Yay!! Soft Tissue Massage

SELF-MYOFASCIAL RELEASE

FOAM ROLLING

1.     Autogenic Inhibition

2.     Soft tissue massage

3.     Breakdown of soft-tissue adhesions and scar tissue

·        Improved Mobility

·        Better movement

·        Better range of motion

·        Reduces soreness

Ideally, foam rolling should be done before and after workouts. Although for now, it is extremely important to do this before working out. This will allow you to get into the right positions for proper movement. As your training progresses, you can do it afterwards as a recovery tool.

Spend 30-60 seconds on each body part. Later on when there is better mobility it can be reduced to 10-15 seconds.

Foam Roller, medicine ball, small ball (such as a lacrosse ball), or a massage stick can be used for rolling

1.     Quad

Front of leg

Start with the front of the hip at the TFL(a hip flexor muscle). Work all the way down to just before knee cap.

2.     Hip Flexors

Around Hips

Small rolls from the front of the hip, to the side of the hip, and around the back of the body where it attaches to the glutes.

3.     It Band

Outside of thigh(can be very sore at first. This is a sign that it needs work.).

Roll from the hip to just before knee cap.

4.     Adductors and VMO

Inside of leg

Roll from the groin all the way down before the knee cap.

5.     Lats

Back muscle

Roll from the arm pit to the shoulder blade on the side of your body.

6.      Pecs

Chest muscle

Roll on chest.

7.     Rhomboids

Mid back

Roll on mid back while using your arms to hug yourself.

8.     Hamstrings

Back of leg

Place your hamstring on the roller and try to manipulate as much of your body weight on to the muscle. Roll from just before your butt to just before the underside of the knee cap.

9.     Calves

Muscle between foot and knee

You can use either a medicine ball or a smaller ball. Roll from Achilles tendon(above heel) to just before underneath the knee cap. Make sure to work all of the calve muscle.

10.              Soles of foot

Bottom of foot

Using a small ball, roll on bottom of foot.

11.             Glutes

Butt muscles

Sit on the ball or roller. Lean on one side of the butt. Take the leg of the side that is being leaned on and cross it over the other leg. Roll on all sides.