There are a number of Self Myofacial tools a person can use and these drills performed on a weekly basis will help you keep niggles, injuries and immobility at a minimum!

The tools a person needs are as follows.

1. Foam roller.......The best on the market are the RUMBLE ROLLER

http://www.physiosupplies.com/acatalog/RumbleRollers.html

And this one from trigger point therapy

http://www.physiosupplies.com/acatalog/Trigger_Point_Therapy_Grid_Foam_Roller.html

http://tptherapy.com/shop/smrt-core-products/the-grid.html

Both of these rollers deliver great results and will stand the test of time. Cheaper rollers may flatten or have too much give in them defeating the purpose of a deeper 'yet controlled' myofacial experience

2. Indoor golf ball..........All of my Personal Training clients get one of these to prehab their feet (especially the plantar facia)

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/12-PGA-TOUR-Practice-Yellow-Foam-Golf-Balls-Brand-New-/230667888638#ht_2571wt_1163

These little beauties provide a decent feel or firmness under foot to roll and localize tender spots throughout the underside of the foot without brutalizing them like a regular golf ball

3. Tennis Ball......For working the piriformis and Psoas muscles..............most people have a tennis ball or they are inexpensive to locate

MY TOP FIVE MYOFACIAL MOVES TO PRIME THE BODY READY TO LIVE LIFE!

A.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fYS_Yme2_M0&feature=related  look between 6mins 30 to 7mins 30

Lower/Mid and upper back Myofacial work on a Foam roller to help promote spinal mobility and tap into the upper Posterior Chain

(THE MUSCLES AND CONNECTIVE TISSUE INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE ERECTORS IN THE BACK, THE TRAPEZIUS AND THE LATS.....

BY PERFORMING THIS MYOFACIAL DRILL YOU WILL DEVELOP A TALLER, STRONGER BODY WITH THE KIND OF ROBUST ALIGNMENT THAT AN OAK TREE WOULD BE PROUD OF

Most people will suffer from Back pain at some point in their lives and this simple move will work alongside a quality rehab or prehab training phase for all Urban Athletes

Start by sitting on the Foam roller(Both cheeks) with your hands behind you, start slowly walking your heels away from the roller in a relaxed 'yet

controlled' manner...The roller will start to move from the glutes...then to the Lower back, through the thoracic spine into the upper back and Neck

When you reach the neck reverse the process and roll back down the spine You may experience Clicks and cracks as the roller moves over the spinous

processes but this is normal and healthy process...Welcome it and roll slowly to feel the soft tissue 'melting' under the roller

B.

Indoor Golf Ball under the foot to help increase foot and ankle mobility, increase lumbar spine flexion (bending forwards to touch the toes) and increase the neural connection between the foot and ground (your first point

of call during walking/running)

Place the ball under foot in standing or remain seated (whilst eating breakfast for example or sat at your desk) and move it around with a decent pressure to find tender spots! The medial arch of the foot and the heel pad

are extremely worthy areas

C. Piriformis myofacial work on a tennis ball or Foam Roller to increase range of movement around the lumbo pelvic hip complex (hips and lower back)

MOVEMENTS THAT SHOULD BE SECOND NATURE TO US INCLUDING SQUATS, LUNGES AND RUNNING!! ARE  SERIOUSLY INHIBITED BY AN OVERLY TIGHT PIRIFORMIS (THE ATHLETE WILL BE LESS EFFICIENT AT BEST AND OPEN TO LONG TERM INJURY AS A WORST CASE SCENARIO)

WORK ON THIS TENDER AREA WILL HELP STOP A PANDORAS BOX SCENARIO OF KNEE AND LOWER BACK PAIN DEVELOPING

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HWfnAUsYUTI    Joe Defranco on the ball!

The Athlete will be sat on the ball in the middle of the butt cheek and then whilst supporting themselves on the ground with their hands they will rest their opposite foot and ankle over the side being released (This engages the

Piriformis and helps target it for greater gains

D. Psoas 'the untapped area to resolve soft tissue dysfunction' especially in the back and hip flexors

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iGfOTjFTi0M    A DECENT DEMO HERE

The Psoas runs between the lower back through the hips and inserts at the top of the femur . With all of this in mind it has a huge effect on the majority of our waking movements

EVERY TIME A PERSON SITS DOWN FOR AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF TIME WITH THE HIPS IN FLEXION (OFFICE JOB, DRIVING, COMMUTING, CYCLING ETC) WILL BE ACTIVELY SHORTENING THE PSOAS. TOO MUCH TENSION IN THE PSOAS WILL REDUCE THE BODIES EFFICIENCY IN STANDING, WALKING, RUNNING AND WILL CREEP THE HIP'S AND SPINE INTO AN OVERLY FLEXED (ANTERIOR TILT)

PSOAS TENSION IS A HUGE CONTRIBUTOR TO BACK PAIN DUE TO ITS ORIGIN ON THE SPINE AND INSERTION DOWN THROUGH THE HIPS.....EASE THE TENSION AND STOP YOUR BODY DOUBLING OVER LIKE A 90YR OLD HERMIT!!! 

Lay on your front and Place a tennis ball under your front about 2 inches to the side of your belly button (do this either side of the belly button to target both elements of the Psoas

E. Calves on the foam roller http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cjq1cFtUIF8&feature=related

Position the foam roller at the Achilles (bilaterally or unilateral to increase the pressure/depth) and then slowly start to move the roller up the calves keeping the hips high (to keep pressure on the calves) towards the

back of the knee.

Bear in mind that the body is a three dimensional beast and you should explore different portions of these intended target areas.

BY PERFORMING MYOFACIAL WORK ON THE CALVES YOU WILL OPEN YOURSELF UP TO INCREASED POWER AND EFFICIENCY THROUGH TRIPLE EXTENSION (THE ACTION OF THE ANKLE, KNEE AND HIP EXTENDING SIMULTANEOUSLY) WHICH IS ESSENTIAL FOR MOST SPORTS AND ACTIVITIES WITH GREATER NOTE GIVEN TO RUNNING AND JUMPING!

WHEN YOUR CALVES CONTRACT QUICKER AND MORE POWERFULLY DUE TO GREATER RANGE OF MOVEMENT AND NEURAL PATHWAYS, YOU WILL BE SPRINGING AROUND LIKE A NINJA (OR BILLY ELLIOT DEPENDING ON YOUR DISPOSITION)  

Typically the areas that are most tender under pressure require our greatest attentions to drive great adaptive changes

I recommend spending between 90-120 seconds on each myofacial technique keeping the work consistent throughout the week.

The time required to perform this routine will enable most people to fit it in alongside their Spartan programs...

Contact me if you require any further help or guidance on where to start your Mobility work or prehab program

Enjoy moving with purpose

Commando Rob

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rickyr
Posts: 1

Blue or Black rollers!?
Reply #2 on : Mon February 13, 2012, 02:00:25

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I strongly recommend people start with the Blue rollers..the Black beauties will punish you if you are not accustom to using a roller consistently

Guy
Posts: 1

Re: SELF MYOFACIAL RELEASE
Reply #1 on : Mon February 06, 2012, 04:42:46

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Nice website Commando Rob. Very informative. I imagine I will be checking back soon for tips on using the rumble roller I intend to get. Blue or black though? That is the question, isn't it?
1 week left on a 90 day workout plan (you know the one) and I feel it is time to deal with my 14 month old piriformis pain, it really is a pain in the bu....