01-10-09 12:54 PM - Post#517509    

Attaching a free 47-page Self Myofascial Release ebook, compliments of Mike Robertson. He discusses foam rolling, plus using a tennis ball, golf ball and some of the other self-massage tools we regularly discuss.

02-04-09 12:39 PM - Post#524886    

Nick Tumminello has a nice discussion of how to advance past the foam roller, and why:

07-01-09 03:08 PM - Post#563684    

From Kinetic Loop Training, here's How to Build Your Own Foam Roller.

07-03-09 01:27 AM - Post#563957    

i have now been body rolling for over a year. i started with the foam rollers, then started using a hard water bottle. within a month, i had changed over to pvc pipe, along with the stick for a couple areas.

what i found was that i was not getting permanent results with the foam. once i went to pvc, i got truly permanent results.

my rolling/stretching on the mat is about a 3-hour routine. throughout 9 months of the year, i do this almost daily.

i roll on almost all parts of my body with pvc. once you get used to it, it is much, much better than foam. it also rolls back and forth without skipping. you will need to get different circumference pipes for the various areas.

i think the 2 areas where a person may get the most benefit, and better able to realize the benefit of rolling is the bottom of the feet, and the back.

for the feet, get a 1-inch pvc. for the back, try a 4-inch pvc.

the smaller the diameter of pipe, the stronger the massage.

one very important technique on all parts of the body. roll back and forth on just a few inches at a time. all those instruction manuals show going over the full body part, back and forth. i find that not nearly as good.

even on the feet, i break it up into 3 or 4 sections.

i give massages to people at the gym. of about a dozen people, i have never had one that did not thoroughly like it.

there are techniques one can use to vary the pressure you exert on your body, so it does not have to be your full body weight pressing down.

it is very difficult to get enough pressure on your hamstrings and calves. for awhile, i was placing weights on top of my legs, but simply got tired of the complication. so i just use the stick on my hamstrings, and a 1-inch pvc on my calves.

i tend to like the pvc better than the stick, but in some places the pvc tends to rub the skin raw, because it sticks to the skin as it rubs across.

good luck rolling.

07-03-09 08:28 AM - Post#563984    

I picked up the combo pack of myo-balls from the web site that Laree posted in another thread ( http://shiatsubag.com/main/page_myo_balls.html ). They hurt so good :).

My foam roller has compressed quite a bit but the big firm yellow ball holds it's shape.

"Mens sana in corpore sano" ---- "Simply being amid the iron and at work is a triumph. You hear the metal, feel its coolness, leverage its gravity and fight the fight. You finish with a smile somewhere on your face and joy someplace in your heart and an ache of fulfillment all over."

07-03-09 01:13 PM - Post#564041    

• FoamRoller Said:

A 3-hour daily routine? Seems like you're not spending your time wisely to be honest. After all this time at it, you should be well enough invested to be able to get the same results in just a few minutes.

07-03-09 01:54 PM - Post#564058    

i guess it just depends on one's priorities.

hopefully, others may get some benefit by adding rolling to their daily routine.

i think that flexibility and a relaxed body is crucial, if one's goal is to feel better and operate optimally.

if a person was to actually roll on pvc for an hour each day, i suspect that they would have a tremendously different perspective on rolling than they currently have.

07-14-09 08:32 PM - Post#566445    

New technique for rolling the inner thigh -- outstanding idea from Eric Beard.

07-15-09 12:22 AM - Post#566481    

did i understand him to say that one should have roughly the same degree of movement in both directions ?

07-15-09 11:08 AM - Post#566535    

Yes, that's how I took that. I'd shoot for similar -- I doubt many people will have identical interior and exterior rotation. Bringing the faulty direction closer to the optimal is a good goal.

07-15-09 05:32 PM - Post#566602    

gosh laree,

i must be somewhat different. when in that position, i can rotate 90 degrees inward, such that my leg is perpendicular to my body, foot resting on other leg.

but my outward rotation is only slightly better than the girl in the video.

i can hardly imagine being able to rotate 90 degrees outward, or even close to it.

as you know, i do all sorts of stretches. but it seems as though i am not doing an outward stretch.

what sort of stretches do people typically do to make that more flexible ?

btw, my knee and shoulder have both improved, such that while not perfect, they cause me such little problem that i tend to forget all about it.

07-16-09 10:06 PM - Post#566860    

FoamRoller - why do you find that PVC gives more permanent results? I'm doing the roller for my IT band but I find that if I miss a couple days my knee goes back to being an issue. Is it just that the PVC results stay around longer?

You should never drink, and bake. -Arnold in Raw Deal

07-16-09 10:51 PM - Post#566868    

i can only speculate. but because pvc is harder, i think it may work more deeply in the tissue, and possibly affects the tissue in ways that foam does not.

if you try pvc, go for just a minute or so on any particular area, and wait until the next day. it seems to be quite variable as to how long it takes to get used to it - no sense overdoing it.

you may find one area acclimates quickly, while another takes quite a bit of time.

07-17-09 12:02 AM - Post#566877    

Do you find the same thing, that if you miss a couple of days the tendons get quite tight again?

You should never drink, and bake. -Arnold in Raw Deal

07-17-09 12:51 AM - Post#566880    

no, not at all. my whole body has been changed by rolling on pvc.

07-17-09 12:58 AM - Post#566881    

let me add something. tendons are the two ends of our muscle-tendon system.

tendons dont actually "get tight", as they have very little stretch to them. much of our tendon issues comes from the fact that our muscle tissue is too tight, thereby exerting a pulling force on our tendons, that dont want to be yanked on.

i am beginning to suspect that your problem may be more due to being inadequately stretched out, or flexible.

that would certainly explain why rolling only lasts a short while. the rolling relaxes the tissue, and probably makes you feel better. but rolling does not actual make the muscle tissue more flexible.

it does relax it to the point that you will be able to stretch more effectively after rolling. but you still have to stretch.

both rolling and stretching play very crucial roles towards making us feel good. but the roles are completely separate. one does not replace the other.

07-17-09 06:38 AM - Post#566889    

• nvan Said:

I found that rolling, even on PVC or with a lacrosse ball, was only giving me enough loosening effect to get through the next workout. Ultimately, it took some brutal deep tissue massage to get rid of the knots in the quads and ITBs. My chiropractor did it, he is a big boy with a mean streak and pointy elbows. No fun at all but this is what worked for me.

Another thing to consider is that some other weakness, tightness, or instability in the body is generating that tension in the ITB / TFL / VL and until you correct that root cause, the problem will recur. Could be something above or below - ankle or hip - that is causing trouble. The first places I'd look would be the calves and the hip aBductors.

The most important test a lifter has to pass is the test of time. -Jon Cole

07-17-09 10:01 PM - Post#567108    

Ah ok. Thanks guys. I assumed that the roller was stretching things out - but maybe I should be viewing it as a loosener instead. It's frustrating that there's no 'one cure' but I guess that's the name of the game.

You should never drink, and bake. -Arnold in Raw Deal

07-18-09 12:16 AM - Post#567118    

here is a short, but very good article on fascia.

http://www.selfcare4rsi.com/fascia.html

because there are various levels of depth of the fascia, it is easy to see why pvc works over foam.

it also supports the point that ccrow brought up about one part of the body causing a pain somewhere else down the line.

07-24-09 08:18 PM - Post#568869    

• FoamRoller Said:

I think that's pretty common, not so different at all.

Since you spend so much time on rolling, I'm guessing Eric's technique didn't do much for you. You tried it, then testing the rotation again?

If that's the case, it's probably not a tightness issue with you (while it will be for many, if not most). Instead, it's some type of weakness -- you're loose enough to relax into outward rotation, but maybe not "strong" enough on the outer leg muscles to pull. I'm putting the strong in quotes because it may be either lacking in muscular strength, or simple just a weak brain-to-muscle connection. The brain's forgotten how to access the less-often-used muscles at the outside of the hip.

07-26-09 05:40 PM - Post#569170    

So, when dealing with a problem area, would the correct sequence be:

1. foam roll
2. stretch
3. rehab exercise(s)
4. stretch
5. foam roll?

Be strong. Be in shape. Be a man among men, regardless of your age or circumstances.

07-26-09 06:07 PM - Post#569174    

For me it's more like foam roll, myo-ball roll, ibuprofen. :P

"Mens sana in corpore sano" ---- "Simply being amid the iron and at work is a triumph. You hear the metal, feel its coolness, leverage its gravity and fight the fight. You finish with a smile somewhere on your face and joy someplace in your heart and an ache of fulfillment all over."

07-26-09 06:30 PM - Post#569180    

• AAnnunz Said:

I don't think you can really say that, Al. Many of our troubles don't need stretching at all. You could roll, rehab, roll, and let the "rehab" be stretching and/or strengthening -- a lot of times it might mean stretching on one side and strengthening on the other.

Foam Roller
07-26-09 08:28 PM - Post#569189    

Thanks. I never thought of treating two sides differently.

By the way, tried Eric's inner thigh roll this evening. It's a keeper.

Edit (next evening): Adductor is 50% better than it was yesterday. Who'da thunk?

Be strong. Be in shape. Be a man among men, regardless of your age or circumstances.

07-26-09 09:36 PM - Post#569207    

hi laree,

yes, i already do an inner thigh roll, much like the video. but i am on my tummy, like an army crawl position - hip to knee somewhat perpendicular to the body, and then knee to foot somewhat parallel to the body. i have a fair amount of flexibility on that one.

but i also have a ton of sport playing in my life, which is why my shoulders are still not as flexible as many others. the first time i saw that guy clap his hands at shoulder height, i just had an almost intuitive understanding of just what great movement he has in his shoulder. plus he had a fair amount of muscle mass - at least a lot more than i do.

i guess we will always have our own individual weaknesses, or things that are more difficult for us to do, than other things.

but i like to try and at least work on some of my weaknesses. for example, i cant even meet my fingers (i think the cow posture) when you try to clasp hands in the back (one arm going up and the other arm coming down).

my arm coming down is okay, but the movement going up is poor. right now, i hold onto a rope that i toss over a bar - so as when one arm comes down, the other arm is being pulled up.

Re: Foam Roller
10-27-09 01:38 AM - Post#586139    

this past week, i have added a 45 pound plate on my torso, while rolling on my back on the pvc.

again, i have noticed a considerable difference - good difference.

this is a bit surprising, but i had not reached the full depth of massage that i could by just pressing on the pvc. the extra weight is still improving the situation.

i doubt if i will try any extra weight for at least a year. i want to give this a full year, to see if it starts giving me any problems, or whether i continue to benefit.

i have been on the pvc now, for over a year - so i think i can safely say that that will be okay for my lifetime.

some positions you can really push with a lot of force, while others not much more than the weight of your body. i can push some while on my back, but the weight makes it so that i am not pushing at all - simply rolling.

but i am rolling now on even a smaller area on each roll - maybe just a few inches at a time - especially on my lower back.

i will repeat - when doing a "hard roll", the instance where one may feel some discomfort is when rolling off an area. so if you just roll on a small area, you dont roll off, until you are completely finished.

just as with stretching, this is a slow, SLOW exercise.

Re: Foam Roller
12-22-09 12:10 AM - Post#595931    

recent update - i changed from 1 45 to 2 25s, simply because the size of the plate was too large for my torso, and what i wanted to do.

these past few weeks, i have updated my routine.

i first roll with 1 25-pound plate.

then i use 2.

and then i use 3.

my back is such that i can fairly easily roll with both 1 and 2 plates. once i get 3 plates, i roll both very slowly and over a very short area at a time.

but this is exactly how using 2 plates had been only a month before.

the difference i feel afterwards is unbelievably good. i just dont know if my body has ever felt like this before.

rolling has been a life-changing event.

my research has shown me that our interconnective tissue weighs about 20% of our total weight, so it is a substantial part of our body.

for the most part, interconnective tissue consists of deep tissue fascia, tendons and ligaments. (we also have a different type of fascia that surrounds our organs).

but these 3 parts of interconnective tissue are all made principally of collagen, with varying amounts of elastin, to give it some stretch.

the fascia wraps around muscle tissue, so it has the most elastin. and tendons are supposed to have even less elastin than ligaments.

but all 3 of these things make up our interconnective tissue, and it truly interconnects throughout our entire body, helping to give us shape and form.

Re: Foam Roller
01-04-10 09:16 PM - Post#597921    

Late to the party, but any recommendations on purchasing a foam roller?

I'm inclined to get the Foam Roller Plus here.

Although, this bad boy looks interesting. It's length and surface texture make me wary of it. Length because I feel it might not cover all of my upper back when rolling.

"Imagination is more important than knowledge. For knowledge is limited, whereas imagination embraces the entire world, stimulating progress, giving birth to evolution." - Albert Einstein http://nielpatel.blogspot.com

01-05-10 11:59 AM - Post#598065    

Get the Perform Better one. I like the grid a lot, but wouldn't start with it.

01-05-10 01:37 PM - Post#598094    

Thanks Laree. I ordered it just now.

"Imagination is more important than knowledge. For knowledge is limited, whereas imagination embraces the entire world, stimulating progress, giving birth to evolution." - Albert Einstein http://nielpatel.blogspot.com

01-17-10 12:46 AM - Post#600598    

boy, today i reached the plateau where i can more easily roll with all 3 plates.

it is amazing just how deep our fascia tissue goes.

even to me, it seems like it would be painful rolling on such a hard surface with that much weight.

you do need to build up to it - but man, what a difference.

i could probably go up to 100 pounds, now - but i dont know if i can deal with the balancing of 4 plates on me. i am not a big person by any means.

which is why i cant use 45 pound plates - that simply covers too much of my torso, such that i can not move comfortably.

someone suggested using one of the bigger dumbbells. i may try that, but i dont think that is gonna be as good as plates stacked together.

in any case, for those of you who are doing some rolling, keep at it - it will do wonders for you.

Best Foam Roller Book and DVD?
01-31-10 08:44 PM - Post#603135    

Hi,

Any recommendations on both the best book and DVD for use of the foam roller? It would be great to have something on the TV as I do the rolling techniques and the book would be good for on the go.

Preferably, I would like something that helps focus on myofascial release, specifically for back and leg pain -- but more importantly is something of quality.

Thanks!

02-01-10 01:49 AM - Post#603157    

Well this isn't a DVD, but Mike Robertson made an e-book a while back on this very topic. Best of all is that it's free! Here ya go:

http://www.robertsontrainingsystems.com/downloads/SMR-manual.pdf

02-01-10 11:00 AM - Post#603206    

Yes, grab Mike's free ebook and read/scan it, but foam rolling to a dvd is not the way to go. Really, learning how to do this just takes a little time -- a couple of weeks practice. If you were to try to follow along, you'd miss the learning; you need to pay attention to feel what's going on, and that wouldn't happen very well if you were following instructions coming at you verbally. Additionally, the real value in rolling is zeroing in on needy spots, and how would you do that if the dvd was moving along to another area?

Take an hour tonight and let yourself relax into the process. That's all you'll need.

02-01-10 04:12 PM - Post#603275    

• Laree Said:

Yeah, for me it's really a process that you kind of need to "feel your way through". Once you hit enough painful spots, then you start to figure out what you are looking for and what you're trying to get out of this.

02-03-10 09:58 AM - Post#603603    

Thanks everyone!

Foam Roller
08-04-12 09:28 AM - Post#741764    

Something new for the rolling implement toolbox!

Balls on a rope, yeah, no kidding, that's the name of it. But it's cool, I promise.



http://ow.ly/1OoKlK

Re: Foam Roller
11-25-12 09:52 PM - Post#754164    

Amazing results with my 6 inch roller. Cracks old adhesions along with the release of tension. A friend stopped by and had a 30% increase in mood and energy after using it. I see on the 1st page there is a website showing how to release all muscle groups.

12-01-12 11:12 PM - Post#754965    

I recently purchased a Perform Better Foam Roller Plus, the one with the PVC pipe and thin layer of foam. Not exactly sure what happened but now it has a dent in it about 1 inch long by 1/2 inch wide where the foam is flattened down. Does anyone have any ideas how to repair it?

12-01-12 11:29 PM - Post#754967    

Never seen the type you mentioned, sounds home made. If it is just a small indentation perhaps as it rolls it will not make much of a difference. I've tried glueing foam and the synthetic glues sometimes disintigrates the foam. If it is safe and functions, carefully use it or get a new one.

12-02-12 09:39 AM - Post#755004    

• The Other Dan Said:

How recently? If it's not too old, I'd ask for a replacement. The white foam ones flatten around the middle, and that's why they came out with the pvc model. I'd had mine for years and it's as good as new. I'll bet they'd rather replace it than leave you with a bad one.

12-02-12 04:00 PM - Post#755022    

I purchased it within the past few weeks. I was unsure if my son rolled it over a toy or whatever as the fabric cover also has a small rip. I wasn't sure if PB would replace it or not.

12-02-12 04:02 PM - Post#755023    

I put duct tape on the inside of the foam and a couple pieces on the outside to reinforce it a little in hopes the dent doesn't spread or develop a hole. I might try taping a piece of foam over the dent. Its right in the middle of the roller.

12-02-12 05:10 PM - Post#755029    

• The Other Dan Said:

If he rolled it over a toy, it doesn't seem like it would flatten, right? Maybe rip but not flatten? I would email PB customer support and ask -- if you think it may have been damaged at your house but you're not sure, why don't you say that and offer to pay for the shipping or something? Can't hurt to ask.

Foam Roller
12-02-12 06:27 PM - Post#755041    

Foam insulation crack filler. Fill the tear/dent then scarape off the excess before it dries.

Edited by Strabe on 12-02-12 07:25 PM. Reason for edit: No reason given.

12-02-12 06:29 PM - Post#755042    

Or to make one get PVC pipe and pipe insulation. POssibly much cheaper, I got a 6"x3' white foam roller for $10 online (used) but seen them go for an older price of average $30

12-05-12 01:57 AM - Post#755282    

I got one of these recently: www.travelroller.com

I like it because it's smaller than the average diameter of a foam roller. It comes with a VERY sturdy plastic core and 2 foam-y 'sleeves' you can put over it, so the hardness of the roller is adjustable. and it's PVC-free which is nice because that particular plastic off-gases all kinds of nasty (although maybe the plastic this one is made of will prove to be equally bad; who knows).

Anyway, like the name says, it is small enough to travel with, although it is big enough to use as a primary roller, too.

Off topic but lately I have been thinking a lot about ways to increase soft tissue quality. there are a few supplements and herbs that pop into my head as being useful here, and I'm going to try them out.

12-05-12 03:33 AM - Post#755285    

• p_hudson Said:

This is possibly off topic but this magnetic roller I have had for 9 years stops arthritus and muscle pain. I've always wanted to take it to the massage therapist.

12-10-13 09:34 PM - Post#789492    

hi all,

i guess it has been a long time since i visited here.

still rolling on pvc. still stretching. both of those are easy lifetime commitments.

one thing that has helped me since last posting is that i have viewed countless anatomy videos, so i can more fully understand just what is there.

i tend to get some soreness in my behind after dancing. instead of thinking of my behind as just what is in back of me, i decided to be more specific.

i am now rolling both my external hip rotators and internal hip rotators. since it is supposed to be better to roll along the length on the muscle, the roller goes from the middle to the side, and back, when i am getting my externals, since those muscles extend horizontally.

the internals are at more of an angle, but not straight up and down.

i did end up being correct about my knee, as much as i can tell. it is the pes anserine area, where 3 tendons meet up. the gracilis muscle goes down the inside of the thigh. the semi-tendinosis travels down the inside back of the thigh. and the sartosis (sp ?) travels from high on the outside hip, crossing over all the quads, and down to the inside. all 3 muscles have their tendons hook on towards the top of the tibia, on the inside part of the leg.

the rotator cuff muscles are also basically horizontal, so i am rolling horizontally in my shoulder area to better affect these.

i would say that my joints are in better condition now than at any time i have memory of.

knowledge is power. knowing where things are, and what they do have helped me to fine-tune what i do.

i am also doing exercises for both external and internal hip rotators, as well as for the rotator cuff muscles.