Steve Barrett - Total Foam Rolling Techniques: Trade Secrets of a Personal Trainer

Note

Whilst every effort has been made to ensure that the content of this book is as technically accurate and as sound as possible, neither the author nor the publishers can accept responsibility for any injury or loss sustained as a result of the use of this material.

Published by Bloomsbury Publishing Plc

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First edition 2014

This electronic edition published in 2014 by Bloomsbury Publishing Plc

Copyright 2014 Steve Barrett

ISBN (print) 978 1 4729 0664 9

ISBN (epub): 978 1 4729 1148 3

ISBN (epdf): 978 1 4729 1149 0

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Steve Barrett has asserted his rights under the Copyright, Design and Patents Act, 1988, to be identified as the author of this work.

A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

Acknowledgements

Cover photographs ESC Creative LLP: www.esccreative.com

Inside photographs ESC Creative LLP with the exception of the following, pp. 28 and 34
Shutterstock.com

Illustrations Shutterstock

Designed by James Watson

Commissioned by Charlotte Croft

Edited by Sarah Cole

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disclaimer and advisory

Before attempting any form of exercise, always ensure you have a safe working environment. Ensure that the floor surface you are on is non-slip, and do not stand on any rugs or mats that could move when you exercise. Also, clear your exercise space of items that could cause you harm if you collided with them; this includes furniture, pets and children. Pay particular attention to the amount of clearance you have above your head and remember that for some of the exercise moves you will be raising your hands above head height, so keep away from doorways and light fittings.

The information, workouts, health-related information and activities described in this publication are practised and developed by the author and should be used as an adjunct to your understanding of health and fitness and, in particular, strength training. While physical exercise is widely acknowledged as being beneficial to a participants health and well-being, the activities and methods outlined in this book may not be appropriate for everyone. It is fitness industry procedure to recommend all individuals, especially those suffering from disease or illness, to consult their doctor for advice on their suitability to follow specific types of activity. This advice also applies to any person who has experienced soft tissue or skeletal injuries in the past, those who have recently received any type of medical treatment or are taking medication and women who are, or think they may be, pregnant.

The author has personally researched and tried all of the exercises, methods and advice given in this book on himself and with many training clients. However, this does not mean these activities are universally appropriate and neither he nor the publishers are, therefore, liable or responsible for any injury, distress or harm that you consider may have resulted from following the information contained in this publication.

contents

the basics of exercising with a foam roller

what is foam rolling and how does it work?

Foam rolling is a bit like giving yourself a sports massage. Instead of a masseurs hands applying pressure to relieve muscle tension and discomfort, you apply this yourself. Using your bodyweight on a foam roller you can target problem areas of muscle and fascia (of which more later) and increase your flexibility and recovery time following exercise.

Foam rolling has seen an amazing rise in popularity in the world of health and fitness and has been universally embraced by coaches, professional athletes and those who simply try it and experience almost instant benefits and results. Nothing unusual about that but foam rolling is different. Most new crazes or trends happen because a product is new, innovative, technical and, more often than not, has a large company behind it spending a fortune on marketing. But with foam rolling the growth in popularity has been organic via word of mouth rather than due to an advertising campaign. Why is this? Well, foam rolling works. It has a number of benefits, which include pain relief, improved posture, improved performance and, for me the most relevant, manageable, improved and maintainable range of motion in joints. But there isnt a lot of evidence in the fitness industry to tell us why. There are plenty of examples of activities that work but cant be fully explained and even drugs (natural and man-made) that are used globally but arent fully understood aspirin being a great example. Its been commercially available since 1899, but even in 1966 it was still unclear how and why it worked, and today there are still discoveries being made into new uses for the drug.

Foam rolling presents us with a similar list of unknowns, which are unlikely to be solved any time soon. The reality is that research is generally only done on products by equipment manufacturers who have something to gain (or protect). With foam rolling, few people dispute the feel-good benefits, which in turn means defining the actual physiological process is less urgent than for products that make big claims but struggle to deliver.

So, what are the various theories about how and why foam rolling works? Ive put these theories in my personal order of preference.

theory 1: foam rolling softens fascia

Fascia is a fantastic substance that exists throughout the body. Most people understand the function of muscles and some can explain the purpose of ligaments and tendons, but many personal trainers are oblivious to the importance and relevance of fascia throughout the body. Fascia is a fibrous tissue which connects and secures other structures to each other its often described as being similar to cling film in that it wraps muscle fibres together. But this description does it a disservice as fascia is far more versatile than this. Here are some of its uses:

provides a shiny sheath for muscles to slide or glide through during contractions