SMR: Triggerpoint/Biphasic
Written by Rolland Cheng (no AI)
Foam rolling is just one way of doing something called Self Myofascial Release (SMR). Doing SMR activates certain nerve endings in the muscles that respond to pressure, and the central nervous system then tells the muscles to relax. Foam rolling or any other SMR before doing any static stretches makes the static stretch more effective. The muscles are more relaxed, and you get better range of motion in the stretch and you also have a much lower risk of stretch related spasms or injuries.
Doing SMR at the beginning of a workout can help calm overactive, tight muscles, preventing them from overworking or pulling on certain joints. It can also help warm up the targeted muscles so you get more done during your session. It just depends on where you’re currently at on your fitness journey, if you have any mobility issues or compensations, and what kind of SMR you’re doing.
Triggerpoint: Find a tender spot and relax into it for 30-45 seconds or until the tenderness dissipates. Each muscle may have more than one triggerpoint.
Depending on time restrictions, hunt those other triggerpoints down or move on to other muscles. This is great to do at the beginning of a workout before some static stretches if you have some muscles that are always tight or always compensating for other muscles. Example: quads/hip flexors may compensate for glutes. Upper back might be tight causing shoulder and neck tightness.
Triggerpoint SMR is also great to do as you wind down for the evening. It helps your body access your parasympathetic nervous system, helping you down-regulate, relax, digest and even fall asleep faster.
Biphasic/Flossing: Roll back and forth over a muscle at a moderate pace for 30 seconds, then find a tender spot with the foam roller or ball and bend and extend the nearest joint for 10-15 repetitions.
This is great to do at the beginning of a workout if you don’t have any major concerning mobility issues or muscle compensations. By rolling back and forth, this style of SMR promotes more blood flow to the targeted muscles and soft tissue as well as increases the temperature in the area. Since this promotes blood flow, this is also great to do at the end of a workout to aid in recovery.
You can’t overdo SMR. If you’re strength training at RPE8-10 lifting heavy loads, you’ll need recovery days and deload weeks to let your muscles and Central Nervous System recover. You don’t need that kind of recovery for SMR. You can do it EVERY DAY. Actually you can benefit from doing it multiple times a day, every day of the week (if you have time). If you’re really stiff first thing in the morning, you can do a bit of foam rolling first thing and do some light stretches to get the day started right. You can do it before your workout, after your workout and before you go to bed.
Let’s be real. No one has that kind of time. Prioritize when it is going to make the biggest difference for you. For just about everyone I work with, it’s always at the beginning of the workout.
If you don’t have a foam roller, I HIGHLY recommend having one at home. Before getting a Theragun or anything else, start with the foam roller.
I recommend the Grid Roller by TriggerPoint. It’s firm enough for intermediate and advanced users but soft enough for first time users.
Link : https://a.co/d/0llCTlT
If you travel a lot and feel like you need something you can bring with you and packs down easy, the Morph Roller by Brazyn may be the way to go. It’s a collapsible foam roller that I’ve brought with me on many trips and lives inside my checked bag.
Link: https://a.co/d/3HInZXQ
If you have more issues with smaller targeted triggerpoint issues, like upper back or shoulders, the Alpha balls by YogaTuneUp is a good starting point before going to lacrosse balls.
Link: https://a.co/d/ePJd490
Doing SMR is doing maintenance of the muscles and soft tissue of your body. Don’t wait for something to hurt or feel achey to start. Be active and take of these issues before they start.
“If you give me six hours to chop down a tree, I’ll spend the first four sharpening my axe.” - Abraham Lincoln
