Everyone's talking about get flexy but..

polefairy started this discussion · 1/7/2012

It's one thing I really need some help with! I know there is a lot of talk here about flexibility, mainly people training for the splits. I myself would love to be able to do the splits but I can't and I am not flexible. I have seen Veena's flexy lessons and I have some tips that Alethea Austin showed us in a workshop but there is so much about flexibility that I don't understand. I know how to do the stretches thanks to Veena and you ladies here who post videos but I don't know how to use them in the correct way. Can anyone offer some insight to a few of the doubts that eventually lead to me breaking my stretching routine? Such as: -If I never achieved the full split as a child, is it really possible to do it as an adult? I know there are people here who have the splits now in adulthood but is it possible without any flexy background at all? -Everybody's body is different and it takes varied amounts of time for each person to achieve flexy goals but because of this, I feel lost. Are there any loose timeframes from which I can go on? Does it take 3-4 months? 6-8 months? or one year + ? eg. It is really something I don't understand. -Another thing is, I read all the time that there is no point doing any flexibility work if you can't keep it up consistently. This is my big, big downfall. I get disheartened if I miss a day where I had planned to stretch. Also, is 40mins - 1 hour really the minimum needed per day to loosen up muscles? -And one thing I'm really, really unsure about is, if my muscles hurt the day after I stretch, is it still ok to go ahead and stretch again? I don't want to be injured but I also don't want to break the whole 'stretch everyday or it won't work' thing either. 😕 I know these are very newbie questions and I know there is a UK bendy buddies here but I can't make it to those chat sessions usually. Thanks, Fairy xx

47 replies

luvlee · 1/7/2012
My advice is to not worry about your background w dance and just start off slow and see what you can do!!!! I am not sure but ,I think most people trying to build flexibility do it every other day. I use Veens's stretching lesons and the Valentino Brothers DVDs. I swear I was not flexible at ALL till I started a routine!!!!! When you get close to the splits, yoga blocks will help you get them flatter. Alethea had some DVDs that I have heard work too. I do not personally own them though.
luvlee · 1/7/2012
Oh! And I try to do 45 mins a day if possible.
Lyme Lyte · 1/7/2012
A lot of great questions I wonder myself.....can't wait to hear some responses.
polefairy · 1/7/2012
Thank you for your response Luvlee, that's actually very encouraging. Lyme Lite I am glad you are asking the same questions too, I was afraid I'd look stupid for literally have no knowledge about this stuff at all! 🙊 I am excited too to see the answers!
luvlee · 1/7/2012
You should be very warm before stretching. I light big candles and turn up the heat. Some take a bubble bath before hand.
Cheryl Licious · 1/7/2012
I am just about 40 years old and starting taking polefitness about 1 year and 1/2 ago. I did not have a dance background or did gymnastics and never stretched as a child and was never able to do splits. Since taking polefitness and doing various stretching in class I notice that gradually I was getting more flexible but didn't really pay much attention to it. I really wanted to do splits really bad and the studio offered a streatching for splits workshop and I actually gained more flexibility than I thought. I was so excited that I then started doing more stretches on my own. At one point I started strecthing every day but then also found it became painful so then it was suggested for me to stretch a few times a week instead. Because I am busy mom, I still was not able to stretch at home as frequently as I wanted but still noticed gradual progress. Our studio recently started offering Pilates and for the past month I have been taking these classes twice a week and have noticed a big difference in my flexibility. My straddle split is so close...I can almost get my stomach on the floor now when I stretch. My front/back splits have significantly improved as well. If you have a opportunity for Pilates definitely take some classes. But don't be discouraged that you are not stretching everyday. I still don't and am very pleased how far I have gotten. I am just taking it one day at a time. Good Luck!
ellieRox · 1/7/2012
Hey fairy :) I literally could not even touch my toes and felt like gettin flexy was so impossible that there was no point in trying! I started just sitting in stretch positions in front of the tv and then realised I would hav done a full really good strecthin session while watchin a 1hour show. I think bein distracted realy helps with how repetitive stretchin can be.also as I felt I was getin no where I started 2get a picture taken on my (very bad) splits progress every week r 2.after6 months I managed 2 bring my splits 2the floor on 1 side :D I do need2 b really warm n well stretched but couldn't blive it was possible! I have never done any type of dance r anything b4. Wat kind of stretches do u usually do?x
Lina Spiralyne · 1/7/2012
Hi Polefairy! I'll give you my view on the questions you are asking: - I don't see how having achieved/not having achieved splits in childhood would matter. The only thing might be that if you have done stretching before in your life then you perhaps already got some good technique for it. But technique can be learnt by anyone. -Timeframe is a difficult question since it depends on so many factors. I would say, that for an adult who starts stretching for splits it will take at least a couple of months to get them. And that is in the very best case. Average should be, judging from what I've seen, at least a year. - Consistency is a good thing which will make your progress faster but still I do think there is a point even if you stretch only once in a while. But the less you do it the longer it will take to hit the splits etc. You should definitely continue to do stretches even if you can't do it often. I guess that if you are going to work through both legs, back and shoulders the whole routine will probably take something like the 40 min to one hour that you are mentioning. But you should warm up too. -About the soreness I don't feel completely sure. Maybe you could at least do some lighter stretches if you feel it a lot. So these were MY opinions, and I'm not claiming to have delivered you the truth. I'm also interested to hear how other people will answer. I don't think you should feel too depressed about this. Getting flexible is a long process for everyone I would say, even if there may be quite big differences between individuals. I wish you luck🌸!
polefairy · 1/7/2012
Cheryl Licious - Thank you for posting! That's really, really cool and very encouraging too. I feel more excited to stretch now and funnily enough I have been considering taking Pilates classes so I think I deffo will now!! Thank you!!! :) Ellierox - thanks for posting, I know we talked recently about this and I'm so excited to learn that you have front splits now ! That is amaaaaazing. The stretches I do are varied, I use a lot of what Alethea did in her class here, like the chest to the floor using pole, walking the seatbones back while reaching for the toes etc. Veena also has some calf stretches that are really good for me because mine are so tight. Then of course the normal lunges, the butterfly/diamond stretch etc. Lynette - Thank you, you are very much correct in that flexibility takes time and can not be achieved quickly. I am not too worried about it but I just want to know all the facts before I commit to it again. I don't want to give up this time. Thank you for the luck!! 😀
tarah · 1/7/2012
hi polefairy! i think that you can get the splits! it's just a matter of how long it will take, because everyone is different. i have been working on splits for about a year, but not always consistently. i have had a few breaks where i lost motivation. but yesterday i got really close with my right front splits! i am 45 and have never had splits before, or gymnastics. my legs do feel sore today. i think it's good to work on them 2-3 times a week, not every day! good luck!! :)
amy · 1/8/2012
I'm 30. I never had splits before pole :) I don't stretch at all- I am able to maintain flexibility without any additional training but I know if I want to increase it, it will take more time. To get splits took me msybe 6 months, class for 1.5 hrs once a week. I have naturally loose hamstrings so anything exploiting that is easy for me, but I have very little shoulder/upper back/hip flexor flexibility. It really depends on your body what kinds of gains you see and how long it takes!
hookedonpole · 1/8/2012
polefairy, THANK YOU so much for posting this! I also struggle with consistency and if I'm doing correct form. If I would use the conditioning/stretching lessons here I know it would help, but I tend to be hard on myself that it's too late in my stage of life. I know, I know, it's not, I just need to get that through my head. I am so not flexible and very, very tight. There is a studio opening in my town soon and I hope that will help me to be consistent. Besides forgetting, work and life get in my way. Again, thanks for posting cuz I feel the same way, had same questions, etc.
PaulettePoles · 1/8/2012
I am 38 and have never had the splits before. Ive been following both Veena and Aletheas stretching routines. I was also following the Valentino Brothers- but after learning some concerns re safety- I stopped that. Im 38 and have a previous knee injury so I definitely donot want to injur myself! Do you have Veen'as lessons? She really takes the time to explain everything- Her routine is not 45 min long either. I belive its around the 20 min range and I feel perfectly stretched afterwards. AS long as you are warm before hand, I think you can get a good strech in when you dont have time for an extra long practice and still see the benefits.
RoseMay · 1/8/2012
Interesting topic :-) I can only answer these questions from my own experience though. So I started flexibility training one year ago (23 years old), but took a three month break in between. I started with my front splits around 16 inches off the floor and when lying on my back I could raise one leg up to a 90° angle. By now I have a slight oversplit on my good side. I also can do a "hamstring split" (lying on the back and then one leg is next to the head) and when doing a front split on the side I can kinda put my upper leg behind my body. To answer your questions: - I never did the splits as a child. I don't think it matters. Maybe it takes a bit more work for people without a flexibility background. Though not everyone is physically able to do the middle splits, it has to do with the alignment of the hips (that's why I didn't mention the middle splits up there, I will never be able to do them) - It took me 9 months in total for the front splits, but I didn't work on flexibility in 3 of them - so actually only 6 months :-) - Like I said, I took a 3 months break and afterwards I was worried I lost all progress I had made. But within one or two weeks I was at the point where I was before the break. So I think taking training breaks won't make you progress as quickly as you could, but you can be back to where you left off really quickly. For the last 4 months I trained for flexibility an average of 4 hours per week. One session was usually 1 hour long, so that makes it 4 days a week. And I gained flexibility while doing that. From experience I think I could keep my level of flexibility with 2 hours per week. - Well a little soreness will probably disappear when you start to move again. If they are really sore I would take a rest day. Usually after training for the splits my hamstrings get sore. So when I try to do the splits the day after a hard split training session I know it will be very painful and I might not be able to do splits at all. If the flexibility training concentrates on something else, like back flexibility it's okay. DVDs I can recommend: Aletheas Stretching dvds. They got me down from being 4 inches off the ground to the splits within 2 weeks 🌸 If I don't have time for a long session I use this routine: http://www.candy-chrome.co.uk/pole-dance-mag/splits-training-exercisesfor-pole-dance-felix-cane/ BTW I think it would be sooo cool to keep the flexibility I have without training, like Amy does 😮 But atm I want to become more flexibile so that I can do the splits with less warming up, so that I can actually use the flexiblity in my pole dancing *sigh*
candy-chrome.co.ukCandy & Chrome – Pole Dance Fitness & Burlesque – Chester
Dancing Paws · 1/8/2012
Polefairy - So I was skeptical in trying Aletheas pure splits DVD, but I tried it for the first time yesterday and saw a dramatic difference just in that one session! So has another Veener! I recommend getting here DVDs. I, for one, have never been a noodle, but I have been of average flexibility (like touching my toes and close to the splits but never quite there.) I always had good hip and shoulder range, etc.) Now working at a desk, and having been in college for 5 years, etc has really taken a toll on my body,. I cannot believe how much my body has constricted! and the NOTS! OMG! Try Alethea's DVD's. I was SHOCKED at the progress I had on my splits, esp my middle!
Dancing Paws · 1/8/2012
Oh, I should note, it takes 30 seconds for your muscles to relax into a stretch, so you have to hold a stretch for AT LEAST that long to have any benefit in the stretch. So if you are stretching your legs for 1 minute each side in different positions it can easily be at least 15 minutes for just your legs to get a really good stretch. Add your upper body (which you should cuz you don't want to be loose in your lowers and tight in your uppers and that adds even more time), so yes it can take 40 minutes to stretch everyday. If you put on good music, or watch a fun show, it flies by though. I took my back massages to rub out my nots yesterday while watching "How I met Your Mother" and a full episode went by before I even switched sides! I never had the splits as a child, and I am going for them now. I am trying for all the flexi stuff. Don't be discouraged. A lot of us are in that boat. Join us! :)
dancing in the gray · 1/8/2012
I'm so bad with stretching at home, but now my studio is offering a flexibility class that I'm hoping to be able to take.
RoseMay · 1/8/2012
Oh by the way, another thing that helps me: instead of holding stretches longer it helps me more to do them more often. So I hold all stretches for 30 seconds but I do several sets of these 30 secs. I find if I hold stretches for 1 minute I don't go any further down into the stretch, it just hurts more 😀 But after a short break and doing another set of 30 sec I usually am further down.
tarah · 1/8/2012
i'm thinking of getting alethea's stretching dvd's. i'm wondering how they compare to valentino brothers.. can't decide 😕
polefairy · 1/8/2012
Thanks ladies, I am very pleased by the response this thread has gotten. I was reluctant to post it incase I sounded stupid 🐷 I am going to start stretching more regularly now anyway and hopefully I will see some progress. I know actually seeing a difference will spur me on to keep going. That's amazing how quickly some of you have progressed. I may get the DVD's once I have some money (Alethea gave me a 20% discount for entering her comp but it expired before I had the money saved) I also am planning to renew my lessons here after payday! In relation to the DVD's tarah, I don't have them yet but I did do her workshop and the stretches are very, very good. She has a great way of explaining things and breaking them down. I can't speak for her DVDs since I haven't watched them but certainly her teaching method is very encouraging. I was sore for daaaays after her workshop though.. 😉
dancing in the gray · 1/8/2012
Just be careful.. I overstretched and pulled a groin muscle, so make sure you're listening to your body since I didn't!
polefairy · 1/8/2012
Thank you polevixen, I totally agree. I asked above about stretching even when you're sore and this is why. I do not want to get injured but I don't wana wuss out over normal stretching pains either 😀
tarah · 1/8/2012
thanks polefairy! i think i will get them. i'm sure you were sore after her workshop!! i'm still sore from friday's stretching, LOL 🐷
Dancing Paws · 1/8/2012
I think stretching when you are sore can help alleviate te soreness. I sm sore today from yesterdsy's stretch session snd i did smother round today. Obviously you have to listen to your body. You are allowed to stretch everyday, and you will be sore from exercising and stretching the day before, so by default you will be stretching while sore. You need to be warm during the deep stretching, which is easy to achieve: dance around your pole for a little bit or take a hot shower. If you are sore, ease into the stretches slowly, but your muscles should relax.
Angel1201 · 1/8/2012
I am a fan of resistance stretching. I haven't watched Veena's stretch vids, so I can't speak on whether she uses resistance stretching or not. However she does her homework and really understands the body, so I have no doubt they are wonderful. If you are looking for strech dvds, this is one of the best stretching dvds I have. It's very professionally done and is backed up scientifically. You get two dvds, one that explains the 17 stretches and the other has the 20 minute 'workout'. http://www.amazon.com/Resistance-Stretching-Dara-Torres/dp/B001LIK8L6/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top They recommend 48 hours in between sessions. You'd probably be fine doing it 3x/week. One of the dvds recommended in this thread have ballistic stretches in it and that type of stretching concerns me. Ballistic stretching can cause injury especially in previously injured areas. Camera angles also make it hard to see everything. The other dvd recommended in this thread has some unsafe knee positions. PS, I never did splits as a child, but I can do them fairly well now once I'm nice and warm.

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