Side Splits Routine

Deep Flexibility Routine for Side Splits

Summary

Times listes are the recommended maximum time. Generally, 2 minutes is enoguht time to get into the pose, calm the nervious system, and get lasting structural change. After 5 minutes, you might find your time better spent a different pose. The final pose is longer because it’s a huge pose with different kinds of stretching going on, while involving a large group of tighly intertwined muscles in the hips, and pelvic floor.

If you’re unable to make the maximum time, try to work up to 2 minutes by adding 5 seconds each time you practice the pose. Keep upping your time to get to 5 minutes. If the issue is fatigue, use props, make adjustments, to enable to you to rest in the pose.

Side Splits Warmup

Cassock Squats – 3 sets of 8-12 reps

Muscles Strengthened and Stretched:

• Adductors (inner thighs)
• Glutes
• Hamstrings
• Quadriceps
• Ankles and calves
• Core stability

Why:
Builds frontal plane mobility, strength, and neuromuscular control. Improves hip, knee, and ankle mobility while strengthening adductors — essential for safe, controlled side split progress.

Horse Stance – 3 sets of 60 secs

Muscles Strengthened:

• Adductors
• Glutes
• Vastus medialis oblique (VMO)

Why:
Builds active strength and endurance in hip adductors, key for holding leg positions in splits. Enhances pelvic stability with anterior pelvic tilt.

Rag Doll – 5 mins

Muscles Stretched:

• Hamstrings (biceps femoris, semitendinosus, semimembranosus)
• Calves (gastrocnemius, soleus)
• Erector spinae (lower back)
• Latissimus dorsi
• Neck and shoulders (secondary)

Why:
Decompresses spine and warms up posterior chain for deeper stretches.

Seated Thread the Needle (R/L) – 5 mins each

Muscles Stretched:

• Rhomboids
• Trapezius (middle/lower)
• Thoracic spine rotators
• Serratus posterior
• Shoulders and scapular stabilizers

Why:
Opens thoracic spine for better forward fold mechanics and releases upper back tension that limits pancake depth.

Main Stretching Sequence

Frog Stretch – 5 mins

Muscles Stretched:

• Adductor longus, brevis, magnus
• Pectineus

Why:
Targets short adductors in abduction, an important bridge from bent knee to straight leg stretches. Bent knees isolate hip adductors without hamstring strain.

Butterfly – 5 mins

Muscles Stretched:

• Adductor longus, brevis, magnus
• Pectineus
• Gracilis
• Hip external rotators
• Pelvic floor
• Lower back

Why:
Targets short adductors with bent knees—key prep for inner thigh flexibility in side splits.

Side Angle (R/L) – 5 mins each

Muscles Stretched:

• Hamstrings (medial and lateral)
• Adductors (inner thighs)
• Calves
• Quadratus lumborum (side body)
• Gluteus medius
• Intercostals
• Latissimus dorsi

Why:
Combines lateral flexion with leg abduction; stretches medial hamstrings and side body for split alignment.

Pancake – 10 mins

Muscles Stretched:

• Medial hamstrings (semitendinosus, semimembranosus)
• Adductors (longus, brevis, magnus, gracilis)
• Biceps femoris
• Pectineus
• Erector spinae
• Latissimus dorsi
• Calves (with dorsiflexion)
• Hip external rotators
• Gluteus maximus

Why:
Comprehensive stretch for side splits—integrates hamstrings and adductors with straight legs and forward hip tilt.

Technique and Biomechanics

Hip Positioning

• Keep a gentle anterior pelvic tilt (tailbone up) to avoid hip impingement.
• For some anatomies, external rotation (toes pointing upward) may be more comfortable.

Training Frequency & Intensity

• Train 3–5 times per week (not daily).
• Hold deep end-range positions 1–2 minutes for maximal adductor adaptation.
• Combine active (horse stance, lifts) and passive stretches for neural retraining.
• Progress gradually—widen stance and deepen holds over weeks, not days.