Mobility Archives - 12 Minute Athlete

How to Finally Achieve a Front Split

I have never considered myself to be a flexible person.

I very clearly remember back in sixth grade when taking the Presidential Fitness Test absolutely failing the v-sit and reach portion—there was no way I was going to touch my toes. Back then, I blamed it on long limbs, but the truth was that I just had very poor flexibility.

So when I first got interested in bodyweight training and gymnastics, the flexibility required to do several of the movements I wanted to do was undoubtedly daunting. I had never worked on my flexibility very much, only doing a very half-ass stretching session post-workout a few times a week.

Yet I figured there was no way I’d ever be able to do a front split—I just wasn’t a flexible person.

Open Up Your Shoulders: 5 Stretches You Can Do With a Broomstick

We’ve been doing a lot of handstands around here lately and if you’re anything like me, your shoulders are feeling super tight as a result.

Handstands and other exercises like push ups, planks, and pull ups put a ton of pressure on your shoulders, and keeping your shoulders mobile and flexible is super important to help you maintain good form and prevent injuries.

Unsurprisingly, open shoulders are also important for good posture, so if you don’t want to appear hunched over, make sure to keep your shoulders nice and flexible!

We’ve already touched on warming up the wrists during our Handstand Challenge, and now it’s time to focus on the shoulders.

You can do the following exercises with a PVC pipe or a pilates stick, but the easiest thing to use is a simple broomstick. Everyone has one at home, so put it to good use!

Why You Shouldn’t Stretch Before Your Workout

If you’re like most people, you probably have a habit of stretching before your workout.

And it seems like no big deal to do a little pre-workout stretching, right? After all, it’s important to maintain a general level of flexibility, so why not add it in before a workout?

Many of us probably have this stretching routine as a leftover habit from our days playing team sports. In those days, it went without question that before any practice or game, our coach or team member would lead a warm up that would inevitably include a little jogging—and a lot of static stretching.

Static stretching means that you’re stretching the muscles while your body is at rest, as in a typical hamstring, calf, or shoulder stretch. This type of stretching is a great way to stay mobile and flexible.

Yet there’s more and more evidence that static stretching before a workout not only doesn’t offer any actual benefits, it can actually do more harm than good.

Here’s why you shouldn’t stretch before your workout: