While every flexibility program offers its own unique benefits, the general outline for training for the middle splits can be broken down into two main focuses:
abductors and hamstrings
In this article I will share some of the best stretchinng exercises I found through research and practice to be the most effective to achieve the middle splits.
Before we get started I want to introduce a key method that will make your middle splits training a lot more effective: this is the method of isometric contraction, what this means is actively tensing a muscle group either the antagonist or agonist when entering the stretch.
There are lots of benefits to applying isometric contraction to your training: the main one being the effect of adding strength to your flexibility, which in turn facilitates a deeper stretch.
PNF: Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation
I’ll be referencing this method later in some of the exercises.
Jump Straight To The PNF Method for Flexibility Stretching
Dynamics Stretching Exercises for Middle Splits
One huge mistake I used to make with flexibility training was starting right away with passive stretching.
Don’t start with passive stretching !
With stretching the ideal warm-up consists of several dynamic exercises: these are movements where you gradually move your limb through its full range of motion, instead of just starting and keeping it at end range.
Warming Up with Leg Swings
Using a wall or beam for assistance, stand with your feet facing the wall about a few feet away.
Pick a leg and start swinging it laterally on the inside of your grounded foot, keep your hips square to the wall and visualize your legs swinging like a pendulum slightly increasing its end range with each swing.
Perform for 10 reps on one leg then switch legs for another 10 reps.
1. Cossack Squats
Standing in a comfortable straddle, shift laterally towards one side bending one knee, while straightening the other, maintaining a fla back and keeping your hips as low to the ground as possible.
Once you’ve reached the end range the extended leg will have its toes pointing up, keeping your hips low, move over to the other side untiyou get to end range. Perform 20 reps.
2. Frog
The main factor that controls the range of our middle splits is our abductors. These are the muscles on the inside of the hips that we used to pull our legs inward.
So starting at the source, we have frog as our first exercise.
When setting up a frog we need our shins to be vertically parallel to each other, the goal is to keep our hips lined up between the knees while bringing them to touch the floor.
This is the difficult part: you can manage getting your hips to touch the floor, you may notice that your feet may lift off slightly. Try to actively maintain contact with the floor from your hips all the way down to your feet.
An easier variation frog is called the diamond frog: here your feet touch each other, making your legs into the shape of a diamond, they’ll find it a lot easier to bring your hips down in this position.
However you may still have to actively press your feet down into the ground.
3. Pancake
I have the same love-hate relationship with pancakes: on one side there are one of the most effective exercises for middle splits,working multiple muscle groups like the hamstrings abductors and psoas.
O!n the other side they hurt !
Set up for the pancake by sitting on the floor in a comfortable straddle, legs should have a slight external rotation with the toes facing out.
Before folding forward in a pancake we need to adopt a slight anterior tilt of the pelvis, it means slightly arching the lower back.
You’ll notice that it’s much harder to bring your chest down in this position than it is with a rounded back.
Once you’ve settled in this position you can try some variations that amplify the stretch.
Here are two of my favorites.
These are done with your fingers behind the ears and your back as flat as you can make it; make sure to fold forward as well as down, bring your chest as close to the floor before coming back up to complete one rep.
If this is too challenging scale it back by bringing the legs closer together from a straddle position you’ll set up to do a seated good-morning with your arms extended by your side.
Perform the good morning to its end range and hold there for six seconds; you want to make sure your back is flat and your quads are fully flexed. To make the hold more challenging you can extend your arms above your head while holding a weight plate behind your head.
When we do the pancake it’s very important to flex your quads.
By contracting the antagonist muscles to our hamstrings it actually allows for the hamstrings to relax a little more. This goes back to the overlaying method of isometric contraction.
Infact, flexing the antagonist group is referred to as reciprocal inhibition or RI.
4. Isometric Split
The isometric split is a great example of applying the method of isometric contraction. It’s also one of the most straightforward ways to work your middle split.
There are two variations this exercise.
A) Get into a standing straddle with your toes facing the wall, contractyour adductors by trying to pull your feet together, hold for 3 second,s release and set your feet slightly wider apart. Repeat the 3 second hold, release and now set your feet even wider. Your final pulse will last 90 seconds, so mentally prepare yourself: you must actively hold the contraction for the entire time forthis to be effective.
B) Using a bench or chair per assistence, enter a middle split from standing, making sure to add in an anterior pelvic tilt to help you get deeper. Once you’ve in a comfortable end range, hold the position, next contract your abductors by actively pulling your feet towards each other, hold the contraction for 5 seconds, release and then take your stretch a bit deeper.
Repeat once more by contracting the abductors for 5 seconds, releasing and taking the stretch even deeper.
You’ll be surprised at how much you’ve increased your end range.
Notice that in this exercise we are contracting the abductors directly, this focus on contracting the agonist muscles as opposed to the antagonist group is called Post Isometric Relaxation or PIR.
5. Wall Splits
A wall split is a great passive stretch that you can make more effective by adding an active component. Lie on your back with your butt as close to the wall as possible, open your legs into a wide straddle, adding a slight external rotation. If you feel like your feet are not going low enough, you can deepen the stretch by actively pulling down with the abductors
Stay in this position for a full two minutes, remember to use isometric contraction by flexing the quads and pulling with the abductors.
Next we’ll transition to wall flies: begin your first wall fly by bringing the legs together, knees should be straight and ankles are just slightly off the wall. Touch your feet at the top and then open the legs back down into a wide straddle pulling down with your abductors at your end range.
Repeat this exercise for a total of 10 reps.
6. Rool Through
The roll-through is my favorite way to end training as it brings you through the entire range of the middle split positions.
We will start in a seated pancake, putting your hands down in front of you, use a little bit of momentum to put your weight into your hands, entering a supported straddle, continue the motion forward until you can lay your stomach and chest on the floor, with your legs straddled behind you, bring your legs together to achieve the halfway point.
To finish this exercise we will reverse the entire sequence.
Starting with opening the legs in a straddle, next push your body backwards towards your legs until you’ve achieved the supported straddle position, continue walking your hands back taking care to lean forward and letting them hold your weight until you can gently lower your butt down into a seated straddle again.
This completes one rep. Repeat this exercise until you perform 10 reps, take your time going through the movement, making sure to feel the stretch in its entire range.
Undoubtedly, with any sort of flexibility training there will be a moderate degree of discomfort, but the good news is:
consistency is more important than intensity
If you’re willing to put in the time and tolerate a little bit of pain the middle split and will eventually come, until next time move better and train harder.
Click Here To Learn More about PNF Stretching for Middle Splits