Gymnasts and Dancers: How long did it take you to do a split? ( Archived) (27)

Hey, I wasn't referring to you ... just the first 2 comments -- accidents can give some insight also! -- but really -- did you really accidently go into full splits? Without making permanent damage?

It's all the groin stretching.


It makes people grumpy.

i trained as a gymnast since i was a child....ditched it for academia later on.......but if you have stretched since childhood through your teenage growth period...and maintained some form of exercise since...then it stays .......i can still split right to floor in a second.....and i do regularly

Hey ... so ... I don't get it -- can't everyone see the benefits to being flexible? If what you say is true ... might it not also be true that if we keep flexing babies, so long as they let us, then all people can start life, with total flexibility? -- thanks Surelynot ... it is good to know efforts will be permanent, even if it seems hard to believe some of my friends' claims that less than an hour a day for just 30 days have given them splits.

looks like it ocee

Eye was doing the splits since the day i was born...the doc wanted me out and i wanted to stay..i was also born with one leg longer

yep, I was serious, but I was some 4 or 5 years old

less than an hour a day for 30 days...does NOT give you splits OK!! .........takes a lotta work and the older ya get...the shorter your muscle stretch is.....thats why gymnasts must start so young ...but yes...it is good to be flexible throughout life.................no idea what you mean bout flexing babies though....you lost me there dude

Well, i have trained all my life,and still do,and i cant do the splits,but i am flexible enough for what i need.Being able to do the splits is fine,but it depends on what you want to achieve.
Gymnastics,fine,needed,but for other sports,no,well down the list.

men really dont need to worry about doing the splits now do they

whatveva!!!R

"no idea what you mean bout flexing babies though...."

Arent babies born totally flexible? Couldn't each parent, keep stretching their babies (like when they change diapers), as long as they will let them, and then all people would always be totally flexible as they grow up?
I did gymnastics for years also, and obviously I am pretty flexible but can't do a complete split. 2 honest people told me, they got their splits when they were in college and high school, after just 2 weeks of one hour/day stretching. I am sure some people don't need years ... But I share your surprise that it doesn't take everyone years of gymnastics training like I had.

just go away...you just sound ridiculous now

"just go away...you just sound ridiculous now"

oh that's mature -- actually it was one your (British) best acrobats who told me it would only take 2 weeks, her brother saying 1 month ... and of all the gymnasts and martial artists I know (which includes many world class athletes) none of them would make the claim, that if you took time every day to focus on it, that it would take you years to get a split ... I am trying to figure out if they are top athletes because they have good genes -- or if my plateau in making progress is because I simply don't follow through with the hour a day of stretching for more than a few days.

Am i the only one turned on by this blog

Less than 1 month, more than 15 min/day stretching

Ballet and Jazz dance is my passion since I am 3 years old.

That bumps The Pyramids off my things

to do see list.