Stretches to be able to lift your leg behind?

Question

So I am in figure skating and just wanted to know some good stretches to be able to lift your leg high up behind not in front. Like when you are on one leg and you lift up your leg back by your back. Sorry it is so confusing kinda hard to explain!Also any tips for doing it?

Answer 1

Like how you do a leg lift...?

Answer 2

Ah you mean spirals! Fun stuff.

Ok:

First you need to be able lift it that high. So the key is flexibility. Practice those splits, BOTH ways. Get down as far as you can and hold as long as you can. Try to increase the length of time you hold it every day.

You can practice spirals on a wall. So face the opposite of the wall (Hold onto a chair so you dont fall) and put one of your legs up on to the wall. Now you can really press it, try to get your crotch as close to the wall as you can. It will just be a spiral, but just using the wall to stretch it. When holding onto the chair arch up as much as physically possible and hold it!

Part of the problem might be lack of muscle in the back/thighs. (i have that problem more than flexibility)

To help that (so you can hold your beautiful spiral up) this time face a chair/wall. Hold on the chair/counter/wall or whatever with your hands. So just lift your leg to about 90 degrees behind you so its parallel with the floor. HOLD IT AS LONG AS YOU CAN!! By this try for at least a few minutes. and its gonna BURN! but struggle through it.

Another variation, also extremely helpful: Stand, maybe hold on to a counter, and do the same thing, but this time with your leg in FRONT of you. So stand up straight and lift your leg so its parallel with the ground. This ones gonna burn and hurt even more, but you can handle it. No pain no gain.

Also just practice your spirals off ice. Hold onto a chair and arch your back and lift that leg up. Maybe get someone to push it up!

Answer 3

idk what ur trying to say

Answer 4

Good question!

Start by kneeling on the ground, sitting up with both knees directly under your hips.  Lift one leg forward and place your foot flat on the ground a few feet ahead of your knee (so you're basically kneeling on one knee).  Move your hips forward to stretch the hip flexors of the back leg.  When you get "good" at that, you'll need to intensify it a bit.  Start in the same position, but before you move your hips forward, raise your rear leg up (flex your knee) and grab your foot with your hand (right foot, right hand) and pull it towards your butt.  You should feel the stretch through your quads.

Also try doing backbends aka back bridges.  Hope this helps! :)

Answer 5

I watch figure skating a lot.

Looks like you are trying to attempt to do a Biellmann spin.

A Biellmann spin is a type of spin where the lifted leg is arched with a strongly arched back and both hands grasp the lifted leg's foot as the skater spins. This move requires very strong back flexibility and leg flexibility to make this successful. So that means lot of stretching and lots of practice!!

So......to get you started doing the Biellmann......

Start with "attitudes" (ballet) the usual way.

Then, do an arabesque (ballet) as usual as you see in ballet but try to bend that knee so that your leg is almost in attitude but vertically. This will take time.

After that, when your lower back is flexible enough after the exercise, try doing the same arabesque and start to use both hands to touch the lifted foot, and gradually stretch that leg.

But do it off the ice, and make sure that you master the basic

spin combinations in ice skating before you attempt the

Biellmann spin. Make sure you have a good repertoire of spins before you do the Biellmann spin, which will be the exciting finish to any ice skating spin combination.

Especially master the camel spin and the sit spin, as well as the back scratch.

Hope all of this helps.