I just discovered the miracles of foam rolling from reading...

From my understanding, this is good pre and post workout for tensed areas?

Example: Sometimes after back/leg day I'll get tightness in my lower back and after a massage from the wife I'm alright.

Would this help that?

Any recommendations on a good one?

pvc pipe

I tried this, now I never foam roll the thing hurts way too much to ever want to use it, so I just continuously stay tight 4 life.

foam rolling lets you perform myofascial release on yourself (soft tissue massage) and yes its great for tensed areas as it loosens the muscles and allows for better blood flow
pvc pipe is a bit extreme for someone just starting out, you can buy a blue (medium) or black (hard) foam roller on amazon for 20-30 bucks.

The idea of foam rolling is to rip out all of the deranged fibers from a muscle so that the remaining fibers are all uniform and functional. When we damage musculoskeletal tissue, especially in chronic pathology like tendinitis and tendinosis, the tissue heals but fibers will form in all sorts of directions and arrangements over and in the site of damage. As these small collagen fibers are modified and consolidated and new muscle forms in the scaffolding, the misaligned fibers are thought to contribute to muscle stiffness and impaired function because they change the precise viscoelastic properties of the tissue.

Thinking about getting the GoFit Professional Foam Roller 36 inches...
$30

Thoughts on this model?

This post was edited by ArtofApocalypse on Oct 13 2015 08:11pm

I use the Triggerpoint Grid foam roller almost daily. Keeps my muscles feeling great after long runs.

https://www.tptherapy.com/category/grid_rollers

doesnt have to be flashy to get the same results, hence why a $2 piece of pvc pipe works.. It's just quite painful unless youre used to foam rolling.

As cloudkicker said, the purpose is myofascial release and can have resounding benefits.

Doesnt even need to be performed on workout days but yes, can be great after a workout or prior if you have some sore spots.

Also consider lacrosse ball. Can be way more effective in certain areas eg traps, Lats, glutes. Basically anywhere really lol. Way better at targeting trigger points and releasing them (hold on spot for 30 secs)

Ps I always foam roll + use lacrosse ball + dynamic stretch before a workout. No more injuries when I do this. If I run to the gym and rush into a weight lifting routine I find myself much more likely to tweak something.

But I'm not the average person as I have shitloads of trigger points and scar tissue, mostly in upper back but elsewhere too.