Foam roller...

[skim]

Originally Posted by jruck37

My dilema is that sometimes I roll around for a while, and end up feeling more sore. For example, last night, my hip flexors felt tight (not sore), so I tried to roll them out. After rolling, they felt like I had done heavy squats or played basketball for 2 hours the day before. Today, I seem to have DOMS in them. And, my only physical activity this week has been church softball, so I'm not exactly pushing myself that hard. Is this to be expected? I was under the impression that the roller can be used to reduce and sometimes even eliminate DOMS.

Jamie

Hey I was wondering about this too since recently I started experiencing pain in my legs from foam rolling as well. Feels like they're bruised! Anyone have any ideas? Thanks

[RedLefty]

Normal. Ever had ART? You'd be sore as heck after that.

The concern is if you continue to have this post-rolling soreness again and again. Stick with it on a regular basis and see if the soreness subsides, just like DOMS from your workouts.

[jruck37]

I forgot about this post!

Thanks for the help, RL. I have never had ART done, but the rolling has gotten better over the last couple weeks. I am still a little unsure how long I should roll. From what I've read, it sounds like I should roll until the pain subsides. Whether or not this is accurate, I have a hard time getting to that point.

I have found that if I roll and stretch a few hours after my workout, DOMS is nearly gone the next day. This has definately come in handy.

[RedLefty]

"Rolling until the pain subsides" is a never-reached goal, just like Mahler's strength quests.

Basically I like to think of it as a constant progression:
1) Today the quad hurts like hell on the foam roll
2) By next week the quad won't hurt as much
3) By next month it won't hurt at all, then I'll start using a harder roll (or pvc pipe if I'm really looking for pain)
4) Today the quad hurts like hell on the pvc pipe
5) etc...

[Jokerz]

i recently got mine, (friday but still) and im wondering about the frequency of rolling? is doing it every night before i goto bed too much? as well as before and after a workout?

[MacSob]

Jokerz,

I've incorporated three 1/2 hour sessions per week to foam rolling followed by both dynamic and static stretches. I do these on top of my regular program of three cardio sessions ( HIIT and steady state ) and three full body workouts. My current schedule looks something like this:

Monday - full-body workout (squat, still leg deadlift,, hanging leg raises)
Tuesday - laps in pool AM. Stretch / foam roller PM
Wednesday - full-body workout (dumbell presses, dumbell rows, chins-ups)
Thursday - HIIT on treadmill AM. Stretch / foam roller PM
Friday - full-body workout AM(deadlift, planks, shoulder rehab) stretch / foam roll PM
Saturday - 8-12 miles rollerblades or 25-30 miles road bike
Sunday - yard work

This schedule of foam rolling really hit the spot for me. I'm sure other people will chime in with their recommendations, but this is my current routine and keeps me (almost) pain free.

Mac