Half Middle Split Leg Lifts & Slides

All-Levels
Written By Danielle Enos (Dani Winks)

Flexopedia > Adductors

Half Middle Split Leg Lifts & Slides

Muscle Group Stretched: Adductors

Muscle Group Strengthened: Glutes, Adductors

Type of Stretch: Active Dynamic

Difficulty: All Levels

Suggested Prerequisites: none

A hybrid of fire hydrants and half frogger slides, this drill works to strengthen the muscles on both sides of the hip joint to help with middle split and straddle flexibility: targeting the glutes in their shortened position, and adductors (inner thighs) in their lengthened position. By sliding our leg out immediately after the leg lift (glute activation), we can take advantage of reciprocal inhibition, how our body naturally relaxes our inner thigh muscles while our glutes are contracting to allow movement to take place.

How To

Step 1

Start kneeling with your hands on the floor, and extend one leg out to the side with the foot flexed, knee and toes pointing forwards (not up towards the ceiling like in a straddle).

Step 2

Keeping both hip bones pointing towards the floor (don’t let them tilt!), lift the straight leg off the ground. This should feel like a strong squeeze in your outer hip (in your glutes).

Step 3

Immediately slide the straight leg out to the side as far as you can, keeping the heel in line with your hips, to find your deep half frogger stretch. This should feel like a stretch in your inner thighs.

Step 4

Engage the muscles of your inner thighs by pressing the straight leg foot into the floor as you slide it back to the starting position, stacking your hips over your bent knee. That whole series (lifting the leg + sliding out + sliding back) is one rep.

Repeat for 8-12 reps.

Modifications

Need to make it easier?

Don’t slide out to your maximum end range stretch. Instead, opt for something that feels like 70-80% of your maximum stretch.

Lean more wight into your hands to take weight out of your hips as you slide the leg out (and back).

Want to make it harder?

Try your leg slides with less weight in your hands, keeping fingertips on the floor for balance, or trying to do have of the slide without using your hands at all.

 
 
Danielle Enos (Dani Winks)

Dani is a Minneapolis-based flexibility coach and professional contortionist who loves sharing her enthusiasm for flexibility training with the world.

https://www.daniwinksflexibility.com
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