Why can't we stretch the muscles in the twine? Why do some people manage to get the long-awaited twine in a month, while others cannot achieve it in a year?
Let's try to figure out in simple terms why some quickly get beautiful splits, while someone goes to this for a long time? Your body can constantly resist, screaming: "No, this will not happen!" and the reason for this is the reverse stretching reflex - "Golgi reflex" (autogenous inhibition). Every cell in the body has a Golgi system that protects our stretch. When you decide to do the splits (and, of course, in the shortest possible time), the system starts working and says: "No! No! No! We will not let you stretch and get injured." Indeed, from the point of view of our body, any excessive load is stress and trauma for the muscles.
For example: Imagine a dog lying quietly. These are your cells when you are not stretching. Imagine a dog that is lying and raised its muzzle, pricked up its ears and listens to who is walking there, isn't it time to run and defend the house? When there is nothing dangerous, she calms down. This is when you just stretch without fanaticism. Imagine a dog lying and suddenly a noise, She ran to the door to bark and defend the house - this is when you stretch too much and want to increase the amplitude as much and quickly as possible. This is how the Golgi system works.
What can you do to deceive this peculiar reflex and stretch for a split?
1) You need to stretch at the middle level or below. Then the system is alert, but does not turn on the blockage through nerve impulses.
2) If this is not enough, and you want to get the long-awaited split in the shortest possible time, you need to use pressure from the outside (when the coach pulls or presses the load), but increasing the time approach to the exercise. There will be an adaptation of the neuromuscular spindles to stretching and the activation of the neuromuscular spindles (due to the tension of the stretched muscle) and autogenous inhibition. When the muscles relax (after 60 seconds on average) and allow the stretching amplitude to be increased to a new limit, then the hold can be repeated in the new position. This is how the system is used in professional sports by gymnasts, ballet dancers and other athletes where flexibility is essential.
