Now that I'm on the far side of forty, the biggest difference that I notice from my younger days is that it takes me several days to recover from a hard ride. So, I'm just thinking about ways to speed recovery... I'm now a chocolate milk drinker (after workouts), but I'm not really sure how much this is helping. So, in my quest to be able to pack in a bit more high intensity work (I want to do a couple of Cat 5 crits this summer), I am wondering whether anyone has any experience with those self-massage sticks. Do they help with speeding your recovery? They're a bit pricey for what looks like a pretty simple stick, so I would love to hear opinions before rushing out to blow money on something that may or may not work. Thanks to anyone who will relate their experiences.
Dave
My wife has one a swears by
My wife has one a swears by it, I have used it and have not noticed any difference.
I use 'the stick' and it
I use 'the stick' and it works very well for me. It is cheaper than massage and helps you reach and self massage hard to reach places.
There´s a search feature on
There´s a search feature on the top of the webpage.
http://trifuel.com/forum/17507/the-stick-opinions
Yes, as does a marble or
Yes, as does a marble or wooden rolling pin :)
KitKat wrote:Yes, as does a
[quote=KitKat]Yes, as does a marble or wooden rolling pin :)[/quote]
Good Call on that one... The rolling pin is the ultimate multitasker! Although I do get odd looks from friends when they walk into the kitchen and I'm pounding the back of my legs with the same tool that I used making dinner.
KitKat wrote:Yes, as does a
[quote=KitKat]Yes, as does a marble or wooden rolling pin :)[/quote]
+1 I was tossing up the idea of the TP products but wasnt about to spend that kind of money. I bought a wooden rolling pin and it works wonderfully!!!
I used a foam roller on my
I used a foam roller on my IT band for the first time ever the other day. I have never done any specific stretches for the IT band. I found a mine field of trigger points. I am still sore 3 days later. Anybody else experience the first time using a foam roller?
I have also found a tennis ball to be the most effective at deeper muscles.
That being said , I used the foam roller on my hamstrings and felt nothing, but I guess they are pretty loose from all the stretching I do.
The Stick, Foam Rollers (2
The Stick, Foam Rollers (2 different sizes), Tennis Balls, a small rubber covered dumbell, and one of those electric shiatzu massage pillows are all in my arsenal of massage tools. I've heard those TP balls and rollers are better than tennis balls, but don't know about the price being worth it.
I have a foam roller and
I have a foam roller and find that it helps my lower back quite a bit. I've also taken to using tennis balls as well.
I will admit that the experiment I tried using baseballs was considered a failure...
vistring wrote:I used a foam
[quote=vistring]I used a foam roller on my IT band for the first time ever the other day. I have never done any specific stretches for the IT band. I found a mine field of trigger points. I am still sore 3 days later. Anybody else experience the first time using a foam roller?
I have also found a tennis ball to be the most effective at deeper muscles.
That being said , I used the foam roller on my hamstrings and felt nothing, but I guess they are pretty loose from all the stretching I do.[/quote]
I also find the foam roller not all that effective on my hamstrings, but great for the outside and tops of my quads and calfs and butt muscles
don't beat yourself up with it, but it will definitely get more comfy the more you do it...
Thanks everyone! Mea maxima
Thanks everyone! Mea maxima culpa on failing to use the search - don't know why this didn't occur to me. On a more positive note, I never would have thought to use the rolling pin. This is something that I will definitely give a shot after my next ride. If my wife wasn't sure that I was crazy before, this will surely remove any doubt from her mind. Again, thank you to everyone who took the time to help.
Best,
Dave
The advantage I can see of
The advantage I can see of The Stick over a rolling pin is that it's longer and more flexible. This means I can easily use it on shoulder and back muscles. I got one of these gizmos in my Christmas stocking this year and really have loved it. It's even more useful than my foam roller (especially since my kids used my foam roller for various play activities and bent it out of shape, LOL).