So why for example, everyone who can do a front split can’t also do a middle split? After all, shouldn’t her adductors already be stretched from doing the forward splits?
In theory yes, but in practice... most forward splits are nothing more than glorified hamstrings stretches and deep back extensions.
In most cases the front leg is profoundly stretched, while the back leg is not moved much. And most adductors are flexors of the hip. This means that for the inner thigh muscles to be lengthened in a left/right front split, the back hip joint must be at least at 90 degree angle and almost never is.
However in most cases that I came across, when a left/right forward splitter is wondering why they can’t do the middle split… it’s because the splits that she has are functional and not structural. (A structural split is when the flexibility is evenly taken from both legs, whereas in a functional front split more flexibility usually comes from the front leg).
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