Is this foam roller worth it?

Hey!

I've decided to really focus on my mobility&Flexibility, so ive looked at different foam rollers and discovored this "standard" one that's also really cheap; 32 dollars. this is perfect budget for me.

It 31 cm long (~12.2 inches) and 15 cm in diameters (~6 inches). Do you have any expercience of this black thing? is it worth it if you cant afford anything else?

I wonder about that big foam roller and what do people use it for.  I have a similar one and the IT band is the only place I can get a good roll on it.   I get a lot  more use out of my pair of lacrosse balls and with a 2 foot piece of pvc pipe although I'd like get a nice wooden dowel.    Here's a link someone posted before.

I've got a rumble roller and very glad I went for the longer one, it lets you work everywhere that would be more difficult with a smaller one. I really like foam rolling and I think it's well documented in its effectiveness.

I'd say any foam roller is better than no foam roller. Even if you get a cheap one now you can always get a more expensive one in the future.

"[...] any foam roller is better than no foam roller."

Maybe this says it all. I think im going for this one. Is there any good video inctrutions on how to use this? (I have heard of google, but perhaps you can spare me some time)

My main goals are getting front splits, side splits, pancake, pike, bridge, handstand flexibility/mobility, squat. Basically a dramatic change in my flexibility/mobility.

Loads of YouTube videos and articles can be found. The biggest mistake I think people make is rolling too quickly. As you roll you'll reach a "trigger point" it's important to stop rolling and wait out the "pain" (normally 30 seconds or 10 deep breaths) then you should only need to roll a fraction further where you'll pick up the "trigger point" again. Spiky rollers do an excellent job at this and lacrosse balls etc are great for working things like your glutes.

Rolling quickly does make for a nice massage though and is great for your upper back and thoracic mobility (don't roll your lower back).

Bam.

Murray Truelove said:

Loads of YouTube videos and articles can be found. The biggest mistake I think people make is rolling too quickly. As you roll you'll reach a "trigger point" it's important to stop rolling and wait out the "pain" (normally 30 seconds or 10 deep breaths) then you should only need to roll a fraction further where you'll pick up the "trigger point" again. Spiky rollers do an excellent job at this and lacrosse balls etc are great for working things like your glutes.

Rolling quickly does make for a nice massage though and is great for your upper back and thoracic mobility (don't roll your lower back).

1. No pain, no gain

2. Lacrosse ball are good too

3 Dont foam roall your lower back

gotcha

TANSTAAFL said:

Bam.

Son of a b'tch. That's what i like.

I suppose its a fine idea to roll first then do all the stretches/mobility work?

What are the dangers of foam rolling the lower back?

I use the foam roller sometimes myself cuz it feels good but what exactly are the benefits supposed to be? I saw an artice who claimed that foam rolling before workout had the same benefits as static stretching (more ROM in muscle mostly) but with no loss in power output in the muscles. Thoughts on that?

Essentially your muscles are made up of loads of ropes, when they get damaged one of these ropes gets a "knot" in it, which is a small part of it is unable to uncontract and becomes a trigger point, causing muscle dysfunction. By applying pressure you trigger the golgi reflex which causes the knots to relax.

Or something like that, Google self myofascial release.

I found another one. Is this one better?

Same Size!

Honestly I would either get the small Rumble Roller (only like 10-12 bux more) or ideally just wait and get the full size one which is slightly more than double the price. It's really not that unreasonable if you're willing to shell out $32 already.

+1 for a rumble roller it really is worth it. Blue is plenty firm enough, the black one is supposed to be too much for most.

There's nothing wrong with the one you've linked, only that I haven't used it personally.

TANSTAAFL: I live in sweden, and here to me 32 dollars is much less than 80-84 dollars ^^

But if you had to pick the first one or the latter, which one would you take?

Murray Truelove said:

+1 for a rumble roller it really is worth it. Blue is plenty firm enough, the black one is supposed to be too much for most.

There's nothing wrong with the one you've linked, only that I haven't used it personally.

To me, it seems like all the black things that sticks out would make it more efficient than just a flat surface like the first foam roller, but perhaps im completely wrong?

Yeah that's normally the case, depends on the density of the foam. Cheaper ones tend to have less dense form so don't dig in as deep.

Out of the two you've linked I'd go for the second one.

Hmm.. Yes.. The density.. The second one, I can only buy online. So I can't really check it out, until it arrives. Too much trouble..

Hmm.. Thank you all for your replies and your help. I shall go for the first one. If I like the whole foam roller culture, then in the future I will invest in a better one. For now, this will be good.

Now, please head over to my other thread. Thank you.

I work for a fitness equipment retail shop, have done for 7 years... Best ones are either rumble roller or trigger point grid. They're both good quality... rumble roller will just go deeper into the tissue. The rumble roller also has two different densities, so if you're new to rolling and want the rumble, I would suggest going for the blue one. The black one you posted above with the hollow center is a cheap grid knock-off that won't last. You'll crack the center before long... You're better off investing in a better-quality one. It will be more effective and way more durable.

Cam

I bought the first foam roll and as I am typing this I'm on my first foam rolling session.

I have only one question: WTF did I just buy? This product is pure evil. I can feel it in my lats and shoulders, oh and my calves