Step one to getting a straight leg, straight arm straddle is warming up! Continue reading to see our go to warm up to get straddle-y.

15 Minute Warm Up to Get Into Your Deepest Straddle!

Whether your goals are deepening your straddle or to get a perfect straight leg inversion we all begin at our step one – warm up! Sometimes warm up can be the hardest part of our journey. Its the first part of our training and is usually accompanied by creaky bones and sore muscles, definitely not the sexiest part of aerial (unless you´re into that) ((we dont judge here)). But properly warming up is an important step in injury prevention, so I have made it easier for you with our super concise and easy to follow in our warm up video (link). Remember to trust the process and think of the warm up as the flour to your velvety chocolate stright leg inversion cake!

You can do the excercises in this video (link) everyday before sinking into your straddle. If something doesn’t feel good in your body, feel free to modify to work for you! Every body is built differently, and this warm up does not have to be a one size fits all. Take what you love and incorporate it into your daily practice. Now let’s get warm!!!

Straddle Warm Up Break Down:

  1. Spiderman Lunges
    • Right leg in front runner’s lunge and then open up into deep side/ spider lunge
    • Move to the left side spider lunge and into left leg runner’s lunge
    • Repeat this a few times and add in a few spinal twists or lizard lunges
  2. Butterfly Stretch
    • Move your torso around in a circle a few times in both directions
    • Use your hands to give your upper thighs and groin a massage
  3. Open Up to Straddle
    • Check in to make sure your legs are externally rotated
    • If your spine is collapsing, grab a block to sit on
    • Move your torso around in a circle a few times in both directions
  4. Drop into Pancake Stretch
    • Keep the circular movement in your torso as you slowly drop in
    • Stay here for a few minutes
    • If you feel pain in your knees, come out of your stretch and use your hands to externally rotate your thighs and lift your spine out of your pelvis and come down again
    • As you stay here, remember to lengthen through your legs and point your toes
  5. Left Side Stretch
    • Right arm reaches up and over
    • Left arm goes in front of the knee
    • Right hip reaches down towards the floor
    • Remember to straighten your legs and point your toes!
  6. Arm Circles
    • Press your left hand into the mat in front of you
    • Take your right hand in big circles in front of and behind you
    • Spiral your chest with your arm circles to deepen the stretch
    • Repreat circles five or so times
  7. Return to Left Side Stretch
    • Keep your chest open and spiraled toward the ceiling
    • Did I mention legs long and toes pointed?!!!
  8. Right Side Stretch
    • Left arm reaches up and over
    • Right arm goes in front of the knee
    • Left hip reaches down towards the floor
    • Remember to straighten your legs and point your toes!
  9. Arm Circles
    • Press your right hand into the mat in front of you
    • Take your left hand in big circles in front of and behind you
    • Spiral your chest with your arm circles to deepen the stretch
    • Repreat circles five or so times
  10. Return to Right Side Stretch
    • Keep your chest open and spiraled toward the ceiling
    • Have you forgotten about straight legs and pointed toes?
  11. Pancake Stretch (Again)
    • External rotation!!! and lengthen through the spine
    • We’ll be here a minute – optional to try and point and flex your feet!
  12. Shake It Out!
  13. Leg Straighteners
    • Come into an easy straddle
    • Put your hands behind you to help lengthen through the chest
    • Point your knees 20 times
    • Engage the lower quads to straighten the knees and release
  14. Hold Leg Straighteners
    • Straighten your knees, engage your quads and HOLD!
    • Point your toes!!! And keep your legs stright
    • Pull your belly in and lift up tall through the body
    • After about 15 seconds, flex your feet
    • aaaaaaand RELEASE!
  15. Shake It Out!
  16. Pancake Stretch!!!
    • (We already know our legs are straight and toes are pointed, right? This is how we train our legs to stay nice and long in the air!)
    • We’re going to hold here for 30 seconds
  17. Shake it Out!
  18. Straddle Splits
    • Slide down into your straddle
    • Hold here for 30 seconds
    • Aim your sitz bones behind you and your pubic bone towards the floor
    • Straight knees and pointed toes check!!!!!
  19. Froggie Stretch
    • From straddle, bend your legs and keep your feet behind you and flexed
    • Drop your pubic bone towards the floor, and there is the option to add some forward and back movement with the pelvis
    • Keep your hips in between your knees and hold for 15 seconds

Feel free to do this set two more times if you have the time! Don’t forget to supplement these stretches with a bunch of pigeon stretches, spinal twists, side bending. Remember to roll out your hips as well!

Great technique is key for improving your straddle

Focusing on technique is a great way to stack your training and level up faster. Find out all the tricks of the trade in my straddle inversion technique video.

Once you are warm

We are finally ready to drop in! For all of these exercises pay special attention to your knees. Focus on keeping your legs straight and not letting them bend so that we build good habits now! We are training our legs to stay straight and toes pointed throughout all these drills. Follow along with this video on my Youtube.

For more straddle inversion drills, see my straddle inversion technique videos:

Wrapping it up

Remember to be consistent in your practice to really see some serious progress in your straddles. Make the hard parts of circus fun by playing some music and putting your favorite essential oil into the diffuser. Learning to love the warm up

The best way to build up the strength and endurance for a straight leg inversion is to PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE!!! DO THESE EXERCISES REGULARLY with a clear focus. The drills I have given you are focused on gaining more active flexibility, not just passive flexibility, so we do not hurt ourselves in the air. And active flexibility training is very hard work. You might even sweat. lol. Set yourself up for success. Start where you are and progress your drills as you get more flexible and strong. Do your exercises consistently 2-5 times per week, and you will start to see a difference after a few weeks/months. If you don’t see a difference, it is time to work in person with a coach. Come train with me at one of my upcoming programs at Casa Chango Mexico!

I hope to see you soon at one of my Sweet Retreats live aerial intensives at Casa Chango Mexico.
Enjoy the process!