If you ask people what would help them hit the next level in their sport or activity, most will say something like strength or explosiveness. But the truth is, many of them would benefit a lot more from working on their flexibility.
Flexibility is a force multiplier.

Without sufficient flexibility, doing this will be a lot more difficult.
If you practice a martial art, CrossFit, or a physically creative sport like climbing or surfing, you’ve probably seen what I’m talking about. Flexible people can use the strength they have through wider ranges of motion, so they can do things other people just can’t.
But lower body flexibility is a real challenge for many people.
In my 20 plus years of practice as a Physical Therapist and my 10 years building GMB, I’ve seen more and more people with injuries and pains associated with tight hips and legs.
This isn’t surprising, since so many people make the mistake of focusing only on strength when trying to build new skills. But ratcheting up your strength without working on corresponding lower body flexibility is a recipe for tweaked backs, knees, and hamstrings.
One of the best ways to improve your leg and hip flexibility is to train for the good-ole-fashioned splits.
In this article, I’ll show you stretches you can use to train your front and side splits, so you can develop the freedom of movement you need for your next level of performance.
Why You Should Train for the Splits (Even if You Have No Interest in Ever Doing the Splits)

Unlike this gymnast, you probably don’t need to be able to do the splits. But training for them can help in other ways.
Let’s be honest: The splits demonstrate a high level of flexibility that very few people actually need. If you’re a dancer or gymnast or figure skater, then yes, you do need to be able to do the splits very well.
But for most people, it’s simply not necessary.
So why should you bother with training for them? Because the stretches I’ll show you for both the side splits and front splits will help you improve your flexibility for the things you do in your daily life.
Whether you’re a martial artist, a climber, a surfer, or just a desk worker trying to combat the effects of sitting at a desk all day, you can benefit from improving your hip and hamstring flexibility, so you’re free to do what matters to you.
The problem with most splits tutorials is they usually take one of two approaches:
- Either it’s a random series of a dozen stretches,
- Or they just tell you to get into the splits and hold it for as long as possible.
Neither approach is targeted or sustainable, and if you’ve tried other splits tutorials in the past, you might think it’s not a worthwhile pursuit.
The stretches I’m about to show you will show that, when you’re using specific exercises to target the most troublesome areas and you use a gentle and sustainable approach, you’ll get far more out of your practice.
Side Splits – 4 Stretches to Open Up Your Hips
Being able to do full side splits with control – also called center splits or middle splits – is a level of flexibility few possess (of course, for Van Damme, they’re no big deal).
Still, the process of training for the side splits will make a huge difference in your hip mobility, especially if you are using targeted stretches.
The following stretches are specifically geared toward mobilizing the areas that are most commonly troublesome, both in progress with the splits and in daily activities.
It’s best to do a more regular stretching practice at a lesser intensity than to be sporadic. Work just on the edge of discomfort on the following stretches as close to daily as possible until you start feeling changes in your hip mobility. After that point, you can decrease the frequency.
If you need to work on your hip mobility, give these hip stretches a try.
Be sure to work at your own pace. Kirsty is very flexible, so she’s demonstrating these stretches at a high level, but work within a range of motion that’s comfortable for you.
Exercise | Key Points | Do This |
---|---|---|
Kneeling Lunge A | • Maintain a flattened lumbar spine (posterior pelvic tilt). • Keep the front leg foot out far enough so that when you shift forward, your knee is in a comfortable position. • Keep hips and shoulders square. • Dynamic action is either: - Straightening back knee and lengthening heel backwards. Upper body is still and stable. - Engaging hip flexors by pulling your knee into the ground. | 3 rounds: 10 contractions followed by a hold of 15-45 seconds. |
Frog | • Careful about possible knee strain, adjust knee/calf angle as needed. • Dynamic action is squeezing knees together into the ground | 3 rounds: 10 contractions followed by a hold of 15-45 seconds. |
Pancake | • Bring legs apart wide. Back tall and upright. Hinge forward at the hips. • Dynamic action is pushing heels down into the ground and knees together while rocking forward and back (hip hinge). You can also try keeping your hands flat in front of you and contracting abdominals, as if you are trying to do a "sit up" in that position. | 3 rounds: 10 contractions followed by a hold of 15-45 seconds. |
Cossack Squat | • Go into a wide stance, and lower down into a squat, keeping one leg straight. • Keep your body upright and the toes of your straight leg pointing up. Push your hips forward to keep yourself upright. • Dynamic action is pushing your heel down to the ground and attempting to get up. | 3 rounds: 10 contractions followed by a hold of 15-45 seconds. |
In the video, you can see Kirsty go through the four stretches, and then she goes into the full side splits position, using the same contract-relax routine.
Front Splits – 3 Stretches to Help You Move Better
Just like the side splits, you won’t get very far with the front splits if you’re doing random stretches. Use the stretches that really target what’s holding you back, and you’ll get better.
Again, the full front splits are not necessary for most activities. But, the stretches you’ll see Kirsty demonstrate in the following video will help you improve your flexibility in the hamstrings and hip flexors, which is important for any activities that require extension of the legs.
A big benefit of the protocol we teach for stretching is it helps you gain control in new ranges of motion as well. So you’ll get more flexible and you’ll be better able to use that flexibility the way you need to.
Exercise | Key Points | Do This |
---|---|---|
Kneeling Lunge A | • Maintain a flattened lumbar spine (posterior pelvic tilt). • Keep the front leg foot out far enough so that when you shift forward, your knee is in a comfortable position. • Keep hips and shoulders square. • Dynamic action is either: - Straightening back knee and lengthening heel backwards. Upper body is still and stable. - Engaging hip flexors by pulling your knee into the ground. | 3 rounds: 10 contractions followed by a hold of 15-45 seconds. |
Hamstring Variations | • Arched back in extension, hinge forward at the hip, pull upper body over the leg. • Dynamic action is pushing heels and back of the knee into the ground, arching chest, whilst hinging at the hip. | 3 rounds: 10 contractions followed by a hold of 15-45 seconds. |
Kneeling Lunge with Foot Hold | • Keep your legs wide apart for stability. • Tuck your pelvis under while keeping your chest up. • Dynamic action is pushing the knee into the ground and foot into the hand. | 3 rounds: 10 contractions followed by a hold of 15-45 seconds. |
In the video, you can see Kirsty go through the three stretches, and then she goes into the full front splits position, using the same contract-relax routine.
Freedom of Movement Will Up Your Game
Flexibility training is a secret weapon for many people.
As you train your splits, notice how you can apply your strength through wider ranges of motion, opening up new capabilities in your sports and activities.
And of course, this isn’t just true for your legs and hips. Improved flexibility in your shoulders, back, neck, ankles, and all the connective tissues in between pays enormous dividends in your body’s capabilities.
Plus, flexibility safeguards you against some injuries related to muscle stiffness (for example, overstretch in falls or trauma), which keeps you improving at the things you enjoy rather than rehabbing on the sidelines.
But effective flexibility training is more than just a series of stretches.
We’ve combined the best parts of several of the most effective stretching methods, so you can improve your freedom of movement right where you need it, faster than you probably think you can.
A client named Jin Wa wrote to tell us, GMB “helped me work into a full squat, something I’ve never been able to do, in about a month of training.” That opens up a whole new world of movement potential.
Develop the freedom of movement you need to excel in the things you care about.
Develop Freedom of Movement
Up your performance in any activity by improving your flexibility right where you need it. GMB Mobility’s smart training method means better results faster, so you can do more of what you love.