Foam Roller

danjohnston

Anyone a regular with the old foam roller?  I have used it before on a specific area/injury but am wondering about the benefits of doing on overall lower body session on a regular basis as a preventive measure.  If so, would it be best to do each day BEFORE the workout to get the muscles firing or AFTER the workout more as a massage? 

mgraffeo

Big fan of using it after workouts. Not too sure about the benefits of using it before. How would you use it to 'get the muscles firing'?

[Deleted User]

I also use it afterwards. I would say a good warmup prior to your workout would be sufficient in getting the muscles going. That is, a warmup is specific to the sport you're doing, and it's a lot more fun than rolling (which can be painful!).

Jeff Sullivan

I use "the stick" which is supposed to perform similar function as foam roller - i use it before and after per recommendation of my chiro - before is supposed to increase blood flow to areas you massage

Matt Samojeden

I use the range of trigger point products per and post workouts. The pre effort radically improves my range of motion for lower leg and ankle. I also hit the quads and glutes. It takes 6-7 min then 3 min of focused muscle activation efforts and I am good to go. Getting the glutes firing before the workout is critical. When I blow this off the pre work out effort, I notice it in the work out as diminished muscle firing capabilities.

Carl

I suffer yearly from ITB issues. I do a 5 minute wko to open the hips and activate the Glutes!! Afterwards I stretch and roll immediate then do another routine of exercises for the pelvic girdle and core. Huge plus for me

jmoss70

Trigger Point products are excellent and they work.

penlynwilson

The strength coach I work with (ex-NBA strength coach) is a huge fan foam rolling for 5 - 10 minutes before a workout to help get the muscles firing. He is also a big fan of rolling after. I will say that when training for the NY Marathon last year and the Goofy Challenge in January, I rolled after my long (and often short) runs (while drinking my recovery drink) immediately after walking in the door. I did seem to recover faster. I like the Trigger Point Grid better than a regular foam roller.

We recently got the "Rumble Roller" at our facility. It looks evil, but is the BEST thing for hamstrings and glutes: http://www.betterfitnessproducts.com/rumbleroller.html

Paul Hough

So, Matt and Carl - what exactly are you doing to get the glutes firing before your run?

jhbinsc

 I think I'd rather do a nice ez warmup to get blood flowing rather than suffering under the foam roller!

Cary Blanco

For those that want to learn more about how to stretch and use a roller I recommend reading EN teammate Leigh Boyle's blog and ebook over at athletestreatingathletes.com

Michele Cellai

Tried a rumblroller and loved it. Thanks for the link. I just ordered 2.

rbogle

Just in case you havent see this one, for post workout rolling/trigger/massage I've been using this moji 360 roller : http://www.gomoji.com/products/moji_360__ultimate_bundle/38.php. It puts a foam roller to shame. It really works  well at  getting across the grain or in circular motion, which is not easy to do with a regular foam roller. 

BeckyH

I use the foam roller pre and post, but more important than the rolling is a dynamic warm up. Below I have added a couple of links I have found over the years to be very useful, add in 3-4 pre run/bike, switch it up every few weeks, and focus on getting the muscle working before your workout. They all focus on getting the hips opened, loosened, glutes working and heart rate up.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2GLrKr54yA0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-K_CiRml-vQ

This one is a great post easy run routine: https://player.vimeo.com/video/4498054

Here is a list of some of the ones I use:

Walking Deadlifts (Drinking Bird) – 10 reps. Take a step forward with your left leg, bend down while keeping your left leg fairly straight and touch your left toes with both hands. Keep your left leg slightly bent and your right leg parallel to the floor. Your right leg and your torso will be parallel to the floor. Repeat on your other leg.
Groiners – 20 reps.
Donkey Kicks – 10 reps.
Mountain Climbers – 20 reps with legs in, 20 reps with legs out.
Leg Swings - 10 reps.
Lateral Leg Swings – 10 reps.
Iron Cross – 10 reps.
Lunge Matrix - abbreviated version, 4 reps per lunge type.

I have spent a lot of $$ working with different professionals to help solve my ITBS and PF injuries, they all agree some sort of functional movement preworkout is the best warmup, help to set the tone for the workout.