Front Split Hip Unsquare-to-Square Slides
Flexopedia > Hamstrings & Hip Flexors
Front Split Hip Unsquare-to-Square Slides
Muscle Group Stretched: Hamstrings, Hip Flexors
Muscle Group Strengthened: Hamstrings, hip flexors, quads
Type of Stretch: Active Dynamic
Difficulty: All-Levels
Suggested Prerequisites: none
If you’ve got wiggly hips that are hard to “square” in your front splits, this is a great drill to help your body recruit the hip (and torso) muscles involved to correct for “unsquare” hips and pull them back into a “square” position.
How To
Note: you’re going to need to be able to slide both feet on the floor for this drill. So that could mean wearing socks if you’re on carpet or hardwood floors, or using sliders. I’m actually using potholders in the video because they work great on hard floors!
Step 1
Start kneeling with both feet able to slide on the floor. Keeping your torso upright (don’t lean forwards!), slide your legs out into your front split. You may want blocks under your hands, or to practice next to a chair to help keep your chest lifted and support your hands.
Step 2
Keeping your torso lifted (shoulders should stay stacked on top of your hips), push your back foot backwards and front foot forwards, opening your hips out to the side - this is your “unsquare” or “open” split.
Then try to push your back foot forwards (along with the hip), and pull the front foot backwards, twisting both hips so that they point straight forwards - this is your “square” hip position.
Repeat for a total of 5-12 foot slides, opening your hips out to a diagonal, then squaring them back to the front.
Modifications
Need to make it easier?
Slightly bend the front knee.
Start with your hips higher off the ground. Instead of sliding out to your deepest front split, start in a less intense split where it’s easier to adjust your hip position. Then work on adding deepening your split over time.
Want to make it harder?
Take your hips past “square.” Instead of stopping with your hip bones facing forwards, continue to rotate/twist your hips towards the front leg, twisting past the neutral/square position. That means you’ll be twisting from “unsquare” to “square” to “past square” (and back).
