Dear Yoga Students,
The frontal splits is perhaps one of the deepest hamstring stretches of all. Every hamstring stretch helps prepare you for this pose, but it’s also good to practice this pose by itself since it’s very powerful.
Remember, with your full body weight hovering over your hamstrings, it’s very easy to push too far here. So please be careful and follow my guidance closely so you stay safe.
Let’s start together on our knees…
STEP 1
Extend your right leg forward and flex the toes out in front of you on the mat.
STEP 2
Very slowly and carefully, slide your right forward until you feel some resistance.
STEP 3
Once you start to feel a stretch in your hamstring, you need to get your fingertips firmly planted into the floor or else on top of a block.
STEP 4
We’ll use our hands for support to control the weight and pressure on our hamstring so it’s never too much.
You want to feel a strong stretch—but no pain. You should be able to breathe deeply and comfortably in and out through the nose the entire time, and engage your quads to protect your hamstring.
Your hamstrings are actually a group of big muscles on the back of your leg and they’ll loosen up quickly, even as we’re practicing now.
As you feel your hamstring loosen, slide your heal a bit more forward and flex you toes and support yourself with your fingertips.
Take at least 20 breaths here before switching sides. Please feel free to post questions or comments below…
Stay bendy,
Lucas
YOGABODY Naturals LLC
at 1:14 am - 25th June 2009 Permalink
this can’t be done for a new person,and this causes the person to think you can do it now!,impossible!!
at 11:19 pm - 24th June 2009 Permalink
Dear Lucas,
Thankyou for theat post.
Will that help one’s seated forward straddle splits,
and i’d be interested in any vid tutorial you may have
moving into a seated forward straddle splits.
Oh, and some link / info regarding your (new?) DVDs.
regards,
M
California
at 3:42 pm - 25th June 2009 Permalink
I’ve been practicing these frontal splits for ages, since the beginning of this year, for 3 1/2 minutes each side, and still haven’t been able to reach the floor. I’m close to it, but I didn’t know I’m supposed to do it three times a day! I haven’t been practicing daily either however, more like once or twice a week. I can now do the sideway splits pretty quickly if my hips are opened up. Anyway, thanks for the tutorial!
at 7:10 am - 25th June 2009 Permalink
Hi Carson,
Thanks for writing… well, no, you can’t do this immediately if you are new. But if I only showed you poses that were easy to do immediately, that wouldn’t be so valuable, right?
Hope that helps…
Lucas
YOGABODY
at 7:19 am - 25th June 2009 Permalink
Hi Ben,
The key is consistency of practice. I went from 24 inches off the ground
in box/side splits to all the way flat in just over 4 weeks. Now, don’t get
me wrong, it was still a pretty uncomfortable pose, but it was there… the
comfort takes a bit longer.
I wouldn’t call it hard “work” as you don’t really want to work at,
just relax and practice long holds each day. Start with 40 breaths on each
side with 3 sets daily. Make sure you are warmed up beforehand and
be careful…
Hope that helps!
Lucas
YOGABODY
at 12:59 pm - 26th June 2009 Permalink
HI Lucas, love your blogs and videos. Very informative, amusing and entertaining. Thank you.
at 12:47 am - 6th July 2009 Permalink
Great video I loved the lesson.
at 4:45 pm - 14th July 2009 Permalink
I’ve been practicing different types of yogas daily in the early morning for a hour,but still want to learn more, please provide some pictures of frontal splits with theory. Only theory will not prove perfection.
at 10:27 pm - 15th July 2009 Permalink
splits as been like a myth for me.
never touched the floor. im still trying everyday but its still the same.
its almost there, but never there.
im not going to give up on that, but its harder than you say.
i dont want to be a critic guy but its beeing hard to achive that goal.
thank you for the toturial.
ill be practicing more time on the position. if i get to the goal ill give the news.
thanks for the emails they are quite interesting.
at 3:44 am - 23rd July 2009 Permalink
Thank you, Lucas, for the ongoing education in yoga practice. Your videos and newsletters are packed with great information and easy to follow instruction. So many videos obscure the view of what one actually needs to do with one’s body during a pose. Yours are always clear, concise and straightforward.
Looking forward to practicing this pose. As a chronic sufferer of short hamstring fibres, it will be a challenge, but the rewards are SO worth it.
at 3:55 am - 11th October 2009 Permalink
Thanks for the video Lucas!
I have been practicing splits for almost 3 years, and still can’t quite get there. One reason is that I don’t stretch enough daily. What would be a good stretching routine to get these splits down fast?
Thanks,
L
at 4:57 am - 26th October 2009 Permalink
hi lucas, will this help with supta kurmasana?
at 12:08 pm - 12th November 2009 Permalink
I couldn’t agree more with the previous posts about your emails being interesting and your tutorials clear and concise. Your email is one of the few that I look forward to reading every time because you do have valuable information to share and you have a very unique writing style. Thank you Lucas.
at 9:24 pm - 12th November 2009 Permalink
I enjoy your videos, and think this is a good front leg tutorial (although I wouldn’t recommend the block reach for anyone over 40). Now, how about Part II on the back leg?
at 5:08 am - 5th December 2009 Permalink
Hi Lucas, I’ve been practicing regularly for almost six years, and frontal splits is a position that is starting to open up on this old guy. (I’m 62.) You nailed it when you said practice it often, and do it three times each side. In a typical class there’s not enough time to really work on it. I’m increasing my home practice to include this several times a week. I may never get to the floor, but the journey is very empowering! Thanks for sharing your good insights!
Eugene
at 11:05 pm - 14th December 2009 Permalink
Hi Lucas,
I have been trying to get the splits since March 2009. I take pole classes so it is important to me to get them. I had no luck with my stretching until I bought a bottle of your fleximine. I started a foot off the ground and am now about 4″ away from the left front splits after doing your warm ups. I am in disbelief and so is my instructor. Pilates didn’t even open me up as your stretches and the pills have. I wish you had a tut specifically for pole dancers we would love it. I will be recommending your product to the girls that are struggling with the splits at studioveena.com. It is amazing. I was skeptical at first but I am almost there and with minimal effort. Your pills do every thing you say they will. Thank you for all your research and wealth of information. I will be a repeat customer. Angela
at 2:00 pm - 3rd January 2010 Permalink
Happy new year Lucas & thank you for all.
For a month now i’m copping with a pain in my left leg (from the buttock down to my thigh my leg to the foot).I think it’s the sciatic nerve.But what i’m sure it’s not du to the lower back injury.When i tried to do the split with my left leg forward it is so painful.So can you help me please with some poses for that.
at 8:42 am - 4th January 2010 Permalink
Thanks Angela! Glad to hear you’re getting results… – Lucas
at 8:52 am - 4th January 2010 Permalink
Hi Abdalla – yes, that does sound like a sciatic nerve issue, but could be something else. Difficult to say. Nerve issues are challenging and finicky. The key thing is to get nutritional support (omega-3′s and b vitamins… I use Chia and Liquid Clarity-B) and to really take it easy and not irritate it. Engaging muscles while stretching can help protect nerves. You might want to try to find a local teacher to give you some tips as well. Hope that helps! ~ Lucas
at 12:27 pm - 3rd March 2010 Permalink
Hi Lucas,
I have broke my left knee ligament (the external cruciate or something like that). When I try to do the splits with my right knee on the front, and the left supporting in the back, (its hard to write technical stuff in english so please bare with my poor translations!!) the knee gets very unstable and it even has “sliped” out of its place. What I feel would help a lot is to put the knee on an “open” position… more like a split you’d do as a dancer. So finally the question: is it better not to do the split at all than trying to do it this way? Is there any way to make it feel more stable? Thanks!!!
at 12:36 pm - 3rd March 2010 Permalink
Hello Valeria – thanks for writing. You really don’t want to mess with knees, particularly if you’ve had serious injury in the past. Stretching is going to be an important part of healing/strengthening, but perhaps splits variations are not the best choice at least for now… hope that helps!
- Lucas
at 4:29 pm - 14th June 2010 Permalink
IS THERE ANY ADVICE/VIDEO MATERIAL, ON THE LATERAL VERSION, NAMELY, THE SIDE/BOX SPLIT YOU COULD GIVE LUCAS PLEASE?
at 3:25 am - 15th June 2010 Permalink
@Jim – Yes, I’ve got a new video. Check out the YOGABODY Revolution Show here
at 11:36 pm - 7th August 2010 Permalink
I think you need to write more warnings for the newbies. Splits is really hard to do and can result varieties of pains in our muscles. I am still practicing this split pose and it may sound so easy but I promise it isn’t that easy to do. But by continuous practice anyone can do these.And I’m glad for the video you posted
at 8:36 am - 12th August 2010 Permalink
Great split there man! I envy you, I really cant do it but anyway thanks for the demonstration it is a great help to me. Gonna try and try till I do it!
at 10:53 pm - 26th November 2010 Permalink
Used to be able to do these, now after bilateral pelvic reconstruction surgery it will never happen. But this does help stretch my hamstrings.