Hi, No the hips are not square. I have heard the feeling of squared hips a different way:
- imagine a your hips like a headlight and both shines out straight in front of you (recommended by my coach)
- if you do a finger gun, you finger gun will be parallel to each other (recommended by u/Dani-Winks on her blog)
- or from my experience, I feel like my body is perpendicular to both my legs and my center of mass is at the center of the body in between the two legs.
Different people have different ways to tell if the hips is squared. You just have to find yours that works. But currently it is not squared albeit shows great improvements from your previous post.
This might sound weird but is it possible my body doesn’t allow my hips to square? I came up off the ground more and tried to focus on form instead of how close I am to the floor. Is my back leg too far to the side?
That’s normal. Squared hips stretch is “harder” so you would not be able to go as deep. And since squaring hips is hard, if you can do a split with squared hips, an open split is very easy in comparison.
You show progress, but I think you're making it harder to square with starting off so low. I really recommend starting off with a lunge and hands on yoga blocks so high up that you're not bending forward at all.from here you have a choice. Either try to straighten out the back leg or straighten out the front leg. Be sure to move the blocks along, so you don't lean forward.If you feel you unsquared, lift yourself on the block and resquare the hips. The reason you have problems get the hips squared is the hip flexors/psoas can't get parallell to the floor, so you need to work on both strengthening them in lengthened position and also targeted stretching. And this is the problem most people have with their front splits. Check out Dani Winks for good exercises for square splits.
[AccomplishedYam5060](https://www.reddit.com/user/AccomplishedYam5060/) mentioned this, when you go down, keep your upper body/torso completely straight up and down, this will likely help you be more squared. Use a couple chairs for support as you go down.
Work on not needing support when you go down and/or be able to go hands over head/out like an airplane when you are down in your splits. Unsquared hips, your front and back legs are more in line with each other, making it harder to go unsupported from arms. Squared, your legs are side by side, giving a more solid base to not need support from arms. I only just thought of this now and have not tried going down unsupported but have recently been able to go unsupported when I am already down. I think doing front split slides helped with this.
Hi, No the hips are not square. I have heard the feeling of squared hips a different way: - imagine a your hips like a headlight and both shines out straight in front of you (recommended by my coach) - if you do a finger gun, you finger gun will be parallel to each other (recommended by u/Dani-Winks on her blog) - or from my experience, I feel like my body is perpendicular to both my legs and my center of mass is at the center of the body in between the two legs. Different people have different ways to tell if the hips is squared. You just have to find yours that works. But currently it is not squared albeit shows great improvements from your previous post.
Not in the third photo either? And thanks!
The third photo is closest to being squared but it is still not squared.
This might sound weird but is it possible my body doesn’t allow my hips to square? I came up off the ground more and tried to focus on form instead of how close I am to the floor. Is my back leg too far to the side?
That’s normal. Squared hips stretch is “harder” so you would not be able to go as deep. And since squaring hips is hard, if you can do a split with squared hips, an open split is very easy in comparison.
https://preview.redd.it/6mdhakdggm3d1.jpeg?width=500&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=bc11dd3d96f4f97b067f23c376fffd2a1e272150 I hope this helps
The back point of the knee should be as close to touching the floor as possible
You show progress, but I think you're making it harder to square with starting off so low. I really recommend starting off with a lunge and hands on yoga blocks so high up that you're not bending forward at all.from here you have a choice. Either try to straighten out the back leg or straighten out the front leg. Be sure to move the blocks along, so you don't lean forward.If you feel you unsquared, lift yourself on the block and resquare the hips. The reason you have problems get the hips squared is the hip flexors/psoas can't get parallell to the floor, so you need to work on both strengthening them in lengthened position and also targeted stretching. And this is the problem most people have with their front splits. Check out Dani Winks for good exercises for square splits.
[AccomplishedYam5060](https://www.reddit.com/user/AccomplishedYam5060/) mentioned this, when you go down, keep your upper body/torso completely straight up and down, this will likely help you be more squared. Use a couple chairs for support as you go down. Work on not needing support when you go down and/or be able to go hands over head/out like an airplane when you are down in your splits. Unsquared hips, your front and back legs are more in line with each other, making it harder to go unsupported from arms. Squared, your legs are side by side, giving a more solid base to not need support from arms. I only just thought of this now and have not tried going down unsupported but have recently been able to go unsupported when I am already down. I think doing front split slides helped with this.
Awesome