Straddle-Up vs Side Split: What You Must Know The straddle-up is a great exercise to build strength for your side split. But remember this: a suspended side split is extremely intense. You are stretching and contracting at the same time, which means you need a lot of strength and active control 💪. When you train your deepest range, passive work often feels better. Relaxing into the stretch allows your muscles to lengthen fully, because a muscle cannot lengthen at its maximum if it is contracted