gsteinb

So what are you doing with this thing, and how frequently?

rbart4506

I use mine every morning....Monday to Friday...For about 15-20 minutes on my IT band, quads, hams, calves, and lower back...

Does it help?? Not sure, but it doesn't hurt...Well it does hurt

El Diablo Rojo

Every night before bed...IT band/quads, hamstrings and piriformas. Two days a week I do the same muscles using the trigger point system, which makes the foam roller feel like a feather brushing against my skin. Results are looser and more flexible muscles.

gsteinb

pics?

Hermes

I use it every day similar to EDR after a gym workout but for the roller feeling like a feather. He must be getting some help with that.

ericm979

Ow ow ow ow.

Does it actually help or do you just think it does because anything that hurts that much must be good for you?

El Diablo Rojo

Of me on the roller? Sorry you'll just have to use your imagination

this is the trigger point kit I use. Large roller for quads/IT/Hamstrings small roller for calves ball for piriformas.

El Diablo Rojo

No the foam roller hurts but the trigger point is on an order of magnitude more painful.

El Diablo Rojo

Ever had a deep tissue massage? They hurt but they work. Same deal with the rollers.

Hermes

The PT gang love them.

wens

This is the best like the little bit of searching I did before I got mine turned up. Has some ok pictures and descriptions of stuff.

https://www.smiweb.org/roller.pdf

king-tony

I typically bounce it off the wall in a fit of rage as I trip over it going to bed because my wife left it in the floor after rolling her legs out. This only happens nightly. Friggin runners.

Racer Ex 

Nightly, legs and back.

lukasz

Try to do it once a day. Legs and back. I love with it does for my back. I'm not sure what it does for my legs but it has stopped hurting as much as it used to so I assume that my muscles are more supple or something like that. I suppose that I've also learned how to relax the IT band and some surrounding muscles by actually being able to feel them with the roller. I actually first read NYVelocity's page about it: https://nyvelocity.com/content/coachi...lling-your-itb

I have yet to try the tennis ball, because I don't have one and keep forgetting to buy one. Sounds "fun."

rat fink

Hurts so good!

mattm

Guess I don't hurt enough, never used 'em.

DanielS

I try to use mine daily, mainly for ITB release. This started after having some knee pain at the beginning of this year which my physio put down to tight ITBs and delayed VMO activation (on of the quad muscles not 'activating' enough). The use of the roller (along with a few painful massage sessions) has really helped and my knee is quite pain free. If I don't use the roller frequently I start to notice it a bit.

gsteinb

umm, well no, not really. I thought this could be a resource for guys who don't know of or use a foam roller. Not pics of you but pics of the exercises folks do.

I have a theracane as well, though I don't really use that either. I'd really like to start using both.

kensuf

2-3 days a week. IT bands (3-5 minutes per leg), quads (1-2 minutes per leg), hamstrings (1-2 minutes per leg). Mostly my IT bands, they're chronically tight. I do 60-90 seconds, switch sides, 60-90 seconds, switch, back and forth.

It hurts.

jwible

Are all foam rollers created equally? I've seen one black and orange one at the local tri-geek store that looked masochistic with bumps and points all over it.

waterrockets 

I made one out of a swimming noodle and a length of PVC. Works the hell out of the IT band. Holy crap. Results? <shrug> Maybe I just don't push enough volume for a benefit, but it feels no different in my daily life, training, or recovery -- it just hurts when I massage, so screw it. My wife is digging it though.

jsutkeepspining

i use my trigger point system generally every night (quad roller and sometimes the calve roller), but when i go a long time without biking, or have too much work to have any free time, i just do some light stretching right before i go to sleep. i've found that if i use the t.p. system, i wake up less sore, but my muscles feel sluggish, but after a little warm up they feel great, versus when i give my self a message and stretch i wake up feeling strong, but during the workout i normally get tired faster than if i had used the trigger point roller. But i would recommend the t.p. to anyone who workout even semi seriously.

aham23

i like the TP Grid. the other foam rollers lost their form after a couple months of hard use.

i do it once or twice a week, depending on my level of soreness. i find it helps a lot. later.

Hartlin

Thought this would be a valuable addition to this thread.

https://www.athletestreatingathletes.com/

They just finised doing an entire series on self massage with the foam rollers and other tools, it's all broken down into muscle groups. They've also just started a series on stretching, which will be broken down into muscle groups as well. Write ups, pictures, video, etc.

I'm in no way affliated with them, but the information is valuable.

El Diablo Rojo

This is on my list to Santa Wife...perfect size for traveling.