macgyver
TID Board Of Directors
- Nov 24, 2011
- 1,997
- 1,672
I have quite a few years under my belt in the gym. Recently I have found that it is harder and harder to recover properly from working out. I also found I am picking up more 'nagging' injuries. Some may say this is just age, but I do not think that is the core issue. I attribute it the combination of two things.
1) Getting to the point where I am moving fairly heavy weights.
2) Getting to this point while neglecting mobility and flexibility work.
I really see it as a combination of these two. Prior to really pushing for maximum weights, I neglected mobility and flexibility work and never really had issue. Now that I have developed strength to fairly decent levels, I am finding limits in my flexibility are leading to injury and strain. I believe had I not neglected these, I would not be suffering the issues I have now. Overall, my flexibility has gotten terrible over the past two years. All the training and little to no stretching, has left me MUCH tighter then I have ever been. Add this to being the strongest I have ever been, and it is a recipe for disaster.
I have been looking into this and decided that I really need to work specifically on mobility work and flexibility. I plan on dedicating time every day to work my tight areas. I also plan on incorporating massage. My chiro has used the "ART" technique to break up scar tissue before and it has worked very well for me. Basically you are stretching while specific areas are massaged or point pressure is applied. It can be very painful, but quite effective. Only downside is my new health insurance no longer covers my chiro (used to cover 100%).
In researching ways to do deep tissue and "ART" at home, I remembered this machine at my old gym about 20 years ago. It was an archaic looking device with rollers that spun. I can remember how well it worked and thought with some modifications, you could use it on the whole body. Snooping around, I found some on the internet.
It is called a "vitamaster vmrl-14". Here is a pic
And a vid of one in action
I found one on ebay and bought it.
Originally they were marketed to reduce womens cellulite
as well as circulation and general 'vitality' issues. I can remember how intense the massage on the hamstrings was when you sat on it. That brings up the first issue. I plan on modifying mine with a variable speed motor controller. I think for this to be effective you really have to be able to slow it way down. I ordered a AC variable speed motor controller. (They sell them to bring down the speed of routers in woodworking). It has not got here yet. I am also contemplating making a new enclosure for it. One that would provide the ability to use it in several different orientations. I think if done right, it can be used for the whole body.
I will update as I progress with this idea, but I was just throwing it out there. Kinda nuts, but I am sick of feeling so damn tight all the time. I can only ask my wife for so many back rubs. She has long lost sympathy for my aches and pains that I inflict on myself willingly.
1) Getting to the point where I am moving fairly heavy weights.
2) Getting to this point while neglecting mobility and flexibility work.
I really see it as a combination of these two. Prior to really pushing for maximum weights, I neglected mobility and flexibility work and never really had issue. Now that I have developed strength to fairly decent levels, I am finding limits in my flexibility are leading to injury and strain. I believe had I not neglected these, I would not be suffering the issues I have now. Overall, my flexibility has gotten terrible over the past two years. All the training and little to no stretching, has left me MUCH tighter then I have ever been. Add this to being the strongest I have ever been, and it is a recipe for disaster.
I have been looking into this and decided that I really need to work specifically on mobility work and flexibility. I plan on dedicating time every day to work my tight areas. I also plan on incorporating massage. My chiro has used the "ART" technique to break up scar tissue before and it has worked very well for me. Basically you are stretching while specific areas are massaged or point pressure is applied. It can be very painful, but quite effective. Only downside is my new health insurance no longer covers my chiro (used to cover 100%).
In researching ways to do deep tissue and "ART" at home, I remembered this machine at my old gym about 20 years ago. It was an archaic looking device with rollers that spun. I can remember how well it worked and thought with some modifications, you could use it on the whole body. Snooping around, I found some on the internet.
It is called a "vitamaster vmrl-14". Here is a pic
And a vid of one in action
I found one on ebay and bought it.
Originally they were marketed to reduce womens cellulite
as well as circulation and general 'vitality' issues. I can remember how intense the massage on the hamstrings was when you sat on it. That brings up the first issue. I plan on modifying mine with a variable speed motor controller. I think for this to be effective you really have to be able to slow it way down. I ordered a AC variable speed motor controller. (They sell them to bring down the speed of routers in woodworking). It has not got here yet. I am also contemplating making a new enclosure for it. One that would provide the ability to use it in several different orientations. I think if done right, it can be used for the whole body.I will update as I progress with this idea, but I was just throwing it out there. Kinda nuts, but I am sick of feeling so damn tight all the time. I can only ask my wife for so many back rubs. She has long lost sympathy for my aches and pains that I inflict on myself willingly.
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