Foam Rolling

Zymurgist

Quick question for a first time roller.

Is it normal for it to be incredibly uncomfortable, especially when lying sideways on the roller? I knew to expect trigger points, but ffs it was like half of both my thighs was a fricken trigger point!

Is that to be expected first round, similar to the way DOMS are expected after the first time you do a new exercise?

deadlybuzzman

Sounds about right. It doesn't hurt as much once you do it regularly

Dermighty

Zymurgist wrote: »

Quick question for a first time roller.

Is it normal for it to be incredibly uncomfortable, especially when lying sideways on the roller? I knew to expect trigger points, but ffs it was like half of both my thighs was a fricken trigger point!

Is that to be expected first round, similar to the way DOMS are expected after the first time you do a new exercise?

According to Kelly Starrett if it hurts then it's abnormal tissue (meaning it's tight or whatever word he used). I myself have many abnormalities!

chriity139

Yes pain when using a foam roller is normal

nice_guy80

chriity139 wrote: »

Yes pain when using a foam roller is normal

not when you use it everyday for a few weeks
then you can move onto some wavin pipe

Alf Veedersane

nice_guy80 wrote: »

not when you use it everyday for a few weeks
then you can move onto some wavin pipe

Cos the OP sounds like they're using it that often. It should help somewhat.

nice_guy80

Man the frick up!

thegreatiam

if youve never done any foam rolling or other myofascial work before then you will probably have a lot of tissue that needs work . So a lot of knots to undo which will hurt a lot.

Foam rolling is one method to do this, there are many more.

Will it get better? Yes, as you start to make the muscle more supple you will get rid of the knots.
Will it get less painful? Yes, less knots and smaller knots will be less painful.
Will it stop hurting? No, man up and get it done.
Knots build up from use, lack of use and just cos they hate you. It gets easier, but it never really goes away.
But its not a bad pain, and often it is a release. After these treatments you will always feel better, more mobile and fluid and have a greater range of movement.

The key is to stay relaxed, especially the muscles you are working on and any muscles near it. Go totally limp, tensing muscle cos it hurts makes it worse. Go slow and breathe through the pain until you feel it loosen.

Use a foam roller for your large muscles like the quads, but you will need other equipment for different muscles, tennis balls and hurling balls are good, large softball type balls are good for the arms and shoulder and hips. Golf balls are good for the feet, (now that's REAL pain) you can even use a kids football for your stomach and abs.

The more often you do it the less time large knots will develop so if you don't like the pain do it as often as you can.

Zymurgist

Thanks all, some good advice there.

Burkatron

thegreatiam wrote: »

The more often you do it the less time large knots will develop so if you don't like the pain do it as often as you can.

If the OP is a shallow/rapid breather & in "oxygen debt" The trigger points will keep frequently coming back! Foam rolling is great & all but by changing breathing patterns (if a shallow breather which most people are) to a more diaphragmatic/deeper pattern you can lessen the pain,need& frequency of foam rolling & a whole host of other problems!

nice_guy80

Burkatron wrote: »

If the OP is a shallow/rapid breather & in "oxygen debt" The trigger points will keep frequently coming back! Foam rolling is great & all but by changing breathing patterns (if a shallow breather which most people are) to a more diaphragmatic/deeper pattern you can lessen the pain,need& frequency of foam rolling & a whole host of other problems!

that diagram gives me anxiety

Burkatron

nice_guy80 wrote: »

that diagram gives me anxiety

Take deep breaths, you'll be fine!

thegreatiam

im not really sure I get the relevance of that flow chart

Alf Veedersane

Burkatron wrote: »

Bohring!

drdeadlift

https://m.facebook.com/home.php?__user=1583904515#!/story.php?story_fbid=695854877099980&id=595722267113242&__user=1583904515


Its a give away for anyone interested.

Burkatron

thegreatiam wrote: »

im not really sure I get the relevance of that flow chart

Knots that people feel they have to foam roll are called trigger points! Trigger points are in part caused by shallow breathing due to a number of factors (listed in the chart). Improve your breathing patterns you wont have as many trigger points, they'll be less painful & you wont have to foam roll as much!