split

[biggestbox]

Quick question: My coach just put in a split for me (I'm a guy) I can get down, but I can't get back up without being very ungraceful. Are there any suggestions? Guys don't do splits very often, so there aren't many videos. Louie Van Amstel did one during a paso but that was at the very end so doesn't have to get back up immediately. Thanks all.

[mamboqueen]

Val C does them -- and it pretty much looks like momentum bringing him back up. Here's a clip that is actually in slo mo. Not sure if this helps. Are you doing this without any connection to your partner?

http://youtube.com/watch?v=7wS1YBj0RYY

Another...about 1.30 into it:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=xqiE8ylxH18

Just tried it out (in work clothes, no less) and it seems if you are going to try to do it slowly, you really need to be working your inner thigh muscles...and you can try by dragging your back leg in. Definitely not easy...for the non-gymnast ;)

[biggestbox]

that is with the back leg bent. What about both legs completely straight?

[waltzgirl]

Ask your coach to demonstrate it for you. ;)

[biggestbox]

Ask your coach to demonstrate it for you. ;)

Coach can't do it. I have the flexibility from ballet.

[waltzgirl]

That's what I thought!

[quixotedlm]

then he can't be fully capable of judging what's reasoanbly doable in your routine. so give him some feedback and let him know that he is pushing this too hard.. don't injure yourself accidentally!

[mamboqueen]

Are you doing a regular split or a Chinese(Russian?) split? I can only speak from what I've seen dancers do, but most of the women I see who go completely down into a split get assistance in getting out of it. What dance are you doing it in?

[SDsalsaguy]

Franco (Formica) used to do close to a complete split and pop up out of it on his own. If you can find an appropriate youtube clip, that may give you some ideas.

[mamboqueen]

Charlie Auslinder, my highschool classmate, once did a full split. I don't think he has come out of it yet ;). Yeow!

[wooh]

When I've seen them popped out of without assistance, they never go all the way down, almost completely down (where you wouldn't notice the little bit they aren't going down unless you're watching REALLY closely), then back up. And I think there's a quick push up with their hands to help with getting them going back up. Of course, I can't even get down, so I can't say from experience.:p

[reb]

Charlie Auslinder, my highschool classmate, once did a full split. I don't think he has come out of it yet ;). Yeow!
:uplaugh:

[DMD]

Definitely no expert on splits but was surprised to see Maks do one on DWTS tonight. They didn't have a great shot of him getting out of the split but it didn't look like it was all that easy for him...

There's probably a clip of that somewhere...

[Masaya]

I have a full split in my jive routine. I drop down into the split on 1&2, then use my hands to push myself off the floor and bounce up into a sort of "crouched" position on 3&4, jump up high into the air on 5&6, then drop down in standing position on 7&8. When you get up from the split you really have to squeeze your thighs together.
I think this is only possible in jive where you have momentum helping you to get back up. I can do a very slow split like Maria Manusova does in her Rumba, but that's pretty much impossible to get out of because there's no momentum.

[Angelo]

I've seen lots of people get in and out of splits without assistance from their hands. The problem is, most of them were gymnasts. Its probably a matter of developing more strength in the extreme range of motion. There is plenty information out there that covers sliding in and out of splits. Thomas Kurz's book Stretching Scientifically comes immediately to mind but you might be able to find the information on the web.

Good luck to you!

[samina]

Charlie Auslinder, my highschool classmate, once did a full split. I don't think he has come out of it yet ;). Yeow!

lmao...

[Vitalis]

try this - when you're going to get up, (if you don't want to use your hands) pull your upper body up by giving your center a good upwards pull. that followed by some pushing from your thighs against the ground should give your enough lift to change to a lunge-type position with your front leg bent and standing (maybe supporting most of your weight). alternately, you could bend the back leg to, to make it a crouching position. the crouch is probably easier. if you don't have the strength to pull yourself up from the split in the beginning, you could bend your back leg and experiment with pushing from there.