Self myofascial release

I have just written this book, you can get it at https://payhip.com/veganbodybuilding
It is a book/video combo.  It covers what we know about self myofascial release (SMR), runs you through a routine with photos, text explanations and a video, so things should be crystal clear. If you had any questions about how to start or why you should be considering it, this will answer it for you.
Those that have followed this blog for some time know I spent 2 years studying massage.  I don't believe that SMR is comparable to a massage, but it is better than not doing anything and in some situations may be the preferred modality.
It is by donation, so although I would like you to pay a little towards the costs if you can afford it, those of you are on a very low income can just grab it for free.

Recovery isn’t upright

The chances are that if you were at school and doing sport; after the race when you are bent over & your breathe was heaving, do you remember the coach telling you to stand up straight and even to put your hands over your head.  These ideas were created to allow the diaphragm to be in the best position to allow quickest recovery.

Now suppose I told you that this is wrong.  Not only is it wrong but doing a HIIT cardio protocol you can lower the heart beat by over 20 beats per minute (BPM) MORE simply by putting your hands on your knees and bending forward slightly.  Would that be worth your time learning?

The study

This is the findings in a post-graduate thesis where they measured the recovery rates between standing upright, with hands over head & holding yourself in that well known bent over recovery position with your hands on your knees.

First let us address the issues stated by your old coach.  “Standing upright with hands over head opens the diaphragm to the maximum.” Says your coach.  “You aren’t compressing your lungs that way.”.  That is the common reasoning, but it appears that this actually incorrect.  You are not compressing your lungs by bending over as you are hip hinging in this position.  Bending forwards like this could actually increase your lung capacity slightly.  Also by using the arms as support for the upper body you lower the activity of the sympathetic nervous system (fight or flight) & heighten the influence of the parasympathetic nervous system (rest & digest), this also aids recovery.

In this study they saw over 20BPM improvement in 3 minutes.  After 3 minutes you either had drop of 31BPM standing upright with hands overhead or 53BPM by hip hinging forward with hands on your knees.  That difference is a very significant difference if you are doing intervals or recovering between bouts of exertion.

So, to sum things up.  If you need to maximise recovery between sets or during a contest use the bent over, hands on knee posture & be ready to go again as soon as possible.

You can read the full thesis at http://cedar.wwu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1329&context=wwuet

Even if you are not concerned about the speed of recovery; consider that the faster your heart rate returns to normal, the faster can begin to repair & the super-compensation the body needs to improve. So, whatever your goals learning these methods to maximise recovery will benefit you and optimise the results of any training you do.

Special thanks to Dave of Vegan Runners for the pictures of him after a race and Jemma for taking the pictures. If you are interested in getting involved in Vegan Runners email and I can pass you on the details.

A new option for foam rolling

This is an opinion piece.   As far as I know no one has studied this or even talked about it before.  I wish I could take credit for the idea, but it was my partner who first thought of this variation.

Most people know about SMR (Self Myofascial Release), or foam rolling.  You can do it before training, after training, or at other times.  I know there is still debate about what SMR actually does (it probably doesn’t ‘release’ fascia, at least not the way we think of it right now).  Let’s put that all to one side.  Even if we do not know the exact mechanism, we can agree that much of the research does point to it being beneficial.  From there we can move on to the second part of this.

Enter the bath

Many people find benefits for hot baths as a recovery aid.  Slipping into that steaming hot tub can be a fantastic feeling and time spent in the bath actually does seem to help.  For the longest time I have suggested employing self massage in a hot bath as a recovery aid.  Things like calves, knees, shoulders, arms and hips can all benefit for a bit of massage while you bathe.  However things like glutes, lower back & other areas are incredibly difficult to apply a decent pressure to yourself, so until recently I was at a loss about how to include these into a ‘bath time recovery programme’ (expect that new book soon – the bath-time recovery book - ha haa! ).

Enter the lacrosse ball

I’m guessing that if you have tried SMR for any length of time you have a lacrosse ball.  I suspect that the whole foam rolling boom probably saved the lacrosse ball industry.  I see them everywhere! Lacrosse balls are firm, rubber balls.  After you have rolled on a tennis ball for a while, you will soon find that a tennis ball feels too soft to really get into the knots and trigger points you are feeling as you roll.  A lacrosse ball is the next level of firmness.  It is rubber, so it has a little give, but it works much deeper into the tissue.

Like many of you, I use SMR at the start of a workout session (here’s a study that shows extended ROM, but no loss in power by foam rolling[i]). I actually foam roll, then do dynamic stretching, then begin the workout.  I get better sessions that way.

A match made in heaven

So, let’s put these two ideas together and see how that grabs you.  If you want to include a little extra recovery into a simple bath time activity.  First include some self massage.  This will mainly be feet legs, arms, hands & parts of the shoulder and chest. After that, put a lacrosse ball into the bath.  Do not worry, it will sink! Roll on the glutes & the lower back (avoid the spine itself). The weight you apply to the ball will be less due to buoyancy; however the hot water will increase the effectiveness of the rolling. An option could be that instead of using fingers to self massage, you could use the lacrosse ball on the legs & arm also. Just remember to keep both the ball and your own body under control while you roll out as you could slide under water (safety first people!). You can roll out as long as you like.  It could be anywhere from 5-15 minutes (or longer if you like).  The time really depends on how beat up you feel.  Give yourself more time if you feel especially banged-up.

That’s it really.  I am obviously not going to show you pictures of me naked rolling out in a bath (sorry folks).  However if you have any questions about how to either roll out or self massage I am a fully qualified masseur, so I am happy to put together something for you, just let me know below.  A lot of this will be individual as you may be tight, or have trigger points in specific areas so take the time to experiment a little.  Assuming you are a normal, healthy individual, then you cannot really do anything too bad just rolling on a lacrosse ball.  It could be very painful at first but that will ease as you adjust to the practice.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Be aware of the difference between trigger point pain & injury.  Never foam roll over muscle tears, bruising or other tissue damage. If you have any doubts then go and get checked out by a medical doctor.  If you are especially painful then you might want to seek out a qualified masseur or masseuse & get a proper sports massage, SMR is good, but not that good!

Hopefully this has given you few ideas and if you have unique ways to aid recovery why not add those below and we can start a conversation.

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[i] MacDonald GZ, et al. An Acute Bout of Self-Myofascial Release Increases Range of Motion Without a Subsequent Decrease in Muscle Activation or Force. Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research: March 2013 - Volume 27 - Issue 3 - p 812–821. http://journals.lww.com/nsca-jscr/Abstract/2013/03000/An_Acute_Bout_of_Self_Myofascial_Release_Increases.34.aspx

 

Exercise with illness

I am not talking about mental illness, or other chronic physical issues.  We can cover those in later posts if you like, but in this case I am referring to colds, headaches & other issues.  It is usually obvious if you have a major illness that you cannot workout. That is not the issue I am addressing here, the main problem is borderline illness.  Should you lift weights with a cold?  Should you run that 10Km run with a cough?

Unfortunately, there are no hard and fast rules to illness, but there are a few guidelines.  Never train if you have a fever or are feeling dizzy. The body heats up when you exercise, if you already have a fever, then the added temperature rise could cause serious issues. If you are dizzy then the chances of injury are not worth the risk as you could fall, lose balance or drop a weight, fatigue will increase the chances of that happening.  Light cardio can actually help at the start of a cold, opening the airways & improving mucus flow (which sounds awful, but is actually a good thing).  Notice I said ‘light’ aerobic activity, a flat out 10Km run will depress the immune system & possibly cause more serious symptoms to develop, so the best plan is a light session.  That can be bodyweight resistance work, or light cardio work, no maximum output sessions.

Why did you get ill?

This can be for a number of reasons.  If you are under-conditioned your body is less able to fight off diseases.  Conversely, if you are over-conditioned your immune system can be depressed & so you can become ill more easily.  Times of high stress, dieting or hard workouts can also lead to an increased chance of illness.  Optimal health is achieved by modifying your training & lifestyle to what is happening in your life.  If stress is high, then backing off the training & focusing upon recovery may be the best option.  At times when stress is low pushing the training for a while might help build your body to its next level of development.

 Also every immune system has a ‘blueprint’ of diseases. If you have been exposed to the disease (or immunity was passed on by your mother), then you will fight off the disease very quickly, if however your body has to design a new defence from scratch to repel the invader, then you will often suffer more as the body battles an unknown attacker.

How long should you wait

There are no rules, but generally you can use this guide:

• 3 days for a sniffle
• 7 days for a full cold
• 2 weeks for flu

These are ballpark figures as your recovery depends on the bacteria or virus you catch, your bodies reaction to the disease, the health of your body when you get the disease, so if you are not recovered within those timeframes, take as long as you need (plus a few days of recuperation after the symptoms disappear).

If you get ill

If illness strikes the first thing to do is to honestly assess how bad the illness is.  After that, you need to consider outside factors like stress, work schedule etc.  If you decide to workout then go easier than you think, pick light bodyweight movements, easy cardio or similar.  Be extra careful with post-workout recovery & take in extra fluid.  Also be willing to modify workouts or even cancel them if symptoms increase.

The final decision

Everyone will get ill at some point. All of us have to choose whether to push through or rest when we come down with a disease.  Your ability to know your body & know which course to take can mean the difference between a few days off & being bedridden for a longer time.  Always tend towards rest if you have any doubts as rest rarely causes issues, but over-working can be achieved easily during times of illness.  Listen to your body & react honestly to what it is saying to you.  You have plenty of time to be a Kryptonian, trying to do that during illness will only set you back further.

Hopefully illness won’t visit you very often, but when it does be sure you treat it with respect & think about your actions carefully.