Step back for a moment and be honest about your splits: When you’re warmed up can you slide right into them, or do they require awkward negotiation? Is one side smoother than the other? Do you ever feel compression in your lower back or a tugging behind your knee?
If you answered yes to any of the above, then #1) you’re in good company! and #2) you may want to sprinkle some self bodywork into your warmups. Here’s where:
Tip #1 Pre-Stretch Quadriceps Release
Open quads are a big part (approximately half) of the splits equation. They allow your back leg to extend without crunching your back, so they need to be mobile. Before you stretch them out, though, try giving them a serious massage with a couple Double Track Rollers or two tennis balls stuffed in a sock. You want to warm up the tissue and break down any pesky adhesions.
Lie face down in a half-frog leg position and slide one or two Double Track Rollers under your extended leg–close to your knee. Slide a foam support under your hips if your lower back feels strain. Slowly roll along the lower half of your quadriceps. As you roll, try rotating your knee inward and outward to sense the different muscles of your quadriceps group. Then roll along the upper half of your quadriceps. If you find an area that is particularly sensitive, try pausing and relaxing your upper body. On an inhalation bend your knee, and on an exhalation extend it back down towards the ground. Try this a few times, and then repeat on the other leg. Follow with your favorite hip flexor stretch.
Tip #2 Pre-Stretch Hamstring Release
Hamstrings comprise the other major part of the splits equation. Open hamstrings allow your front leg to straighten without straining the little muscle attachments behind your knee. Just as you did with the quads, try using self bodywork to release restriction in the hamstrings before you stretch them.
Place a Double Track Roller in front of the ischial tuberosity on the right side, and then relax your weight down into the tool. Take two breaths, and then nudge the tool a bit further down your hamstring. If you find a particularly tight area, then pause and straighten your right leg. Lengthen your spine as your breathe in, and then fold forward from your hips as you breathe out. Stay for a few breaths, and then release and continue coaxing the tool down the length of your thigh. Stop before you reach the soft back of the knee, and then repeat on the left leg. Follow with your favorite hamstring stretch.
