The splits take a while to learn, but all it takes is flexibility. Unlike most cheerleading skills, you don't need really stong muscles. Before you do the splits, though, ALWAYS stretch out. You could easily hurt yourself if your don't.
Here are a few exercises to help your splits out.
- Side kicks: Stand up, and, without slouching, kick your leg as far up as you can. Repeat several times with both legs.
- Sit on the ground and grab the bottom of one foot. Without bending your legs, pull it up as far as you can without rolling backwards and hold for a few beats.
- Sit down in pike postition. Reach toward your toes and pull yourself forward until you feel a tug. Once you feel a tug, hold that position for a few seconds before releasing.
- Go down into the splits as far as you can go. Lift yourself up about two inches, and then go back down again a little further than last time.
Chinese Splits
Chinese splits are extremely hard to do. They require an enormous amount of flexiblility in muscles that are rarely stretched. There are some stretches, though, that can improve them immensely.
When you are in the Chinese splits as far as you can go, Bend over and lift yourself up just a TINY bit. Then scoot back down a little further than last time. Repeat a few times and then stretch and rest before doing again.
Wall Splits
Wall splits are hard, but they're pretty cool to show off at tryouts and they inmrove flexibility once they're mastered.
Don't know what wall splits are? They are a person sitting on the ground in front a wall. They are pushed all the way up to the wall so that they're legs are out on either side.
To master wall splits, do one as far as you can without hurting yourself, and then with your hands, lift yourself up in the air an inch or two and scoot up. Set yourself down. These splits should not cause extreme pain, but it will feel uncomfortable.
