Front Split Loaded Mobility Routine (SIMPLE)

[@BodyweightWarrior]

Whats up warriors! Firstly sorry for the shitty quality, it's a new camera and figuring out the settings. Hope you enjoy the routine and would love your feedback

[@ciute1679]

So I have to do this only for 2 times a week?

[@BodyweightWarrior]

As a minimum but you could do 3 or 4 :)

[@harshbulchandani]

Tom Merrick Hello Sir, Actually I have started doing this routine for a while but m feeling that my muscles are getting more stiff and little sore .Can you tell me why is this happening.However I feel flexible when I rest for few days . P.S. m doing it 3 days a week .Twice a day 😊

[@creativename3256]

Harsh Bulchandani Do you warm up properly beforehand?

[@markdangerfield9227]

Yes I sing I love some videos of you on your Instagram

[@MichelLedig]

One leg good morning (10x each side) Active lunge 10x each side (hold active for 10sec after the full rep) Frontsplits PNF (10sec contracting 5sec relaxing)

[@youristjean5651]

I'm footballer and quite frankly I'm in love with that grass

[@BodyweightWarrior]

Loughborough unis :)

[@youristjean5651]

Thank you

[@kgthesinger3152]

youri st jean I'm a fan of huge fields of grass too 😀

[@captainwombat1819]

I’m new to tricking and I also love that grass

[@AnastasisTzanisYoga]

All 3 are very good exercises. Thanks for sharing!

[@LarsRyeJeppesen]

Great video. In addition to the 3 exercises shown, what got me the final 10cm, was incorporating over splits; elevating front leg 20cm using whatever you have, then do ballistic split stretching. After that, lose the oversplit and do the regular.

[@BodyweightWarrior]

Sounds like a good plan, many ways to get to that end point. For me the restriction is definitely the hip flexor :(

[@LarsRyeJeppesen]

Ahhh ok didn't think of that. Always been the hamstrings for me. Cheers

[@jonathanfrost944]

You make fantastic videos. Really glad I found your channel. Your effort is appreciated.

[@BodyweightWarrior]

Thank you, really just glad to help :)

[@attiylanen]

Thank you for these instructional videos to help us get more flexible!

[@henrypetchfood]

Hey Tom, really loving your approach to stretching - super easy to understand and I can tell a lot of thought has gone into the exercise choice. I was wondering if you would recommend doing your middle splits and front splits routine at the same time (not on the same day) twice each a week? They obviously hit different major muscle groups but still in the hips. Would that be too much?

[@federicoleoni6417]

thumbs up just for saying: "quick and dirty" xD

[@BodyweightWarrior]

cheeky

[@ironmight4334]

Yo I was just mimicking that until I saw you!

[@MatiasStrengthCoach]

Intresting video bro. It's nice seeing you implement PNF in your training!

[@BodyweightWarrior]

Bits and bobs, just where it feels appropriate

[@RiddlerOnTheDaily]

Should these be done in conjunction with passive (light) stretching on the other days, or is it much more like 'hit it hard twice a week and use the other days to rest'? Thanks

[@justagerman140]

This.

[@AshishRambojun]

one thing that've helped me to reduce imbalances on the bad leg were having the trunk upright, focusing on the rear leg: squeeze the rear leg's glutes. This will help to feel more of the hips than merely hamstrings

[@BodyweightWarrior]

Yeah for sure. I know for myself that I have basically overly tight hip flexors on my left leg from years of playing golf which is why my bad side is worse. I haven't trained front splits for a year but probably should fix that one...

[@mariamllersrensen6572]

Thank you Tom. Just What i was Looking for. You are amazing.

[@BodyweightWarrior]

Welcome Maria, hope it helps :)

[@dieterpeter2440]

finally it's there😍thanks a lot man! :) could you show us some pnf/loaded progressive streching exercises for the pancake?

[@BodyweightWarrior]

Sure thing. Pancake is definitely on the list but I need more time to figure it out :)

[@Lucky-lh9js]

@Tom Merrick: Thanks for the video! How long did it take you to get the front splits? Also, when you're feeling sore from stretching, do you suggest taking a break until it no longer feels that way?

[@tyrymanuel]

That grass 😍

[@atulshenoy6970]

Concise and educational video :) Many thanks mate!

[@BodyweightWarrior]

No worries Atul

[@martialattitude]

Interesting and educative, thx

[@pugsrock3171]

Excellent vid. I just finished my workout for the night. My calf muscles usually ache. After these exercises, I feel a big improvement.Thanks! I notice your footwear.What kind do you use.I need something ha will give me some traction.

[@MattyHawkHCF]

In the description I'm guessing you meant front splits PNF not middle. Great video Tom, thanks for the quality information :)

[@BodyweightWarrior]

Thanks for the correction! So much splits lately I'm getting confused :)

[@traditionalindianpractice3153]

i thnik your channel is the best on KZbin 👌👍. thank u for sharing your knowledge.

[@BodyweightWarrior]

Thanks! Happy to help :)

[@kgthesinger3152]

r&b music while stretching. great way to relax the muscles.

[@LaraJPole]

thanks for the motivation!👏 I will do this more, been neglecting my front splits for too long now 😂

[@BodyweightWarrior]

No worries. To be honest I haven't trained these for over a year. As long as general mobility holds up these tend to still be there :)

[@LaraJPole]

Tom Merrick oh yes I think that's true, for me the front split is just a movement to use. Just some loaded mobility for hamstrings and quads and some couch stretches and it's still there, just not square anymore 😄 thanks for your answer!

[@ernstlang1746]

Are splits actually healthy? If you have a good strength - flexibility ratio? Greetings

[@MarriedWithPizza]

If you just have "flexibility" no. If you have mobility for it, yes.

[@Frrrdm]

Thanks for this!!

[@PTS.MT.Goalie.BJJ.Andrew]

When do you know when your knee (right in your case) should touch the ground. I find it starts to hurt in the long term at the hip joint when my knee is not on the ground and my right hip hurts when not externally rotated and left knee not straight. In other words, it doesn't hurt when i have my right hip externally rotated and other knee bent. Also, I herd we need blocks or weight to keep our back straight. What is your opinion on this or should you just keep your hands on the floor anyways with your torso bending forward.

[@laurabarras7230]

Hi Tom, finally decided to deal with my lack of flexibility and just found your channel! This is gold!! Thanks so much for the good work! The issue now is that I want to follow ALL of your routines!! I'm gonna go for front splits and middle splits each 2x a week, your morning routine every day and maybe squeeze in some hamstring if I can. Is it too much? Is there a risk of injury or it's just not efficient to push it too much? Thanks!

[@legioprimigenia9802]

Hey Laura, I'm not Tom but I think I might be able to help. I think your approach is a little bit too much. Tom has a great video about how to approach flexibility training. It says that it would be good to stick to 2-3 heavy sessions of training per week (for example 2x per week front split training) and then doing a light version of flexibility/mobility on a daily basis. (one of his morning routines) Hope I helped !

[@ohhiguy]

Another great video. Quality looked fine to me. DUDE, some of us may judge you, but your true die-hard fans will NOT judge you on nit-picky stuff like settings on a new camera. I personally only judge you on how much chocolate you eat. Ha ha ha

[@BodyweightWarrior]

Appreciate it hahaha, although the chocolate consumption is somewhat low as of late...need to up my game

[@r.b.4611]

Did you achieve the front split using only these 3 exercises?

[@mdsk7623]

Mostly

[@PTS.MT.Goalie.BJJ.Andrew]

Yiannis Christoulas recomends only 3 exercises and his is based on science only. He says it is achievable but he seems to say in another video you should stretch 6 days a week.

[@mohammadshoaib7466]

nice bro...

[@arbalest7645]

Is twice a week enough to achieve the best progress, or would it be more beneficial to increase the frequency?

[@wonderalice8746]

I do your middle split and this video, both on three days a week, is that good to get more flexible? Great video😄

[@r.b.4611]

Do you recommend a warm up before stretching, or is it OK to stretch cold?

[@SuperHeroJay]

Looks informative I'll try it as soon as I can 😁

[@BodyweightWarrior]

Get it Jason!

[@ghostexdelta6750]

In the active front split one, if we are not flexible, in what we should focus our atenttion: on mantaining the front leg straight (with this case I barely pass 90 degrees with my back leg) or on mantaining the back leg straight (with this my front leg is a it was a lunge). Please!

[@robscott9604]

GhosteX Delta great question I’d like to know this too

[@the_culture3259]

Nice routine Lord Merrick! You should have busted out a quick press to HS from middle split to add a little something at the end :)

[@BodyweightWarrior]

We can dream ;)

[@merricktheobald7486]

1:00 this is America

[@andydufrin2426]

Over one year and half teaining still stuck at 17 cm from ground should i do somthing to sink more ? Or my bones hips shape not allow me?

[@juliust5933]

Pushing back with glutes/hams during active lunge refers to the front leg ? What are the cues for the rear leg in the active lunge ? Didnt really get that unfortunately. Great Video

[@arturwieczerzak]

You fuckin read my mind!! Since I've got almost my side split, I wanted to focus on front splits, but had very low experience in the movement pattern...and was going to ask on the group for advice! Thanks Tom! Always TOP as for the tutorial

[@LarsRyeJeppesen]

He, I'm the opposite - got my front split down, not starting middle splits.. totally newbie in this pattern.. dang.. long way to go, literally.

[@BodyweightWarrior]

Damn, side splits is hard! You're welcome dude, good luck!

[@arturwieczerzak]

Tom Merrick he he I've seen your progress, we're basically on the same depth right now, so you can understand how I fell since it's so damn close to the ground ;)

[@jankroka4593]

is it ok if my torso twist little bit? Im focusing of course on the squared split, but when i go really deep into twisted position, i feel great stretch, so its actually a good thing?

[@dmcmanam]

You almost have that back leg down and straight. Great job, keep going.

[@BodyweightWarrior]

Almost, not bad seeing I haven't really trained it for over a year ;)

[@Ankit-wx5sk]

Hey Tom hope you are having an amazing day. I had a question so say if i able to touch my toes properly but not able to fully put my palm on the floor can i still start this front splits routine as this is also hamstring centric ( for example those assisted good mornings) and by performing this routine consistently will it in turn improve my hamstring flexibility also ? Thank you

[@LarsRyeJeppesen]

I*m not Tom so sorry for answering - sure it will... anybody should be able to do the first 2 stretches. If you're not flexible at all, be careful with actually stretching in full split position (or as far as you can go), take your time getting your body ready. An alternative and very intense hamstring stretch is to elevate your front leg (on your sofa/couch or something like that), and kneel on the opposite knee. This will give you a good intense stretch that is close to split stretching.

[@BodyweightWarrior]

Hey Ankit, Lars is completely right here. I made this routine so that it is very accessible. The first two exercises can really be done at any level of flexibility and just following the form cues. You might want to do just those two for a month before adding the active front split holds just to give a little more experience and mobility. Lars also has a good recommendation for modifications :)

[@isaacbloomberg9111]

Hi Tom, another question for you. I've been working in a focused way on improving my mobility/flexibility. After an intense stretching session i can still feel it in those muscles the next day, sometimes for two days after. I don't feel like i've pulled or injured something, but they feel fatigued. Is it safe to stretch muscles when they feel like this, or should one rest until they have completely recovered? Thanks in advance.

[@fruitymintspideranimates1441]

I think you should rest. I think I'm more than a bit late,, sorry

[@444AngelGuardian]

Can someone tell me if I understand the "sets: 3" correctly? Is it essentially multiplying everything on the screen by 3? So in TOTAL, it's; Assisted Single Leg Goodmorning: 30 reps for left leg, 30 reps for right leg, 30 seconds hold left, 30 seconds hold right. Active Lunge: 30 reps left leg, 30 reps right leg, 30 seconds hold left leg, 30 seconds hold right leg. And of course, rests in between and alternating each leg.

[@thedahakha]

Nice short quality video Tom :). One of my goals these next couple of months! How would you recommend to combine this with the middle split routine?

[@BodyweightWarrior]

Awesome dude, get on it! Ummm I would probably not do them together in one session. Twice weekly frequency for both will work well so maybe just on alternate days. Mon/Tues/Thurs/Fri sort of thing

[@thedahakha]

Thanks! Had a similar thing in mind :)

[@020nils]

Cool. I just achieved my front splits recently using weighted front splits and ballistic stretching for the hip flexor and hamstrings :)))

[@BodyweightWarrior]

Sweet dude congrats!

[@rochakv]

One question. When you say 60s rest between exercises, do you mean a gap of 60s between single leg good morning, active lunges and active front split pnfs?

[@Supercars001]

Hey Tom:) I really appreciate your videos. Do you recommend warming up before this routine? And mobility in general? Cheers man;))

[@BodyweightWarrior]

You can do for sure but if you start somewhat light it warms up into it for you :)

[@codyheiner3636]

Is it best to take a rest day after a flexibility routine like this? Strength (not flexibility) guy here, was curious that you said 3 times per week. I kind of assumed flexibility work can be done every day.

[@人lexis_LU]

Hey brother, i have a question How long does it take to get a front split done?

[@1117AJ]

Hi I have a question,are foam rollers effective in helping you to release tight muscles?

[@maxa.8651]

Yes.

[@LeonidasKaragiannis]

Hey man! Great video! What if at the depth I am I get knee pain? On my right-leg-on-the-front front split I get this pain but in my left one, where I can get lower, I can hold it without knee pain. What would the cause be?

[@BodyweightWarrior]

Could be that you're putting too much pressure on your front leg to compensate for poor hip flexor mobility (this is a guess as it's hard to tell from no observation). Work more hip flexor drills and just work into it slowly :)

[@parikshitfitness3113]

sir I am your big fan from India sir how much time it takes to get front split I am 22

[@lennarte9056]

Am I doing something wrong or are the Lunges supposed to feel like a strenght exercise xd?

[@phamnguyenductin]

No, you aren't doing anything wrong there. Flexibility should always be accompanied by strength, otherwise that flexibility is useless and you risk injury by pushing the joints too far without having the strength to support them.

[@36424567254]

I've known about pnf for a long time, but it never seemed to work too well for me. However following this it seemed to click (particularly adding the first "reverse" contraption which i wasn't doing)

[@BodyweightWarrior]

Awesome, glad it worked. The "reverse" one is actually reciprocal inhibition ;)

[@36424567254]

Tom Merrick ah, yes, i've heard about that too. You're the first person I've seen actually implement it though.

[@bobanalhair1622]

How many times per week should this be done?

[@bobanalhair1622]

Also, would it be overkill to do this routine and the middle split routine back to back

[@bobanalhair1622]

Also x2 what should you do, with regards to the final exercise, if you are just nowhere near close to the front splits, sorry for all the questions but I am juts criminally inflexible.

[@jopkins]

Is it okay to be sore the day after doing this, or does that mean I pushed too hard?

[@NoreenBlues]

Hello, Is it easier to get both front splits after getting the middle split ?

[@BodyweightWarrior]

I've had front splits for a couple of years whilst having nothing close to middle. I don't think there is a huge transfer over :)

[@paulanthony5394]

Okay, so, this might be a stupid question but do you need to be able to touch your toes with straight legs in order to be able to do the front splits? Thanks. Peace.

[@Manu-wb2uv]

You should be able to put your hands flat on the ground with your legs straight. But yea touching your toes it's a good starting goal ;)

[@stevengtv]

I'm going to do this every day for a month and see if I'm able to go down all the way in a month

[@joelwallenius2877]

Hey Tom, what if the low lunge position hurts my back leg quadriceps? My hip flexors are hopeless. I don't know where to start.

[@BodyweightWarrior]

Joel Wallenius more bent leg hip flexor stretching to help target the quad

[@joelwallenius2877]

@@BodyweightWarrior Like Hero pose into reclining hero pose eccentrics, with extended lower back and PPT, perhaps? Seems to target the quads at least, both as a stretch and strength exercise.

[@inofen]

What is the benefit of training splits this way instead of the typical pasive way?

[@BodyweightWarrior]

The difference between passive stretching tends to generate your typical yogi of weak and floppy whereas active flexibility/mobility is about being strong through a range of motion.It's a subtle difference but none the less important. Active flexibility tends to also produce faster results too :)

[@edskodevries]

Really helpful video. Figure skating coach wants me to work on fronts splits, and I have a looong way to go :) Will stick with this routine for a while and see where I get :) Got two of the “Philosophy” T-shirts to support the channel :)

[@burthennouman4405]

do you do wushu cause i see that in some of your videos you've a feiyue shoe.

[@BodyweightWarrior]

I dont but the wushu shoes are a great minimalist shoe for a low price :)

[@ricardofrancosoto7590]

si tuvieras el video en castellano, seria formidable

[@cliveandersonjr.8758]

What does PNF stand for?

[@BodyweightWarrior]

Proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation, read a basic guide here: stretchcoach.com/articles/pnf-stretching/

[@cliveandersonjr.8758]

Tom Merrick Thanks man! Keep up the great work! 👍

[@poelimanjo]

Doing the front splits PNF my front leg starts shaking/trembling quite intensely. Is that normal?

[@alyagyzmova9252]

poelimanjo take it slow! I rushed into both of my front leg splits and I cracked a nerve on both of my leading legs, it was terrifying

[@dojajkox]

Guess this is not for inexperienced or tight. Same as ballistic stretching - advanced exclusive. It is really boring digging your way out of inflexibility hole up to the "stretching is fun" city.

[@BodyweightWarrior]

This could definitely be done regardless of ability. The stretches are all very scalable. The key is to start! Otherwise it will never change. Also stretching never gets any less painful hahaha

[@dojajkox]

Tom Merrick Hmm... I stopped stretching at all for some time. Can i start this way? I want to change something in relation to before. And umm... it doesn't stop being painful? That makes me feel better somehow hahaha

[@firstlast-wg2on]

+Boris Marjanovic Yeah, all exercise stays just as hard as the effort you put in, for example, my father told me a story about how he started cycling (road cycling), how he remembers starting; he was so tired and destroyed from how intense the exercise was (since it's pretty high intensity for a good few hours) he was looking at the other cyclists who were much better than him and asked "How long did you suffer before it got easier?" and they just laughed and said "It never gets easier, you just get faster". The same applies for all exercise and sports, it's never going to get easier for you if you're putting all of your passion into it, you'll get better, but you will still get tired. For example, even though Usain bolt can sprint faster than the average person, both Usain Bolt and the average person will still put in 100% of their power in that sprint, and will end up just as tired.

[@mariamllersrensen6572]

Hi Tom. Is it normal to have a "good" side and a "not so good" side? Can do a full front split with my left leg pointing forward. Still missing 10 cm with the right leg...Its much tighter...

[@raphaeld.s.1933]

Maria Møller Sørensen of course. I think everyone has his 'good' and 'bad' side :D

[@aidenlarsen4254]

Omg

[@sircalava9464]

are you also a gymnast or more a calisthenics athlete

[@BodyweightWarrior]

I'm not a gymnast but also not really a calisthenics athlete. I would say in between ;)

[@buggld]

Fuck me, even I can do the easier progression. Gonna try it, why not lol.

[@BodyweightWarrior]

Haha, get that mobility going!

[@vexylrei]

Don't mind me, just embracing the suck

[@cristianofurquimbianchini5842]

Side split*.

[@stephenrosado4228]

I did a split through the whole video

[@mathiaswiklund3026]

This is not nice.

[@aidenlarsen4254]

Omg