FORUMS > Flexibility Training Forum Rules

I have recently taken on training to be a pro dancer (moden, jaz and balet) and am looking to dramaticaly increase my flexibility and range of motion. All my life I have wanted to do the splits but have never come close. My turnout is week and I have a hypo-lumbard (meaning my lower back is overly curved inward meaning I cant arch my back, though it makes my butt look great ;). I currently practice Bikrim Yoga (hot yoga) and some pilatis on my own, and they both definetly help, but my progress is less than inspiring. Any suggestions would be welcome.

With ambition to get super flexible comes injuries that take months to repair. I see people forcing and grunting into deep stretches all the time, I see them get hurt.

It can take years to get into certain yoga postures and many are not to be attempted until after the body is very warmed up by preceding poses that should be done correctly themselves in order to even attempt the goal posture! - That is if you follow some of the more strict forms of yoga...which I agree with usually.

And finally, realize that you might never be able to get into the splits, or whatever else you want to do. It may happen, it might not. If it does, it should come naturally with practice and surrender. I have been working at it for a long time and cant do it... Hanumanasana. If I do it someday, great, if not, no worries.

Are u ALSO taking the dance classes????

Are you sure it's a hypo-lordotic curve in your lumbar vertebra and not a hyper-lordotic curve? If hypo = less and hyper = more. A hyper...curve is is what most people call sway-back and makes the butt seem to stick out more; this is why I question. It's kind of important to know, because this problem could be easy to treat with massage to your Psoas muscle and other surrounding soft tissue.

As for the flexibility, talk to your dance coaches. Mikesw also gives some great advice. Don't over do it.

Turn out is genetic for the most part. At this late age, the most you'll be able to expand your turn out is 14%. And comes from taking a lot of ballet classes and pushing your turn out. Remember to push from the hips, not the knee or you will injure yourself.

As for increasing flexibility, there won't be a miraculous anything about it. You simply have to streach every single day. I started ballet late in life, senior in high school. I danced every day, and improved, but it was over a year before I came close to a split.

for splits, and all other extreme flexibility,
make sure you are RESTING too, the EVERYDAY thing is good, but it won't always produce the BEST results.
As a contortionist, i train a few days in a row and stop, and again and stop...
this gives my muscles and joints time to relax, and acclimate to their newer farther limits.

I had been training splits for a few months every day, and NO progress really. I stopped for one day, because i was in this long car trip, and then i got out of the car and just fell right into a split.

Don't work your body TOO HARD.

uh....i know! try contortion school!. a split of 180 is nothing. u are supposed to split at almost 270 both side and front and back. look at this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uBJ8BmHRzwA

Try doing all sorts of stretching positions on those big bouncy exercise balls at the gym. You can also do a variety of ab exercises by varying your position on the ball.

Seriously,

try the alexander technique. it's very expensive, and may seem at first to be unrelated. I have found consistently that it helps me release muscles that I didn't even know were tense.