Is it dangerous to do an over split?
Are you excited about attempting an oversplit, and have questions about when it's best to try one, or how long it could take to accomplish? An oversplit is a type of split in which your legs open beyond a 180 degree angle. With my years of experience training athletes, I've gathered plenty of enquiries over the years regarding oversplits and now I am ready to answer them!
Do you need to practice an over split?
Do you need to practice an over split? Absolutely! All of the various types of splits - front, side, open front, true front, center and middle - can benefit from further training in the over split position. Whether you are a dancer, gymnast or acrobat, if you frequently perform skills that require a split then working on developing an oversplit during your training will help improve your performance and technique.
To do an over split (or any other active flexibility move) successfully, you need great passive flexibility.
To do an over split (or any other active flexibility move) successfully, you need great passive flexibility. What does this mean? It means being able to stretch your muscles enough that it will be easy for them to activate quickly and hold the extended position of a split in the air while allowing gravity to bring your legs gently back down. Having good passive flexibility makes it easier to perform active flexibility moves with control and precision, rather than just quickly bringing the legs together and apart.
To achieve an over split, the muscles that are typically used to pull the legs back together will no longer be at work as intensively. This will make it easier to perform more graceful and effortless splits in any discipline such as martial arts, cheerleading, pole dancing, and figure skating.
If you want to test the difference between active and passive flexibility, you can do an easy experiment.
If you want to test the difference between active and passive flexibility, you can do an easy experiment. Straighten your body and raise one leg in front of you. How high are you able to hold it without any help? This is what we would consider your active flexibility. Then ask a friend to lift the leg slightly higher. Your friend may be able to lift it a bit further than you can unassisted, but the second they let go, it will drop back down again. This is passive flexibility in action. You can think of your over split as the passive version of a regular split, which requires active flexibility.
Cold splits require a greater range of motion as they are done without the benefit of having your muscles warmed up, as you do when stretching after exercising. A full 180-degree split, achieved when you are cold, indicates more mobility than when you are warmed up and can achieve the same level of flexibility while stretching.
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If you have an over split, it can work as a protective measure against injuries.
If you have an over split, it can work as a protective measure against injuries. If a situation arises where you don't get to warm up properly, the over split can help to keep your muscles from going into the end ranges and causing an injury when doing a regular split on the floor. Although warming up is still recommended, having the extra precaution of an over split can provide some peace of mind.
For athletes who want to achieve an over split, EasyFlexibility offers programs that are tailored to individuals at different levels — beginner (up to 135 degrees), intermediate (135-180 degrees) and advanced (over 180 degrees). With our help, over splitting can be achieved quickly and safely in various forms such as side, front or open front splits.
For those attempting to do the over split, a typical schedule would be two or three times a week. Depending on the individual and their success with their 180 degree split, they should keep that same schedule for the routine of working towards an over split.
Are over splits dangerous?
The question of "Are over splits dangerous?" is one often asked. It could be assumed that a 178 degree split is safer than a 181 degree split, but this isn't necessarily the case. As long as the training for an over split is done properly and without bouncing, overstretching, or forceful stretching, 181 degrees, 185 degrees, and 190 degrees are all safe to practice.
Is it possible for anyone to achieve an over split?
Is it possible for anyone to achieve an over split? The answer is yes, but certain factors need to be taken into consideration. Everyone's body has the ability to move from one degree to the next, so if someone can move from a 170-degree angle to a 175-degree angle and then from a 175-degree angle to a 180-degree angle, they should have the ability to progress further and reach an over split (185 degrees). However, flexibility is one of the important factors that contribute significantly to being able to do an over split.
When done correctly, going into an over-split position should not be a cause of concern. That said, it is essential to maintain a balanced workout routine that includes both strength exercises and flexibility activities to make sure all the muscles and joints are adequately supported. This is particularly important if you’re working towards a deep front split since this will place extra strain on your leg’s ligaments, which in turn may reduce your body’s ability to stay upright as it gains flexibility. Provided that you balance your strength and flexibility work appropriately, though, performing an over-split should not be an issue!
Injuries can occur if one attempts to stretch too forcefully without properly preparing the body first
Injuries can occur if one attempts to stretch too forcefully without properly preparing the body first. It's important to take time to warm up and increase flexibility gradually, otherwise your muscles may become strained and damaged. Strength and awareness are also necessary components of safe stretching techniques, so it's important to make sure that you don't attempt any splits or stretching until you feel adequately prepared. With proper training methods and caution, however, you should be able to safely and effectively improve your ability for over splits or regular splits.
Are the same muscles stretched in an oversplit as compared to a regular split?
Are the same muscles stretched in an oversplit as compared to a regular split? In some cases, certain muscles may feel less restricted during a regular split, but further depth in the stretch may require more flexibility from those same muscles. For example, when someone can only attain a flat split of 175 or 185 degrees, it could indicate that the lateral hamstrings require additional stretching beyond what was previously used for the 175 or 185 degree front split. This means that if their limit was at 175 or 185 degrees with regular stretching, those same muscles must be stretched even more in order to move past that barrier and attain a deeper oversplit.
Let's say that someone was able to do a side split or open front split before, or something else that stretched the medial hamstrings but not the lateral hamstring, and medial hamstrings did not restrict. Now, as the person goes deeper, they will start to restrict. And if it so happens that a person worked on specific muscles to get to a certain point and not on other muscles they cannot understand why all of a sudden they hit a wall.
EasyFlexibility programs employ Zaichik Stretching Techniques (ZST) to correctly isolate the muscles in a specific range of motion, working on the restrictor muscle and allowing you to plunge even deeper into your flexibility journey. This is especially useful if you have previously reached a 'wall' while stretching and can't seem to progress any further. An example of this would be Adductor longus; while it may not be a restrictor at more shallower ranges of motion, it may become an issue in more advanced positions such as splits or oversplits. Fortunately, with EasyFlexibility's Advanced Open Front Split, Advanced True Front Split and Advanced Side Split programs, dealing with these issues becomes much easier!
Paul Zaichik is an Exercise Science Expert, author of multitude of books, and the creator of Zaichik Stretching Technique (formely known as Kinesiological Stretching Technique). His speciality is flexibility training as well as body weight conditioning. His innovative method is designed to have maximum carry over into specific athletic techniques. Paul is the author of books and DVD’s on the topic of flexibility, martial arts and bodyweight training. Over the years, Paul Zaichik has worked with a variety of individuals including athletes, entertainers, and military personnel. His ElasticSteel Method of Athletic Conditioning programs, EasyFlexibility Programs and Zaichik Stretching Techniques are used world wide by both professional and amateurs with great success.
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