Strength

How important are foam rolling, stretching, massage and similar tools for injury prevention and how often should you use them?

Prevent injuries with foam rolling, stretching & massage

I really like foam rolling stretching. I haven't used Too Many of similar massage tools, but the way that I see it, as anything you can do to soften the tissue. So if you have a manual therapists, massage therapist a physical therapist, someone that can get in there. And kind of loosen up your tighter tissues to allow your kind of bones and joints to sit in the right positions to kind of get you to be where you need to be. That's great. If you don't then foam rolling and massage tools, and Stretching is really important. I think to soften your tissue to open up ranges of motion. And then obviously you have to activate and strengthen those ranges of motion, but I would say, daily, at least, before workouts, whenever you really have time if you're in school still, if you can do it first thing in the morning and then go about your day, if you can do it at the end of the day and open up your end ranges of motion, that's great too, but if you can do it before your workout, to kind of soften the tissue and get your alignment in a good position, Asian and then do some stretches to kind of open everything up, that might be limited on you. And then you can activate those tissues and then strengthen those tissues in those ranges of motion. I think that plays a major role in injury prevention. So if you can find a way to get soft tissue through a therapist or just by foam rolling, if you can find a way to stretch and open up ranges of motion great. And then you got to turn on and activate those muscles and those n ranges of motion and then strengthen those The joints through range of motion full range is emotion. I think that plays a big role in injury prevention, but if you're just using massage guns, or stretching its prime and I can play as big of a role. But if you can hit all of those kind of in that order at least once a day or a couple times a week or numerous times a day, you should be in a good position to prevent injuries.

Foam rolling and stretching are essential for injury prevention. Massage guns, therapists, or foam rolling can help to soften tissue and open up ranges of motion. Stretching helps to open up ranges of motion and activate muscles. Strengthening those joints through full range of motion is key to injury prevention.

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Foam rolling, stretching, massage, and similar tools can be beneficial for injury prevention. They help soften the tissues and improve range of motion, allowing bones and joints to align properly. If you have access to manual therapists or professionals who can address tight tissues, that's great. However, if not, foam rolling, massage tools, and stretching can still be effective.

It is recommended to incorporate these practices daily, especially before workouts. If you have time in the morning or at the end of the day, you can also perform them then. The goal is to soften the tissues, improve alignment, and open up ranges of motion. Afterward, it's important to activate and strengthen the muscles in those ranges of motion.

By following this routine, you can significantly contribute to injury prevention. However, solely relying on massage guns or stretching may not be as effective. It's best to combine foam rolling, stretching, activation, and strengthening exercises in a comprehensive approach.

Ideally, aim to perform these practices at least once a day or multiple times a week to maintain good tissue health and prevent injuries.

What exercises strengthen your rotator cuff?

Strengthen Your Rotator Cuff with Simple Exercises and Smart Techniques

Simple exercises to strengthen your rotator cuff. Muscles are internal external rotations of your shoulder. So you can know when there are mature side or your arm up at 90 degrees in line with your shoulder. The key with these though, when you got to think about the muscles that you're training, and kind of how they run infraspinatus, subscapular supraspinatus and teres minor, there's different positions. You can kind of do these in to hit those specific muscles. So what I'm doing my, My external rotations, I want to have the cable slightly lower. I just don't, I don't want them. I want to make sure I'm not pulling it straight across for internal and external like you do most of the time when you see most people do. So when you're doing external rotations, think pulling from low to high, so it's a little more in line with the fibers of the Innsbruck infraspinatus. So when I do them at 90 degrees, the cables down low and I pull it up as externally rotate, and same thing when it's at Side. It's lower than you would think and then you pull your hand higher closer to shoulder height as you externally rotate. And with internal rotation, it's the opposite to work your subscapular and the muscle fibers. How they run on your sub scap, you want to pull from high to low. So if it's at your side, you're pulling the cable from maybe just under shoulder height down towards your belly button, for a internal rotation, with your arm at your side and then with your arm up at 90 degrees, put the cable slightly of your shoulders. So when you pull it down, it doesn't hit your arm. You can kind of get the resistance from the band or the cable throughout the whole strength curve. So make those tweaks when you're doing those simple movements and then another thing that I like to try to incorporate is doing them in like a three dimensional plane. So kind of like doing a TRX Road external rotation but make it a little more kind of like a circle where you kind of grow up and back. You externally rotate and then kind of pull your elbows down a little Whoa, and then same thing, when you go back, make it more like a throwing ish motion where you kind of go up out and then down it's not just row, externally rotate, and then go back and same thing. When you do internal rotations I'll see if I can post a video of a manual that I like to do with athletes where you're kind of internally rotating while also pulling your arm forward and kind of put it in your pocket and then resisting yourself all the way back up to 90 degrees.

To strengthen your rotator cuff, you can do exercises such as external and internal rotations. When doing external rotations, pull from low to high and when doing internal rotations, pull from high to low. Additionally, you can also incorporate 3D plane movements for a more well-rounded exercise.

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Exercises to strengthen your rotator cuff involve internal and external rotations of your shoulder. For external rotations, position the cable slightly lower and pull it from low to high, in line with the fibers of the infraspinatus muscle. When your arm is at your side, the cable should be lower, and as you externally rotate, pull your hand closer to shoulder height.

For internal rotations, pull the cable from high to low to target the subscapular muscle. When your arm is at your side, pull the cable from just under shoulder height down towards your belly button. With your arm at 90 degrees, position the cable slightly off your shoulders to avoid hitting your arm as you pull it down.

To add variation, incorporate three-dimensional movements, such as a circular motion with TRX or resistance bands. For example, externally rotate and pull your elbows down, then go back in a throwing motion. For internal rotations, try a movement where you internally rotate while pulling your arm forward and then resisting the movement back up to 90 degrees.

These exercises target specific muscles of the rotator cuff and can be adjusted based on the position of the cable or resistance band.

What are your thoughts on “fascial stretching”?

Unlocking the Power of Fascial Stretching: A Game-Changer for Productive and Detailed Flexibility

I love the detail that goes into fascial stretching. Anyone can kind of hang out at n ranges and feel a stretch and think that they're being productive and it's good to stretch but facial stretching. I just think is so much more productive for the time that you're putting into it having to be there on purpose and doing it with a purpose. I think goes way further than just kind of hitting some stretching to make yourself feel good or make. Yourself feel like you're opening up ranges emotion, but just having to tuck your chin and pull back your fingers and avert and dorsiflex and flatten your belly, whatever it is you're doing, just the detail that goes into the stretching of the faccia and the D cohabitating. And the thought process that that goes on, during all of it, I think is way more productive than just regular stretching.

Fascial stretching is much more productive than regular stretching because of the detail and thought process that goes into it. It involves tucking your chin, pulling back your fingers, averting and dorsiflexing, and flattening your belly to maximize the effects.

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I find fascial stretching to be incredibly beneficial. It requires a deliberate and purposeful approach, unlike simply hanging out in certain ranges and feeling a stretch. The attention to detail and precision involved in fascial stretching make it much more productive than regular stretching. Whether it's tucking the chin, pulling back the fingers, or engaging in specific movements, the focus on the fascia and the thought process behind it enhances the effectiveness of the stretching. It goes beyond just making oneself feel good or opening up ranges of motion. Fascial stretching allows for a deeper level of engagement and yields greater results.

What are three simple exercises post-competition to flush lactic acid from your body?

Flush Lactic Acid: Light Exercise, Stretching, and Foam Rolling

The best way that I can think of to flush lactic acid, post, competition. I'll give you a couple of ways. Can't say they're 3 simple exercises. Main ways just to get your blood moving through light activity. So you can do that a couple different ways. If you could just get on a bike or just do a really light jog, I just did a lot of activity, but to something easy low intensity. Just to get the blood pumping your legs, same thing, if you're jogging just super low intensity, almost like to just angling real slow just to keep blood. And then you can do some kind of Mobility circuit to pick three stretches that really help you. If it's like a couch stretch for your front side, maybe a pigeon stretch with Tatian to get kind of your oblique slings and hip a little bit. Maybe a chest torso, stretch for your doing, some kind of pick scorpion. Some kind of that stretch just to lengthen the tissue through your bigger areas. So stretching is a good way to do it, too. And then, lastly, I would say, is foam rolling. If you could just do some slower Pace foam rolling, just to kind of move the blood and acid around your tissues. When you're done really, get into the areas that are maybe the worst on you. If it's your caps or your quads, your hits, even your lats in your spine, and maybe a little bit of your stomach or so. And so, if you could just do some light Tempo foam rolling to move the blood around and hopefully get some lactic acid out of there. So those are simple ways that I would get lactic acid out of my system, but there's a lot of other ways you could do too.

To flush lactic acid post competition, you can do some light activity like biking or jogging at a low intensity. You can also do a mobility circuit with three stretches for your bigger areas and foam roll at a slower pace to move the blood around.

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To flush lactic acid from your body post-competition, there are a few effective methods. While I can't provide three specific exercises, I can suggest a few approaches. The main goal is to get your blood flowing through light activity.

One option is to hop on a bike or engage in a light jog. The key is to keep the intensity low and focus on getting your legs moving and blood pumping.

Another approach is to incorporate a mobility circuit. Choose three stretches that target areas of tightness or discomfort. For example, you could try a couch stretch for the front side of your body, a pigeon stretch to address your oblique slings and hips, and a chest torso stretch or scorpion stretch to lengthen the tissue in larger areas.

Stretching is a beneficial way to flush lactic acid as well. Additionally, foam rolling can be effective. Perform slower-paced foam rolling, paying extra attention to areas that feel particularly tight or affected by lactic acid buildup. Target your calves, quads, hips, lats, spine, and even your stomach.

These simple methods, including light activity, stretching, and foam rolling, can help move the blood and lactic acid around your body, aiding in recovery. Keep in mind that there are various other approaches you can explore as well.

Should you do a full stretch routine before or after weight training?

Maximize Your Workout: Dynamic Stretches Before, Static Stretches After

So I would keep your stretching routines to after your weight training or at the end of the day or when you get home from the school or your workout or whatever it is or right. Before you go to bed to do more slower, static stretches to work on range of motion. But before workouts or before you go in the weight room or before a practice you can do lots of dynamic stretches, you can do activations to get everything working and firing and Open up ranges in motion, turn muscles on throughout those ranges of motion. So I would say before your workouts before your weight training be more active and dynamic and you can still stretch what make sure you're turning things on. As you're stretching, being more active with your stretching and then save your static. Stretching, your more longer holding stretches for when you're done with your weight training session,

Before workouts or before you go into the weight room, do more dynamic stretches and activations to get everything working and firing. After your weight training session, do more static stretches for longer holds to work on range of motion.

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It is recommended to save your full stretch routine for after weight training or at the end of the day. Before workouts or weight training sessions, focus on dynamic stretches and activations to warm up your body and open up ranges of motion. These dynamic stretches help activate and engage muscles throughout their full range of motion. Be active and dynamic with your stretching before workouts, ensuring that you are turning things on as you stretch.

Save your static stretches, which involve holding stretches for longer periods, for after your weight training session. This allows your muscles to relax and recover after the workout. You can also incorporate slower, static stretches into your routine at the end of the day or before bed to work on improving your overall range of motion.

In summary, be more active and dynamic with your stretching before weight training, and save static stretches for after your workout or at the end of the day.

At what age should a kid start weight training?

Building a Foundation: When to Start Weight Training

So when should a kids start weight training? I would try to wait till you're a teenager, but well before then you can start building the foundation to make your weight training more productive. Once you get to the age where you are able to when you're kind of growing and developing and you have the hormones to support what you be doing in the gym. So I like to Target, lots of like kind of middle schoolers end of Elementary schoolers. I'm not sure what he's that would exactly be maybe eight, nine, ten and teaching them how to kind of get into a proper split squat, how to hit bridge on the ground, how to use their glutes, how to use their lower abs, how to use muscles that you typically neglect. When you're lifting or known? Really teaches you how to use. So, doing lots of foundational stuff when you're younger, before you're a teenager will set you up to have more success once. You're in the weight room as a high schooler or as a teenager. So also keep in mind that weight training. Some people will say, like, body weight, you could do first, and then you can start weight training once you're 13 or 14. But sometimes body weight can be more than weight training. So if you're trying to do push-ups and you weigh 100 pounds, you could lay on a bench and use 20 pound dumbbells, and go slow and controlled use a nice Tempo. Pause at the bottom, pause at the top, so that's Thing. I like to try to get people to understand as well, is Sometimes using weights can be less than your body weight. You're not going to do pull-ups. Probably when you're really young, but you could do pull Downs at a much lighter weight and do it well. So if you want to start working out and doing things in the gym, keep them like keep the tempos real slow. Make sure you're using the right muscles. You're not cheating anything and that's okay to start it. Once you're old enough, you can start doing more things in the gym but creating that Foundation getting good separation. Making sure your body knows how to move. Well, I think will help you a lot before you get in the weight room.

Kids can start building the foundation for weight training well before they are teenagers by doing bodyweight exercises such as split squats, bridges, and lower abs exercises. Once they reach the age where their hormones can support it, they can start using weights at a lighter weight with a slow and controlled tempo to ensure proper muscle activation.

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When should kids start weight training? It's best to wait until you're a teenager, but even before that, you can lay the foundation for more productive weight training. As you reach the age where you're growing and developing, and your hormones can support gym workouts, it's a good time to start. Typically, targeting middle schoolers or end of elementary schoolers, around 8, 9, or 10 years old, can be beneficial.

Teaching younger kids proper techniques like split squats, ground bridges, and engaging muscles that are often neglected during lifting is important. Focusing on foundational exercises before becoming a teenager sets you up for success in the weight room later on.

Some people suggest starting with bodyweight exercises before transitioning to weight training around the age of 13 or 14. However, it's worth noting that bodyweight exercises can sometimes be more challenging than weight training. For example, doing push-ups with your bodyweight might be more difficult than using 20-pound dumbbells while maintaining a slow and controlled tempo.

If you want to start working out and using the gym, keep the tempos slow and ensure you're using the correct muscles without cheating. While you may not be able to do pull-ups at a young age, you can perform pull-downs with lighter weights and proper form. Creating a foundation, focusing on good movement, and developing muscle awareness will greatly benefit you before entering the weight room.

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Matt Eiden is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) and Registered Strength and Conditioning Coach (RSCC) with 14 years of experience. He was a strength coach for the Washington Nationals from 2009 to 2022. He is also Functional Range Conditioning (FRC) certified. After graduating from St. Mary's with a BS degree in Sports Management in 2008, he played two professional seasons of independent baseball before joining the Nationals as an intern in 2009. In 2016, he was promoted to Head MLB Strength and Conditioning Coach. During the off-season, he resides in Hilton Head, SC with his wife, Ashley. His hobbies include golf, basketball, reading, and spending time with his wife and family. Matt believes that moving well is essential and coaches must be able to connect with athletes to help them work toward the greater goals of the player and team.