Start standing in a wide leg position. Place your hands between your legs on the floor and slowly slide your legs apart. Stop when you're extended into a full split or as far as you can go. "Your body will tell you right away when it's ready to stop," Sobers says.
The splits are reserved for a select few elite, right? Not so fast. Anyone, from stretching newbies to seasoned yogis, can slide into the elusive splits. "Achieving the splits stretch means that someone has impressive flexibility in their hips, glutes, and hamstrings, and working towards the splits is a pinnacle flexibility goal for many fitness fanatics," says Katelyn DiGiorgio, vice president of training and technique at Pure Barre.
And, with that topnotch flexibility comes some pretty sweet health perks."Many exercise physiologists agree that having optimal joint range of motion can lower your risk of injury and increases your quality of life," says Rachelle Reed, PhD, barre kinesiologist. Here for that!
Meet the experts: Katelyn DiGiorgio is the vice president of training and technique at Pure Barre. Rachelle Reed, PhD, is a barre kinesiologist. Simone Sobers is a professional dancer, personal trainer, and creator of the Boss Chick Dance Workout.
Progressing to the splits takes time and patience. You can't rush into a full split on day one. “You have to think about the fact that your muscles are elastic in nature, so if you stretch them too far before they’re ready, they can snap—sort of like a rubber band,” Reed says. "The way you’re going to gain flexibility is practicing."
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Here's how you can go from barely bendy to doing perfect front and side splits in just a few weeks—including the exact stretches you need to give Simone Biles a run for her money.
Your Week-Long Guide To Doing The Splits
When learning to do the splits, "consistency is huge," says professional dancer and personal trainer Simone Sobers, creator of the Boss Chick Dance Workout. But how do you make sure you're targeting all the right muscles? Use this stretching routine as a weekly guideline to help teach your body to do the splits.
For image references for each stretch in the schedule ahead, check out the gallery below.
Your Go-To Stretches For Doing The Splits Open Gallery
Monday
Lunge: Start in a lunge, with your hands on the floor on either side of your front foot. Lower your hips and press through your back heel. Hold for 20 seconds, then repeat three times.
Start in a lunge, with your hands on the floor on either side of your front foot. Lower your hips and press through your back heel. Low lunge: From the lunge position, drop your back knee to the ground. Press forward slightly to stretch out your hips. Hold for 20 seconds, then repeat three times.
From the lunge position, drop your back knee to the ground. Press forward slightly to stretch out your hips. Hip flexor stretch: From the low lunge position, lift your back toes up off of the floor. Grab your foot with your arm on the same side (ex. right leg, right arm) and gently pull your heel towards your butt while pressing down into your hips. Hold for 20 seconds, then repeat three times.
From the low lunge position, lift your back toes up off of the floor. Grab your foot with your arm on the same side (ex. right leg, right arm) and gently pull your heel towards your butt while pressing down into your hips. Repeat the entire circuit on the other side.
Tuesday
Lunge: Start in a lunge, with your hands on the floor on either side of your front foot. Lower your hips and press through your back heel. Hold for 20 seconds, then repeat three times.
Start in a lunge, with your hands on the floor on either side of your front foot. Lower your hips and press through your back heel. Lizard lunge: Start in a low lunge. Place both hands on the inside of your front leg. Lower your forearms down to the floor. Hold for 20 seconds, then repeat three times.
Start in a low lunge. Place both hands on the inside of your front leg. Lower your forearms down to the floor. Half split stretch: While kneeling, extend one leg straight in front of you. Place your hands on the floor on either side. Keep your front leg straight as you fold forward, aiming to touch your forehead to your front knee. Hold for 20 seconds, then repeat three times.
While kneeling, extend one leg straight in front of you. Place your hands on the floor on either side. Keep your front leg straight as you fold forward, aiming to touch your forehead to your front knee. Full split stretch: From the half split, slowly inch your front leg forward and your back leg backwards. Use your arms to hold you up (and add pillows if necessary). Hold for 20 seconds, then repeat three times.
From the half split, slowly inch your front leg forward and your back leg backwards. Use your arms to hold you up (and add pillows if necessary). Repeat the entire circuit on the other side.
Wednesday
Pigeon pose: Start with both legs out in front of you. Tuck one leg in, bringing your foot up toward your hips. Extend your other leg behind you, keeping your hips centered between both legs. Hold for 20 seconds, then repeat three times.
Start with both legs out in front of you. Tuck one leg in, bringing your foot up toward your hips. Extend your other leg behind you, keeping your hips centered between both legs. Pigeon pose forward stretch: From pigeon pose, fold forward, bringing your head and chest toward the ground. Hold for 20 seconds, then repeat three times.
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From pigeon pose, fold forward, bringing your head and chest toward the ground. Up facing pigeon pose: Start by lying on your back. Lift one leg up, then bring that knee out to the side. Attach your other knee to the first foot. Wrap your hands around your second leg, just below the knee, and pull gently. Your goal should be to get your second knee to your chest. Hold for 20 seconds, then repeat three times.
Start by lying on your back. Lift one leg up, then bring that knee out to the side. Attach your other knee to the first foot. Wrap your hands around your second leg, just below the knee, and pull gently. Your goal should be to get your second knee to your chest. Repeat the entire circuit on the other side.
Thursday
Lunge: Start in a lunge, with your hands on the floor on either side of your front foot. Lower your hips and press through your back heel. Hold for 20 seconds, then repeat three times.
Start in a lunge, with your hands on the floor on either side of your front foot. Lower your hips and press through your back heel. Lizard lunge: Start in a low lunge. Place both hands on the inside of your front leg. Lower your forearms down to the floor. Hold for 20 seconds, then repeat three times.
Start in a low lunge. Place both hands on the inside of your front leg. Lower your forearms down to the floor. Half split stretch: While kneeling, extend one leg straight in front of you. Place your hands on the floor on either side. Keep your front leg straight as you fold forward, aiming to touch your forehead to your front knee. Hold for 20 seconds, then repeat three times.
While kneeling, extend one leg straight in front of you. Place your hands on the floor on either side. Keep your front leg straight as you fold forward, aiming to touch your forehead to your front knee. Full split stretch: From the half split, slowly inch your front leg forward and your back leg backwards. Use your arms to hold you up (and add pillows if necessary). Hold for 20 seconds, then repeat three times.
From the half split, slowly inch your front leg forward and your back leg backwards. Use your arms to hold you up (and add pillows if necessary). Repeat the entire circuit on the other side.
Friday
Single leg extension: Start by lying on your back. Lift one leg up, grabbing as close to your ankle as you can, and gently pull your leg towards your face. Try to keep both legs straight (if this is too difficult, try just bending the leg on the floor). Hold for 20 seconds, then repeat three times.
Start by lying on your back. Lift one leg up, grabbing as close to your ankle as you can, and gently pull your leg towards your face. Try to keep both legs straight (if this is too difficult, try just bending the leg on the floor). Seated pike: Sit with your legs stretched out in front of you. Flex your feet and try to grab them, lowering your forehead and chest toward your knees. Hold for 20 seconds, then repeat three times.
Sit with your legs stretched out in front of you. Flex your feet and try to grab them, lowering your forehead and chest toward your knees. Frog stretch: Start in a kneeling position. Spread your knees apart and lean forward, placing your forearms on the floor in front of you. Align your hips with your knees for a deep hip and inner thigh stretch. Hold for 20 seconds, then repeat three times.
Start in a kneeling position. Spread your knees apart and lean forward, placing your forearms on the floor in front of you. Align your hips with your knees for a deep hip and inner thigh stretch. Repeat the entire circuit on the other side.
Saturday
Standing straddle stretch: Start standing in a wide leg position. Keeping your toes forward, bend over and grab your ankles, gently pulling your head down and aiming through your legs. Hold for 20 seconds, then repeat three times.
Start standing in a wide leg position. Keeping your toes forward, bend over and grab your ankles, gently pulling your head down and aiming through your legs. Seated straddle stretch: Sit on the ground with straight legs. Spread them as far apart as you can. Fold over, aiming to get your chest and forehead to touch the ground. Hold for 20 seconds, then repeat three times.
Sit on the ground with straight legs. Spread them as far apart as you can. Fold over, aiming to get your chest and forehead to touch the ground. Side stretch: From the seated straddle, tuck one leg in, leaving the other out to the side. Raise your arm and stretch away from the leg that's tucked in, looking upwards. Hold for 20 seconds, then repeat three times.
From the seated straddle, tuck one leg in, leaving the other out to the side. Raise your arm and stretch away from the leg that's tucked in, looking upwards. Repeat the entire circuit.
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Double quad stretch: Start by lying on your stomach. Reach behind you and grab both feet, gently pulling your heels toward your butt. Hold for 20 seconds, then repeat three times.
Start by lying on your stomach. Reach behind you and grab both feet, gently pulling your heels toward your butt. Single quad stretch: Same as above, only pulling one foot at a time instead of both. Hold for 20 seconds, then repeat three times.
Same as above, only pulling one foot at a time instead of both. Up-facing quad stretch: Start by lying on your back. Grab one foot and pull it toward your butt, almost tucking it underneath you. "Be gentle with your knee flexion, as this is an intense stretch," Sobers says. Hold for 20 seconds, then repeat three times.
Start by lying on your back. Grab one foot and pull it toward your butt, almost tucking it underneath you. "Be gentle with your knee flexion, as this is an intense stretch," Sobers says. Repeat the entire circuit on the other side.
After just one week, you should notice some improvements in your flexibility. Once you get used to the stretches, Sobers recommends holding each exercise for one set of 60 seconds instead of three sets of 20 seconds. Repeat the circuit again each week until you achieve your front and side splits.
How Get Into A Split Correctly
After all that stretching prep, you're ready for the real deal. Here are the step-by-step directions to try the front split and test your flexibility from Sobers.
Simone Sobers, Jewelyn Butron
Start out in a lunge with your back knee touching the ground. On your first try, make sure the leg that's in front is the side you're more flexible on, Sobers recommends. Your hands should touch the floor on either side of you. If you can't quite reach, Sobers says stacking some pillows to lean on can help.
Once you can finally reach the floor (with your hands or pillow supports!), keep your chest lifted with your shoulders over your hips, and your gaze straightforward. Engage your core to help you stay upright, advises Reed. Try to square your hips. Slowly start to slide your front leg forward "until you feel it," Sobers says. Stretch your back leg, too, and press down in the center of your hips. Over time, you'll be able to push farther into the perfect front split. "As you’re learning, your legs will be bent," says Reed. "But the goal is to eventually get your legs completely straight."
Simone Sobers, Jewelyn Butron
Want to give a side split a try? FYI, "side split" references the position where both legs extend to the right and left of your body.
Start standing in a wide leg position. Place your hands between your legs on the floor and slowly slide your legs apart. Stop when you're extended into a full split or as far as you can go. "Your body will tell you right away when it's ready to stop," Sobers says.
The Key Difference Between A Front Split And Side Split
While they both might seem equally painful at first, all front and side splits are not created equal. For starters, they use different muscles.
In both kinds of splits, tension is divided between your hamstrings, your hip flexors, and your knees, according to studies from the Strength and Conditioning Journal and RadioGraphics. But Sobers adds that, in a front split, your quadriceps also come into play.
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What's more, training to do both kinds of splits is a good way to assess your hip and leg mobility, per a study from the University of Granada.
Words Of Caution When Trying The Splits
If you’ve had any kind of hamstring injury, Reed recommends you talk to your doctor before making the splits one of your #fitgoals. “But for most people, as long as they’re progressing slowly, and not forcing themselves into this, then this stretch is more than okay," she says.
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And remember that you should be able to breathe as you stretch, too. "If you are in such an uncomfortable position that it’s difficult for you to breathe, that’s a signal from your body that you need to back off just a bit," says Reed.
Bottom line: Don't get discouraged, and keep on persisting (safely) toward your goal.
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Photo: Darya Sannikova
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