There is another factor that determines the limit and that is age. The older you are, the less flexibility you can achieve because as you age you will lose flexibility. Let's say on a scale of 0 to 100 where 100 is your genetic limit and because you never conditioned yourself in terms of flexibility you are at 40. If you were a child to about a teenage, chances are very good with proper training you can get to or near to 100. But if you were in your 30's or older, your genetic limit will no longer be 100 but drop to maybe around 70 or less so even if you did start stretching the best you can achieve would be 70.
What this means is that when you are young such as a small child to about your teens, that is the time in your life where you body can be most easily conditioned to approach you flexibility limit. That's why ballerinas and gymnasts start very young so that can get the most out of those years. As they age, they too will lose some flexibility but because they had conditioned their body to the fullest limit they still retain more flexibility than someone who never trained their body or trained later in their years.
Genetically some people are more flexible than others but that does not mean that you can not get better at it through practicing. We always want something easy and if it is hard we make some stupid excuse to justify our lack of ability rather than struggle. Pretty pathetic if you think about it.
There is a strong element of genetics, because your range of movement is limited by your bone structure. However pretty much anyone can achieve left and right splits if they train for it and most people, particularly women can achieve box splits if they train for it. Those that can't can get to within a few inches of box splits if they train and turn out their legs.
The physical limitations on spinal flexibility are much stronger. The hip is a ball joint so there's a lot you can do to improve your flexibility there. Same for shoulders.
Using genetics as a limitation is absolute rubbish. Like Bruce Lee said, Mind over matter. You think all these gymnasts were born with the ability to do all the crap they do? I doubt it, ask them how many hours of practice they put it to be able to do those things.
Genetics is the foundation, but you an always build on that foundation.
No it's not. Some people really are just terrible but that only makes them give up. If you practice everyday in something like yoga. You will eventually get better. I try to practice yoga daily. Before I did I struggled to make my round kicks reach someones shoulder but after a year of yoga I can hit the head easy. It made me more balanced and flexible.
just stretch every day thats what i do
My coach says that flexibility is mostly determined by genetics and if you are not flexible enough to do a full leg spread chances are you ll never be no matter how hard you try... Is this true?
