Road to Front Splits: 29-Min Progressive Flexibility Flow

Few more. We will look at hip position when we're doing splits because it is important in what we're doing with our hips. So really think about if I don't worry about the shoulders in cat cow, think about turning the hips away, bringing them under, turning the hips away, tucking your tail under. That tucking your tail under is going to help in some stretches.

You don't want to be doing this all the time in certain stretches and we'll address that. So first of all, let's come up to a bit of a lunge position. So right foot in front of you, my hips are over my back knee and now we'll think about again, I'm not pointing my hips out behind, I'm going to tuck that tail and immediately you're going to feel a stretch in the front of the left hip and probably down the quads on the left side if you're really tight here. Just keep that hip tilt, tensing your glutes here as well helps and you'll just feel that stretch in the front.

So we've already got a stretch in the front and we're not in some crazy lunge here to begin with. So just feel that out. Okay let's come down and switch sides again almost poke your bum out and then tuck your tail and you'll feel that stretch come on immediately. Just a couple of breaths here, really opening the front of the hips as I said before we go into a lunge or anything like that.

Good come back down to both knees. Okay come to all fours, tuck your toes behind you, keep the knees bent, lift the hips first into down dog, hips up nice and high and then walk the dog. So drop one knee, drop the opposite knee. Good lift the right heel, drop the left.

Really think about bending the knee on one side as you drop the heel. Keep doing that nice. At the moment it's like we're walking on the spot, let's change that and we'll take really baby steps towards our hands. If you need to start bending your knees on the way then bend your knees on the way.

Then bend your knees on the way that's fine. Again we're just inviting a stretch here now we're stretching the hamstrings in the lower back slightly. Bend the knees a little more, let the stomach almost rest on the top of your legs, on your quads, let your head hang. Don't worry about looking at the screen for a second, no tension in the back of the neck.

Again don't look at the screen for this, just grab the opposite elbow and just let your hands and arms hang here. Just kind of imagine your spine getting longer and longer here. Good same thing we're doing in down dog when I said walk the dog, just think about that here so maybe just straighten the right leg a little bit as you bend the left and then switch sides. Just from side to side.

Hands come back down slowly taking baby steps again back into down dog. Once you get to down dog just take two breaths there lifting the hips. Okay let's step the left foot outside the left hand here and I want you to drop that back knee down, flatten the back foot out and again think about that. I want you to drop that back knee down, flatten the back foot out and again think about what we're doing when we're lifting the hips behind us and then tucking that tail or tucking the hips under us.

I want you to tuck here okay we'll call that tuck for this glass so tucking under, stretching the hips on the right side and open your chest out a bit here too into this stretch whatever that looks like for you. Two more breaths. Okay now what we're doing from here is dragging the hips back to get hamstring stretch on the left as my toes come up and I'm going to drop my head as well then forwards find that tuck, find that stretch on the right side and back. Let's do that a couple more times.

Okay this time come forwards get that tuck two breaths. Okay on the toes on the back foot lift the back knee just pause here two breaths maybe dropping your hips a little lower try and keep that back leg nice and strong nice and straight. Really good let's step back into plank bend the knees lift the hips into down dog. Let's walk the dog on the spot though lifting and dropping one side lifting and dropping the other side.

Good now forwards to plank right foot outside the right hand drop the back knee flat on the back foot find that tuck and now let's drag the hips back find the hamstring stretch drop the head and forwards and back a few times every time finding that stretch at the end of the stretch find the hamstring stretch drop the head and forwards and back a few times every time finding that stretch at the end hamstring stretch stretching the hips. Last one forwards a couple of breaths just finding that tuck again. Okay tuck the toes of the back foot now lift that back knee nice and strong in the back leg nice and straight dropping the hips a little more. Really good step back to plank bend the knees lift the hips into down dog.

Don't worry about walking the dog here unless you really want to just nice and strong in down dog let everything open out. Okay come down to all fours let's come back to that king after position so right foot steps forwards again find that tuck opening out front of the left hip find that tuck opening out front of the left hip. Now creep the right foot forward slightly and now we will lunge forwards a bit now so my hips aren't going to stay over this back knee my hips are going to come forwards a tiny bit now and breathe here into whatever stretch you've found. Tense in the glutes as well really think about that stretch in the front of the left hip.

Okay step back with the hips the right foot comes forwards a tiny bit more now let's come forwards again. See how that feels what i'm not doing is i'm not doing this with my back in a horrible stretch that is never fun so i'm thinking about that tuck still as that back leg is trailing behind me. Let's go back hips above the knee again maybe step the foot a tiny bit more forwards keep that tuck as we move forwards. You can grab the back of your hips to remind you to tense your glutes that's fine.

Okay ease off bring the right knee back down let's go to the left side so start off with that original stretch find that tuck. Left foot's going to creep forward slightly coming forwards that same engagement. Let's go back hips over the knee left foot forwards a bit. One more time back creep the left foot forwards maybe a little bit more maybe where you were before really keep that engagement forwards.

Back to all fours lift into down dog. Really lifting the hips up here and we're not tucking in down dog try and almost do the opposite here and my legs aren't even straight and i'm getting a bit of a hamstring stretch here because i'm trying to lift my hips so much try and get that. Good now just to move the hips we're going to roll a little bit into plank and then back into down dog. So by that what i'm thinking about doing is i'm looking towards my hips now i'm pushing my chest through my back i'm straightening my legs a bit and i'm coming forwards to plank.

When i get the plank nice and straight lift the head then think about bending the knees and lifting the hips as you look up. Then straighten the legs drop the head towards the hips start to bring the hips towards the head as you push through your back your chest through that back straight to plank looking up lifting just a few of them really thinking about that hip movement okay think back to cat cows. Let's do two more of those. Okay think back to cat cows let's do two more of them.

Last one and we'll finish in plank and drop to your knees now Now, get your shoulders back over your wrists, hips over your knees, and now let's bring that right knee up towards our chest, pushing our chest through our back, and now kick that right foot forwards between your hands. You can come up to your fingertips here. Now we'll do what we did before, forwards and back. So really think about coming forwards and getting that tuck, so getting that stretch on the back hip.

Finding that, maybe drag your back knee back slightly. Then I'm going back for a lovely hamstring stretch here. I say lovely, it never is. And then forwards and back.

What we're trying to not do here is as I go back, I'm not leaving one side, I'm not going back and tilting my hips out to the side. I'm trying to keep my hips in line here. Naturally, we're gonna do it a little bit, but just be aware. Then come forwards and back.

It's not like we're, you know, when you're going for an arm bar, your hips start to turn to cut that corner. We're not doing that, we're keeping our hips in line here. Find that stretch and back. Find that stretch and back.

And back. This time, come forwards. Your left knee's gonna go back a little bit. Now we're gonna go back and we'll take three breaths in a hamstring stretch.

I want you to think about letting your head hang here. And just thinking about what that right heel is doing, I want you to push your right heel down into the mat to activate your hamstrings a little bit for three breaths. Keep that activation. Very good, let's come forwards, back to all fours.

Okay, now the left knee is gonna come to your chest. Keep the left foot through. Same thing here. Okay, so if you need to bring the back knee back a bit, you can.

Find that tuck, come forwards and back. And forwards. And back. And it doesn't matter if you're not straightening that front leg each time you do this, because each time you do this class, hopefully you get a little bit closer.

You're never gonna be able to do it first time. I know a lot of those things on YouTube say, get your splits in seven days, or I learned to split in a month because of this, or like something unrealistic. If you've never been able to do it, start working towards it now. And the best time to start was today, or yesterday, or whenever, but if you don't start today, you're never gonna get there, okay?

Good. Last time, maybe, child of back knee back. And now let's come into a hamstring stretch. Three breaths here, pushing your left knee into the mat.

I know that if you're here, you're in it for the long run, and you're willing to put the time in, just like you do with jujitsu, because you wanna improve. Okay, let's come forwards. Bring your left hand now on the inside, and just heel toe your left foot outside, quite wide here. All right?

So at the moment, my left foot is kind of diagonally out to the side. I'm gonna just walk my left foot forward slightly, and creep that. I'm at an angle here. My left foot isn't directly in front of me, it's at an angle.

I'm gonna walk that out, and just slowly slide that out. Again, now think about that tuck as we bring that out. And that's probably the first stretch you're gonna feel, is the front of the hips, and then you're gonna start to feel it in the hamstrings. If your hamstrings are tight, it'll be the other way around.

But just find a bit of a stretch here on both sides, nothing too intense. And I'm just rocking from side to side here. What I'm not doing is I'm not forcing something that hurts, and then moving in that area. Good, start to make your hips a little heavier here.

And maybe sit the upper body up a little higher. That's obviously gonna put the stretch more on the front of the right hip. But think about that tuck, what we've been doing. Maybe invite that more.

Maybe make your hips a little heavier, and slowly come a little lower. It should feel a little easier here than if we're completely in the splits. Then if we're completely in the splits. Good, go from side to side.

If you go from side to side, you can really feel the tight areas and how the stretch changes within them as well, which is always nice. Okay, ease off that now slightly. Now walk your hands over to the right a little bit, and I'm leaning over to the right. So my right hip is heavier.

I've been talking about keeping your hips even. My left hip has risen up a little bit here, that's fine. And I'm leaning into that stretch in the front of my right hip. Okay, come up, walk your hands over to the left, towards the left knee, and just lean towards that slightly.

Good, now let's slowly come out of that. Now same with the right side. So right foot outside your right hand, then heel toe that out slightly, and now start to walk that forwards. And then the back knee can go back a little bit, walk that forward a little more.

Think about that tuck before it gets too intense and you can't think about it. Okay, slide that right knee away. I'm much tighter this side, I'm much tighter this side, as you can probably see already. And just breathe wherever you are here.

We will move from side to side shortly, so if you do need to ease off a bit in order to do that, then go for it. And just move from side to side. Really thinking about that tuck. I keep going on about it, but it's been so useful for me.

I was really tightening the hips, and that's really helped. Okay, let's walk the hands over to the left a little bit, maybe drop to the left side. Bring on that stretch in the front of the left hip now. Maybe bring your upper body up a little more.

Obviously that's gonna stretch out the front of the hip. Walk the hands towards the right knee. See what that does. Good, then ease off.

Okay, sit your hips onto your heels and walk your hands back. And now, again, find that tuck before lifting your hips, so get that tuck, and then lift your hips ever so slightly off the mat. I always really feel this in the quads, as well as the front of the hips. Which is always nice.

Okay, sit your weight forwards now, stretch out the lower back a little bit. Nice, now we'll come back to all fours. And we'll just check in and come to that split position. So now the left knee comes up to the chest, kicks through between the hands, and we'll slowly work towards whatever a split looks like for us today.

Again, some days you're tight, some days you're prepared and feeling good, but what we're doing is creeping that back knee back, thinking about that tuck. I'm not straight away in this starting here, okay? And you need to think about your upper body staying nice and upright. If you're getting there like this, it's already a lot on the hamstrings, and you're gonna be down and really struggling.

Whereas if you think lifting up through that upper body, as you let everything come on, hopefully you're gonna get a little closer. So I'm just letting my knee slip out as I think about that tuck or that engagement. That knee slipping out behind me, and again, we need to be careful here that I don't start to turn to the inside of my right knee, like this, because obviously we're Jiu-Jitsu people, we need to be careful of that inside of the back knee here. So try and keep straight and try and keep on that right knee.

Don't let that roll down. Okay, so think about that back heel. If the inside of that is on the mat, come back up, okay? It will take longer to get to the splits, but it will be a much safer split for your back knee, okay?

Sorry, that's enough talking in a horrible position. Okay, and just keep your body upright and start to think about making your hips a little heavier here and lowering them down towards the mat. Again, whatever that looks like for you. I'm not gonna start reaching up behind me and grabbing my right heel, which is what I find with a lot of the videos I've looked into, just crazy variations when I can't even do the split yet.

So keep lowering that, keep any engagement you've got, nice and strong here. Maybe drop your hips a little more and breathe. Super important. Good, two more breaths here.

Doing really well, you can ease off a little bit if you need to. Okay, let's slowly come out of that, so a little bit more weight. Bringing that heel in. Nice.

Come to all four position, do a couple of cat cows. Check in with the back, natural movements here. Okay, well done wherever you got to there. If this is your first time doing this, don't expect to be able to do the splits.

If you've been doing this a while and you're progressing well done, keep doing it, okay? This is very, what I've been doing a lot of these stretches for a while, very similar thing to what I've been doing to work towards it. And as I said, I'm getting closer on the other side too. Let's go with my bad side.

So right knee, the right foot forwards. Start to bring that right heel away. Start to drag the left knee away. Again, thinking upright, I'm not down like this.

Nice and upright, almost like someone's got a bit of string through the top of your head and then lifting your head up. Good, start to send your right heel forwards. That left knee, make sure it's in the mat and you're not twisting on the back foot. Nice and strong here.

Think about the tuck and sending everything away from you. So I'm really tight on this side compared to the other as you can see. And I wouldn't say today is a bad day or a good day. I'd say this is 50-50.

But I've got a bit of space in my hips or between my hips and the mat here. All I'm thinking about doing here is again, that tuck. So I can feel that stretch in the front of the left hip and just sitting up tall and letting my hips go a little heavier, a bit more pressure and lowering myself down. But some days you're gonna get there and you're gonna go, oh, this feels really good.

And other days you're like, oh, it feels like I've done nothing, but just keep at it. It's just like jujitsu. Just chop away. Let's slowly start to come out of that.

Bring everything back in. Little cat cow and some natural movements. Okay, bring your left knee under the left wrist. Bring the opposite, sorry, bring your left foot under the opposite hip.

Let your right knee go back slightly and we're gonna go for a really shallow pigeon here. So if you're usually back here, ease off that. Come down to your elbows and think about that tuck. So I'm not in pigeon poking my hips out behind me, thinking about this stretch.

And this has been really useful for my pigeon, for my kind of lower back as well and obviously splits. Getting this stretch without actually being in it, like in a super intense pigeon has really helped. And as you start to open out more, you can keep your back knee back, but keeping that same tuck. It means you don't have to go as deep into the stretch and you can still open out your hips.

Okay, let's come out of that. Toe forwards, right knee under the right wrist. Foot goes under the opposite hip. Bring the knee back slightly.

Down to your elbows, find that tuck. You're probably sick of me saying that. Just take a few breaths. Come out of that.

We'll just lay onto our backs. With your knees up and then just go from side to side with your knees. Try and keep your back flat on the mat. Just going side to side.

Okay, hug your knees into your chest and take a few breaths. And then we'll come back down. Hug your knees into your chest and take a few breaths. Okay, set yourself up.

And that is it for my split class. Make sure you keep following the class. Okay, do this maybe twice this week and then maybe three times the next week. Just see how you feel.

Don't push into it too much because you'll be too sore in the next session and you might take a few steps back. All right, keep working at it. You're gonna improve. And if you don't work at it, you're not gonna improve.

So whatever you do is better than doing nothing. Okay, I really hope you enjoyed it. Leave me a comment, leave me any questions. As I said, I'm trying to get this still on the other side so I think this is a really good point to show you how I've got there on one side and what I'm gonna keep doing as a continuation to get to the other side.

Okay, thanks for watching guys. I will see you in the next video and enjoy your practice.