Have you ever tried rolling on a foam roller? There is a good chance you stopped immediately, especially if you chose one of the harder foam rollers. Anything that can cause that much pain while lying on it can’t be a benefit to your training session, surely?

However, for those of you that haven’t had the pleasure of lying on a foam roller, you are missing out on some great benefits. Foam rollers are effective in helping to increase the range of motion in muscles. This foam rolling technique is also known as self-myofascial release.

What Are Foam Roller Benefits?

Many people believe that a foam roller is like receiving a sports massage, where you are able to roll out the tight knots in your muscle. While the studies are inconclusive regarding the effects that foam rollers have on your muscles, it is now thought that foam rollers cause a neural change in the fascia of the muscle, allowing it to become more flexible and pain free. This sounds fantastic but it must be highlighted that this neural induced release of tension in the muscle is a short-term effect. So, while you might feel looser or experience less muscle stiffness, foam rollers won’t provide a long term solution.

Are Foam Rollers Effective?

If the effects of foam rolling are short term what is the point of including it in your training? It is simple really, you just have to find a way to make the increased mobility longer lasting. We achieve this through strength training! You heard me correctly! Once you have done a self-myofascial release with a foam roller, you should perform strength exercises on the same muscle group. This strengthens the muscles in a larger range of motion and “locks” this mobility in by strengthening the muscles and tendons in this new range of mobility.

How to Use a Foam Roller

With the above in mind, the best time to use a foam roller is before strength training. In this way you can immediately do the required strength after the foam rolling. You should also only focus on a couple of muscle groups. There is no point spending a long time foam rolling the entire body. You will not only start losing the effect of the muscles that you started with, but you will more than likely not have enough time to perform the exercises required for a full body routine.

• Select a foam roller that is appropriate for you. The Hi-Density Foam Roller might give a deeper muscle “massage” but the EPE Foam Rollers are a better place to start to allow you to adjust to the sensation

• Start rolling slowly up and down the length of a muscle. Shift your weight around and take note of the tightest spots

• Focus on the tight spot by spending 10 seconds just lying on the tight spot

• While still on the tight spot, slowly bend and straighten the muscles. For instance, if you are rolling the quad, you can bend and straighten the knee.

• Include full range of motion strength exercises after the foam rolling session.

Foam Rolling the Calves in a Seated Position

• Sit on the floor with one leg on top of the foam roller with the foam roller towards the bottom part of the calf where the muscle inserts into the tendon.

• Raise your glutes off the floor and slowly roll the foam roller towards the knee and then back down again. Make sure to roll the sides of the calf as well.

• When you find a really tight spot, spend 10 seconds on the spot before slowly pointing your toes towards and then away from you 10 times.

Foam Rolling the Calves in a Kneeling Position

• Start by kneeling on the floor and put the foam roller between your calves and hamstring.

• Slowly shift your weight side to side.

• Move the foam roller closer to the back of your knees and repeat the side-to-side motion.

Foam Rolling the Hamstrings

• Sitting in an upright position on the edge of a bench. Place the foam roller under a single leg so that the roller is between the leg and chair.

• Roll up and down the length of the hamstring. You might have to move the foam roller to cover the whole hamstring.

• When you find a tight spot start by moving the leg side to side over the tight spot.

• Then holding the hamstring on the tight spot, straighten and bend the legs 10 times.

Foam Rolling the Quads

• Lie on your stomach with the foam roller under one quad and the opposite foot resting on top of the ankle of the quad that is being rolled.

• Support yourself on your elbows and slowly move forwards and backward so the foam roller moves along the length of the quadricep.

• When you find a tight spot hold the position for 10 seconds.

• Still holding the foam roller on the tight spot, you can straighten and bend your legs.

Foam Rolling the Backs and Lats

• Start by sitting on the floor with the foam roller on the floor directly behind you.

• Lean backwards and onto one side. You don’t want to be rolling directly on your vertebrae but rather target the meaty part to the side.

• Support your body weight with the same elbow as the side you are rolling.

• Slowly push yourself up and down the foam roller. Instead of doing long rolls like we would do with the legs, rather do shorter rolls, back and forth, and move further up the back like this.

• As you get to the lats you can reach up the arm that was supporting so that the bicep is by your ears.

• Use your legs to keep rolling up and down on the lat muscles.

• Don’t forget to switch to the other side.

Foam Rolling the Glutes

• Sit on the foam roller and then lean towards the right side. Place your right hand on the floor behind you and lift the right ankle and place on top of the left knee. Your right glute should now be in contact with the foam roller and your left glute should be raised off the foam roller.

• Do some little rolls up and down on the glute. You will probably find a tight band called the piriformis that will need most of your attention.

Foam Rolling the Hip Flexors

• Lie on your stomach and place the foam roller just below your right hip and your left leg bent to the side and resting on the floor.

• Rotate your body slightly to the right to target the outside part of the hip.

• Do short, slow rolls up and down the area below the hip.

• When you find a tight spot, you can hold the foam roller on the tight spot for 10 seconds.

Foam Rolling the Chest

• Lie on your stomach with the foam roller parallel next to you.

• Raise your chest onto the foam roller so that the foam roller is towards your midline and in contact with your pecs. Keep your arm out to the side over the foam roller.

• Shift your body right and left to move the foam roller over your pecs.

• Hold the position over a tight spot for 10 seconds.

• With the assistance of your toes, push yourself up and down over the foam roller on the tight spot.

Foam rollers should be part of any home gym set up. It is an important tool to increase range of motion or help recover from a strained muscle. Using a foam roller on its own will give you short term relief from tightness. For long lasting improvements in range of motion make sure to focus on certain joints and include a strength exercise on the same joint immediately afterwards. The exercise should use a large range of motion. If your muscles and fascia are particularly tight,  start with a softer EPE foam roller before moving onto a high density foam roller.

Written by guest author Brendan McBirnie.

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Tags: Equipment > Rollers