[andy_e]

I'm rolling with my foam off safety. Aldi currently have them on sale for 2.8 fuck-alls which is quite bargainous.

Anybody else use foam rollers and have any good tips and regimes or links to useful articles specific to climbing? I had originally bought it with the intention of aiding recovery (roll the DOMS away) and relieving back issues, but is ti any good for core work too? Might as well get full use of it seeing as I have the core strength of a wet paper towel.

Ta!

[jfdm]

Hi andy_e,

A good place to start is look at anything by Kelly Starrett.
http://www.mobilitywod.com/episodes/page/7/
There is a load of stuff on youtube as well as a few books.

He is massive in us, regarding stretching/ mobility, cross-fit etc.
He has performed in the US Olympic team in the canoe.
So knows a thing or two about stretching/training.

The foam roller is used mainly to aid recovery/stretch.
Although like you when you roll you i do seem to engage the core.


Don't have anything specific for climbing though.


Hope this helps


jfdm

[tomtom]

Hows the coverage using emulsion?

[andy_e]

Patchy, I prefer to use a TV aerial.

[jfdm]

Tomtom.

I would have thought with your bad back you would be the one person on ukb  that would appreciate a good foam roller?

It's amazing what you can get down bnq/screwfix?

 

[Falling Down]

I've got one,  great for preventing DOMS and quite good to do late in the evening with a herbal tea before bedtime.

[andy_e]

Maybe it was the lack of herbal tea, but rolling foam just before bed last night seemed to exacerbate my DOMS and meant I had an uncomfortable night's sleep!

Thanks for the tips jfdm, I'll look into that site in more detail once I'm home.

[tomtom]

Tomtom.

I would have thought with your bad back you would be the one person on ukb  that would appreciate a good foam roller?

It's amazing what you can get down bnq/screwfix?

 

I've been told no massage still... ice, rest and gentle stretching.. not complaining - it seems to be working...

[jfdm]

Tomtom.

I would have thought with your bad back you would be the one person on ukb  that would appreciate a good foam roller?

It's amazing what you can get down bnq/screwfix?

 

I've been told no massage still... ice, rest and gentle stretching.. not complaining - it seems to be working...

I am pleased that your back is getting better.
Nothing worse than a bad back.
Once you are up and running have a look at the starett website/YouTube.
You might find it useful?

[Paul B]

Recently I had an issue with my back. Its been there for a while, a deep ache underneath my R scapula a few hours after training, but landing straight-legged really did trigger a world of hurt and I've been uncomfortable for the past week sleeping etc.


I have a few massage balls:
Spikey - physion room - OK a bit soft perhaps
Beastie Roller - firm, definitely better, glad I didn't pay for it!

and as a last ditch hope started looking towards foam rollers but I thought I'd do a quick google and found this from T-Nation:

It started to concern me years ago, when I first began to add foam rolling and correctives to my training sessions. I noticed something very troubling – my athletes in the weightroom were conducting themselves with the intensity of middle-aged women waiting for the next hot yoga class.

...

As we wade through what seems like a new fad or catchall term each year – with core, functional, thoracic mobility (and all the other adjectives put in front of "mobility"), foam rolling, and the use of the word "elite" being the big sinners – it becomes increasingly apparent that while the original idea might've been sound, the hucksters and hawkers have left us wondering if we're going to die if we don't rub out our soft tissues.

http://www.t-nation.com/training/foam-rollers-are-for-wimps

That latter paragraph really struck a cord with what I see happening in the world of climbing training so I took a step back and was meaning to post a similar topic to see what the wisdom of UKB has to say, hopefully including some SCIENCE?

[andy_e]

I wonder if it is faddy, or just another tool in the box for all over body conditioning/recovery that's taken a while to leak over from other disciplines? Anecdotal evidence tends to suggest a benefit for those who say they roll, so is it really a bad thing even if it is a fad?

[Monolith]

I'm rolling with my foam off safety. Aldi currently have them on sale for 2.8 fuck-alls which is quite bargainous.

Made a quick note of this and popped in to Aldi when I was just out. Alas no foam rollers there nor a person on the shop floor to advise of their availability. Have they just come in do you know Andy?

[andy_e]

It was a while back when they came in beast, just after new year I think. I bought mine last night, it wasn't the last one in the shop either. Might be worth taking the Lexus around the ring road and finding another Aldi, or getting others in other areas to put out their feelers for you...

Anyway, no rolling until you've bottled that whisky.

[Falling Down]

I wonder if it is faddy, or just another tool in the box for all over body conditioning/recovery that's taken a while to leak over from other disciplines? Anecdotal evidence tends to suggest a benefit for those who say they roll, so is it really a bad thing even if it is a fad?

The GJ guys have been using them for years and they tend not to get influenced by anything faddy and won't recommend anything that doesn't work..

[Paul B]

so is it really a bad thing even if it is a fad?

Well, yes, unless it's worth doing I don't want to give up time doing it? It depends on the strength and credibility of the anecdotal evidence.

The GJ guys have been using them for years and they tend not to get influenced by anything faddy and won't recommend anything that doesn't work..

Can I quote myself before I've finished posting 

[andy_e]

Well, yeah, the reason I qualified it as anecdotal is because usually anecdotal evidence is bollocks 

I get your point about it potentially being a waste of time though, I hadn't thought of it like that. It does feel nice to do though...

[highrepute]

Surprised at the lack of use on here. I thought they were well established. Got the whole range of this kind of kit in our house. Partner a physio. This is the bit I use the most. Mostly for back and shoulder stuff. 

[chris j]

I'm intrigued by this T-nation rant on using foam rollers too much and turning into wimps, does anyone actually use them as more than a very minor part of a work-out to break up stiff tissue before/during stretching?

[Sasquatch]

but rolling foam just before bed last night seemed to exacerbate my DOMS and meant I had an uncomfortable night's sleep!

This is quite common.  Do it morning after a hard workout instead.  You tend to be stiff in the AM as yuor muscles are tighter, so this can help loosen the muscles up and increase circulation without engaging them and without tearing them like stretching can. 

I wonder if it is faddy, or just another tool in the box for all over body conditioning/recovery that's taken a while to leak over from other disciplines? Anecdotal evidence tends to suggest a benefit for those who say they roll, so is it really a bad thing even if it is a fad?

I think it became very faddy when it hit the crossfit/GJ groups which are extremely faddy. 

Doing it to enhance recovery between workouts - Very good.  Foam Rollers, Tennis Balls, and such have been used by PT's for decades now, so certainly less faddy amongst that group.  Personally I like a lacrosse ball   very firm, but I can really dig into the pinpoint areas I want to hit.

[Will Hunt]

Am I the only one who doesn't have a clue what this thread is about?

[tomtom]

Am I the only one who doesn't have a clue what this thread is about?

yes.

[Sasquatch]

Foam Rollin is basically using a big foam tube to self massage muscles.

Www.athletestreatingathletes.com has a good amount of info on self massage.

[Paul B]

I'm intrigued by this T-nation rant on using foam rollers too much and turning into wimps, does anyone actually use them as more than a very minor part of a work-out to break up stiff tissue before/during stretching?

I see people who are barely training doing corrective / mobility exercies (as training, not supplementing it) and it being pushed in a number of ways, yes. I can't comment on foam rolling specifically, but as I said above, this struck a chord with me.

Foam Rollin is basically using a big foam tube to self massage muscles.

Surprised at the lack of use on here. I thought they were well established. Got the whole range of this kind of kit in our house. Partner a physio. This is the bit I use the most. Mostly for back and shoulder stuff. 

Like Kinesio tape?

I'm genuinely interested to know if there's some SCIENCE to back up the rollin'.
+many foam rollers look like torture devices.

[Oldmanmatt]

Am I the only one who doesn't have a clue what this thread is about?

No.

At first glance of the title, I thought it was a decorating thread....

😉

[highrepute]

Surprised at the lack of use on here. I thought they were well established. Got the whole range of this kind of kit in our house. Partner a physio. This is the bit I use the most. Mostly for back and shoulder stuff. 

Like Kinesio tape?

I'm genuinely interested to know if there's some SCIENCE to back up the rollin'.
+many foam rollers look like torture devices.

Got kinesio tape too. Never used it tho. But i think the claims behind that are more extreme than foam rollers. I wouldn't place too much faith in science,  hasn't TomTom got a PhD and look at the crap he spouts

Re the foam roller: I use it to aid stretching and massage. There's plenty of "science" around them. But mostly it feels good and works for me.