Ok, so this hasn't really been discussed much, so which one is better? I have a foam roller, but it seems like the stick would be more convenient, and it is smaller, so I don't know if that makes a difference. One thing is that the foam roller always seems to get stuck on my crotch when I'm doing my quads, and I can't get up to the hip flexors without rolling out my sack. Which one is better? Should I buy the stick to complement my foam roller?
The Stick isn't really designed to be a massage tool, basically all it does is stimulate blood flow to the legs, it doesn't do much for muscle knots.
boo hoo wrote:
The Stick isn't really designed to be a massage tool, basically all it does is stimulate blood flow to the legs, it doesn't do much for muscle knots.
How so?
I use both. Use the Stick daily on calves before and after runs.As an injury prevention tool, the Stick is great for rolling out soon to be knotty areas. I actually keep one in my car and use it right after an away from home run, and have had significantly fewer lower leg issues with regular Stick use.
I use the foam roller when I need more of a full body roll out with more pressure, say after a hard long run or a track workout. It's more painful and time consuming than the Stick, but the foam roller works much better on sore quads, hammies and the arse.
Can't help you with the sack issue.
I will confess that I only use "the stick" but basically the two muscle groups it cant really do any justice to are the hammies and all of the gluteus (both are understandable). Mainly the only thing in the gluteus I would like to have the knots released in is the minimus.
As for the hammies, I have found some success with laying on my stomach and having my leg at a 90 degree angle with my hamstring loose then having someone press down with a lot of force to find the knots with a rolling pin. Once a knot is found I have them hold and apply more pressure while I slowly let my leg go down. It works well enough for me.
The Stick is great to travel with, but less effective for some areas of your back, glutes, and the upper portions of hamstrings and IT band, because it's difficult to get in the right positions and/or apply enough force. You can work these areas better with a foam roller, but not all foam rollers are equal. For more effective myofascial release, try a RumbleRoller (www.rumbleroller.com).
And here's a tip for foam rolling quads: Shift to one side of the roller and roll one quad at a time. That way you can roll all the way up and through the hip flexors without crotch interference.
Lutch, that's a great tip! A lot like ART.