Training guide
Most people can get much closer to the splits with regular stretching and strength work, but it takes months rather than days, and no study has timed it. The front split depends mostly on the hamstrings and hip flexors, which respond well to training. The middle (side) split depends more on the shape of your hip joints, so some adults may never sit flat in one, although that evidence is indirect.
This guide explains the difference between the two splits, what limits each, our estimated timeline, the stretches and strength moves that help, and how to avoid the slow-stretching hamstring strains that can take months to heal. It ends with a routine that alternates a front-split day and a middle-split day.
The front split stretches the front leg's hamstrings and the back leg's hip flexors at the same time. The middle (side) split opens both hips out sideways and depends on the inner-thigh muscles and on how far your hip sockets let the thigh bones swing out. Hamstrings and hip flexors respond well to stretch training.
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In professional ballet dancers with normal hips, the splits pressed the neck of the thigh bone against the rim of the socket and shifted the ball slightly out of it. Hip shape varies a lot between healthy adults and changes how far the hip can move, and stretching doesn't change bone. So some adults may never sit flat in a middle split. This evidence is indirect, and no study has measured how many people it applies to.
No trial has measured how long the splits take. Regular stretching adds roughly 10 to 20 degrees of hamstring range in 4 to 6 weeks. Our estimate from that: a few weeks to a few months if you're close, many months to a year or more from a stiff start, and often longer for the middle split, which isn't always flat.
Stretch the hamstrings, hip flexors and inner thighs on most days, holding 30 to 120 seconds, and add strength in the stretched position. In dance students, end-range strength training improved how high they could lift the leg themselves more than moderate-to-hard stretching did.
Slow, forced stretching with a straight knee can strain the hamstring tendon high near the sitting bone: professional dancers injured this way took a median of 50 weeks to get back to their previous level. Harder stretching added no range in trials, so stretch to a clear pull and never bounce.
The front split (Hanumanasana in yoga) has one leg forward and one back, both straight, with the hips facing forward. The front leg needs hip bend with a straight knee, which stretches the hamstrings and the sciatic nerve that runs behind them. The back leg needs hip extension, which stretches the hip flexors: the iliopsoas deep in the hip and the rectus femoris, the thigh muscle that crosses both hip and knee.
The middle split (also called the side split or straddle split) takes both legs out to the sides until the inner thighs approach the floor. It needs the inner-thigh (adductor) muscles to lengthen, and the hip sockets to let the thigh bones swing out that far. Coaches often tip the pelvis forward and turn the thighs out, knees towards the ceiling, to change which tissues limit the position. That is coaching practice, not something studies have tested.
The pancake is a seated wide straddle with the trunk folding forward between the legs. It stretches the inner thighs and hamstrings together and is a common stepping stone to the middle split.
Motion capture of 11 professional ballet dancers, applied to 3D models of their own hips, found that the front and side splits often pressed the neck of the thigh bone against the rim of the socket, mainly at its top and back, and shifted the ball out of the socket by about 1 to 6 mm. All the dancers' hips were normal in shape. MRI scans of dancers in the split position showed a mean shift of about 2 mm.
These are small studies from one research group, in people doing extreme positions for a living.
In computer simulations using bone alone, hips with impingement shapes had less bend, inward rotation and sideways opening than normal hips, while shallow sockets allowed more range than usual. The angle of the thigh bone's neck varies by up to 30 degrees between healthy adults, and passive, non-surgical methods don't change it.
Putting these together, how far your hip can open sideways is partly set by bone you can't stretch, and some adults may never sit flat in a middle split however they train. This is an inference from indirect evidence: dancer imaging, bone-only simulations of hip patients and anatomy reviews. No study has tested it in ordinary adults learning the splits, or measured how many people it applies to.
The front split depends more on muscles and nerves that respond to training, which is likely why many adults find it more reachable, though that hasn't been tested head to head either.
In a review of single stretching sessions, hip adductor range didn't change measurably, though only 4 studies tested it, while hamstring and calf range did. We found no long-term trials of stretching for the middle split.
No trial has measured how long it takes to achieve either split. The only splits trials we found are two tiny studies of stretching with vibration in gymnasts. General stretching trials gained roughly 10 to 20 degrees of hamstring range in 4 to 6 weeks.
This is our estimate, extrapolated from the trials above. Progress varies a lot between people, so use it as a rough guide, not a deadline.
Measure once a week, at the same time of day after the same warm-up: the height of your hips from the floor, or the blocks you need (our suggestion).
For the front split: the hip flexors of the back leg and the hamstrings of the front leg. For the middle split: the inner thighs and the hamstrings. Holding stretches (static stretching) and contract-relax stretching, a form of PNF (proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation), built the most lasting range in trials.
The expert panel suggests 2 to 3 sets of 30 to 120 seconds per muscle every day for the biggest ranges. One large meta-regression, an analysis of how results change with the dose, found gains peaked at about 10 minutes per muscle a week, but it conflicts with two other reviews, and the authors of one review warn that their findings may not apply when extreme flexibility is the goal. Nobody has tested a dose for the splits, so our suggestion is to stretch the key muscles most days, as the panel advises.
In 39 dance students over 6 weeks, end-range hip flexor strength training and gentle stretching both improved active range, how high they could lift the leg themselves, more than moderate-to-hard stretching did; all three improved passive range. Strength training through a full range and slow lowering (eccentric) work add passive range about as well as stretching does.
Examples: Nordic curls and Romanian deadlifts for the hamstrings, deep split squats for the back leg's hip flexors, and Cossack squats, Copenhagen planks and the active pancake lift-off for the inner thighs.
Stretch to a clear pull you can breathe through, never pain. Harder stretching added no range in two large reviews, and slow, forced stretching with a straight knee is how dancers strain the high hamstring tendon.
Stretching is most effective when the muscle is warm. Do 3 to 5 minutes of easy movement and leg swings first (our suggestion, as in the routine below).
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Our editorial session, with doses from each move's page:
Alternate it with the front-split session 3 or 4 times a week, with a few minutes in the hip flexor stretch and the pancake on other days (our suggestion):
3 to 5 minutes before you stretch: 60 seconds of marching, 10 leg swings each leg, 2 slow hip circles each way and 3 world's greatest stretches each side (our suggestion, from the site's warm-ups).
2 to 3 holds of 30 to 60 seconds on most days (our starting point). Practise the split itself on blocks, only as low as you can hold with steady breathing.
3D demoHalf-kneeling hip flexor stretchBeginner · No equipment
3D demoCouch stretchIntermediate · A wall
3D demoLow lunge (Anjaneyasana)Beginner · No equipment
3D demoLizard Pose (Utthan Pristhasana)Intermediate · No equipment
3D demoContract-relax hamstring stretch (PNF)Intermediate · No equipment
3D demoPyramid pose (Parsvottanasana)Intermediate · No equipment
3D demoStanding splits (Urdhva Prasarita Eka Padasana)Advanced · No equipment
Front splits (Hanumanasana)Advanced · No equipmentTwice a week, 2 to 3 sets, lowering slowly (our starting point): strength in the stretched position builds range you can use.
3D demoNordic curlAdvanced · An anchor point
3D demoSlider hamstring curl, lowering onlyBeginner · No equipment
3D demoDumbbell Romanian deadliftIntermediate · A dumbbell
3D demoATG split squatAdvanced · No equipment
3D demoStanding hand-to-big-toe pose (Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana)Advanced · No equipmentWiden over weeks, not in one session, and stop at any pinch at the front of the hip.
3D demoFrog rockIntermediate · No equipment
3D demoBound angle pose (Baddha Konasana)Beginner · No equipment
3D demoWide-angle seated forward fold (Upavistha Konasana)Intermediate · No equipment
3D demoWide-legged standing forward fold (Prasarita Padottanasana)Beginner · No equipment
3D demoPancake good morningIntermediate · No equipment
Middle splits (side splits)Expert · No equipmentStart the Copenhagen plank with the knee supported, and expect sore inner thighs at first.
3D demoCossack squatIntermediate · No equipment
3D demoCopenhagen plankAdvanced · A bench or box
3D demoLying adductor ball squeezeBeginner · Other / check instructions
3D demoActive pancake lift offAdvanced · No equipment
3D demoGoddess pose (Utkata Konasana)Beginner · No equipment
3D demo90/90 hip lift-offIntermediate · No equipmentThe splits routine alternates a front-split day and a middle-split day, 3 or 4 times a week; the other routines suit the days in between.
Front-split and middle-split days: hip flexor, hamstring and inner-thigh stretches, then strength in the stretched position. Alternate them 3 to 4 times a week.
25 minIntermediate16 movesA wall, An anchor pointA 12-minute routine to loosen tight hamstrings with strap stretches, PNF, folds and hinges.
12 minBeginner7 movesNo equipmentA hip-opening yoga sequence: low lunge, lizard, goddess, pigeon, bound angle and happy baby.
20 minBeginner7 movesNo equipmentA 15-minute hip opener: 90/90 switches, windshield wipers, CARs, Cossack squats, frog and pigeon.
15 minIntermediate8 movesA wallIn 15 professional dancers injured while stretching slowly with a straight knee, every strain sat high near the sitting bone, and most involved the tendon of one hamstring muscle (the semimembranosus). Symptoms were mild at first, yet the median time back to their previous level was 50 weeks (range 30 to 76), against 16 weeks for sprinters' hamstring strains. Our hamstring strain guide has the rehab plan.
In 652 male semi-professional footballers, one adductor exercise, the Copenhagen adduction, done 3 times a week before the season and weekly during it, cut groin problems by 41%. Stretching programmes haven't prevented sports injuries.
Work below the pinch rather than into it: stretching into it doesn't change bone shape. If hip pinching keeps happening, see our hip impingement guide.
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Don't attempt the splits, pigeon or deep hip bends unless your surgical team clears it. During recovery, the NHS says not to bend your hip more than 90 degrees (a right angle) and not to sit with your legs crossed.
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After an injury, if you heard a crack, the leg has changed shape or is pointing at an odd angle, it is numb, tingling or has pins and needles, or the skin has turned blue or grey or feels cold.
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A pop, sharp pain or sudden weakness high at the back of the thigh near the sitting bone, or a large bruise there, needs checking the same day: the tendon may have pulled away from the bone. Get help from NHS 111 if a strain is very painful, badly swollen or bruised, or hurts to walk or stand. Stretch-type strains can feel mild at first and still take months to heal.
Sudden groin pain while stretching or kicking needs NHS 111 if it's very painful. See a GP about a lump in the groin. Our groin strain guide has more.
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A deep pinch or catching at the front of the hip in the middle split can come from the joint itself. Work above the pinch, and see a GP or physiotherapist if it keeps happening (our suggestion).
We found no evidence on the splits in pregnancy. Keep stretches comfortable and follow our pregnancy guide.
No trial has timed the splits. One stretching session adds range for under half an hour, and 4 to 6 weeks of regular stretching adds roughly 10 to 20 degrees of hamstring range. Only people who are nearly there already are likely to get the splits within weeks (our inference).
Even professional dancers with normal hips reach bone-on-bone contact and a slight shift of the ball in the socket in the side split. Hip shape varies between people and changes how far the hip can move, and stretching doesn't change it. The evidence is indirect, but a flat middle split isn't guaranteed.
Harder stretching added no range in two large reviews, and slow, forced hamstring stretching can cause a strain high on the hamstring that took dancers a median of 50 weeks to recover from.
End-range strength training improved active range more than moderate-to-hard stretching in dance students, and strength training through a full range adds passive range as well.
Elite dancers, who do extreme splits for a living, had more cartilage damage at the top of the hip socket than non-dancers (28.8% vs 7.1% had lesions over 5 mm), and their hips reached impingement at end range. There are no data on people practising the splits recreationally. Work below any pinch rather than avoiding the splits altogether (our suggestion).
No study has measured it. Our estimate, from trials that added roughly 10 to 20 degrees of hamstring range in 4 to 6 weeks: weeks to a few months if you're close, and many months to a year or more from a stiff start. The middle split often takes longer, and indirect evidence suggests some people's hips may not allow a flat one.
Most people can get much closer, but not everyone may get flat, especially in the middle split. Even in professional dancers, the thigh bone meets the rim of the hip socket at the end of a split, and hip shape varies a lot between people. That evidence is indirect, and no study has measured how many adults can do either split.
For most adults, probably the front split, because it depends mainly on the hamstrings and hip flexors, which respond well to training. The middle split depends more on the shape of your hip joints. This is a reasonable inference from the evidence rather than a tested comparison.
Not usually, unless you're already nearly there. One stretching session adds range for less than half an hour, and lasting change builds over weeks to months of regular practice.
For the front split: a hip flexor stretch, a contract-relax hamstring stretch and pyramid pose. For the middle split: frog rocks, the wide-angle seated fold (the pancake) and pancake good mornings. Add strength in the stretched position, such as Nordic curls, Cossack squats and Copenhagen planks.
Usually a mix of short inner-thigh muscles, low tolerance to the stretch and, for some people, hip bones that stop the thigh swinging any further out, though that last part rests on indirect evidence. A pinch at the front of the hip means you've reached the joint, so work below it.
Most days. The expert panel suggests 2 to 3 sets of 30 to 120 seconds per muscle daily for the biggest ranges, plus strength work in the stretched position. Our routine alternates a front-split day and a middle-split day, 3 or 4 times a week, with a few minutes of stretching on the days between.
Not for most people practising sensibly, but the end of a split is a bony limit. Professional dancers, who do extreme splits for a living, show more cartilage wear at the top of the hip socket than non-dancers; there are no data for recreational practice. Never force past a pinch.
Yes: in our estimate, many adults can learn the front split and a wide straddle with months of regular practice, and age didn't change how much people gained from stretching in trials. Expect slower progress than a child or a dancer, and know that a flat middle split isn't guaranteed.
Stop stretching it. Stretch-type hamstring strains sit high near the sitting bone and took dancers months to recover from, even though they felt mild at first. Get help from NHS 111 if it's very painful, badly swollen or bruised, or hurts to walk; a pop near the sitting bone needs checking the same day.
Yes. Stretching works best when your muscles are warm, so do a few minutes of easy movement and leg swings first. Our splits routine starts with a short warm-up.
A seated wide straddle with the trunk folding forward between the legs. It stretches the inner thighs and hamstrings together and is a stepping stone to the middle split. Fold from the hips, and sit on a cushion if your back rounds.
Exercise education, not a personal prescription, and clinical review of these guides is pending. Check with a GP before starting hard training if you have a heart condition, chest pain, dizziness or breathlessness when active, and stop for sharp or increasing pain. Health disclaimer.
