20

Oct / 10

My Newest Best Friend

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Earlier this year I posted about my best friend, the lacrosse ball.  Since then, he and I have spent a lot of quality time together and I’m pleased to say we’re still getting along just as well now as we were back in May.  However, since I’ve embarked on training for the Nomad Weightlifting Classic later this month, my IT bands and hip adductors have been a mess (even more than usual).  My newest best friend the Foam Roller is no stranger to many of you, and has helped me tremendously in my warm-up and on my “rest” days.  I put “rest” is quotation marks because as you find out eventually, even on your “rest” days you should take advantage of doing something active that’s a change of pace from your normal routine.  The other day Kelly Starrett talked about the concept of “no day off” in his Mobility WOD post, saying if we are training hard we use our “rest” days from exercise for non-exercise activities (NEA) like skiing, hiking, surfing, paddle boarding, swimming, and especially some recovery/mobility work like foam rolling or rolling with a lacrosse ball.

Ruth has previously posted on Self Myofascial Release (SMR) and Marcus has posted some videos and tips for rolling.  Thanks to Stephanie, we have a bunch of new foam rollers for sale.  The more dense, black rollers are available for $24 (full length) and $12 (half) and the less dense, white rollers are going for $16 (full length) and $8 (half).  If you’re interested in purchasing one for home or work let one of the staff know.  We’ll be happy to show you  how to effectively use the roller, but be forewarned it won’t be a pleasant experience, but your body will thank you after.

WOD 10.20.10

Hang Snatch 3×3 @ 60-70% of Snatch 1RM

Row 500m
4 Rounds:
8 Rings Dips
16 Wall Ball Shots

8 Responses to “My Newest Best Friend”

Michael H
October 20, 2010 at 8:04 AM

Sean your ball is a “he” huh? Does he have a name? :P

BTW, these foam rollers work great as a body pillow. Zero effort foam rolling while you’re sleeping.

Anna
October 20, 2010 at 8:09 AM

So if I roll while watching 8 hours of TV on Saturday it counts as “no days off”? I love it!

Marcus
October 20, 2010 at 8:31 AM

No Anna, we hold class on Saturday. Remember, YOU were the one who requested a 10am class!

Scott
October 20, 2010 at 11:18 AM

Since when would swimming, surfing, or skiing be considered a “day off” activity??? I can barely walk after 2-3 days of hard skiing and often take Mondays off in the winter to recover before hitting up CF on Tuesday. You guys must not be skiing hard enough. I need to organize a CFI ski trip this year.

I think I consider walking, stretching, hiking, or a mellow bicycle ride to be active rest day activities. 12-oz curls at Sharkeez on Saturday/Sunday also qualify!! :)

I love the roller, but never seem to make enough time for it. For anyone considering buying a roller I’d highly recommend the more dense black rollers. It may hurt a bit more at first, but over time you’ll be happier with the dense roller. I think it gets into your muscles better and it doesn’t break down as quickly.

Michael H
October 20, 2010 at 11:41 AM

Scott you know Steph and I are in on that ski trip!

A good weekend to go up to Mammoth is Dec 17. It’s their annual night of lights celebration. Good times!

Alia
October 20, 2010 at 11:56 AM

Surfing is totally a day off! Foam rollers are da bomb!

Holley
October 20, 2010 at 2:33 PM

Several people from my work are participating in the Las Vegas Ragnar Relay this weekend (Oct 22-23) and someone from on the team broke his scapula, so they need a replacement. Each team has 10 people and each person runs 3 legs, 3-10 miles in length. It’s a 24 hour race that covers 195 miles. Each team gets two complimentary rooms in the Venetian on the strip in Vegas on Saturday night and the team will return on Sunday. No pressure to do it, but just wanted to pass on the invite in case someone is interested. If you want to do it, email me at [email protected].

Stephanie
October 20, 2010 at 3:38 PM

Please give me your broken down foam rollers for recycling when you have finished using and abusing it. The company I order from recycles the foam. Also, if anyone is in need of a gentler foam roller than the white one they also make a softer roller made of completely recycled materials!
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