foam roller v grid roller

mick121

hi all am wondering which is the best as am going to invest in one soon.thanks for your imput as i really dont have a clue.Had a quick look on the net and am none the wiser.

Thephantomsmask

The grid by a million. The regular foam rollers collapse after a while whereas the plastic core in the grid keeps it in perfect shape.

amazingemmet

Its all bout the 100mm wavin pipe for me.

mick121

thanks for the replys am having a lot of trouble with my lower back so looks like the grid wins unless anyone has any better suggestions

drdeadlift

THe grid roller is nice however it will break if your heavy,a friend broke one he weights about 120kg.THere are imitations of the grid out there which are complete rubbish they are easily recognisable as they look exactly like them except their inner pipe is white.

I make foam rollers that you can't break even if you tried,pm me if you are interested in having a look at them.

calfmuscle

save yourself the hassle and expense, drop into a carpet store and ask for the hard core that the carpets are rolled around. they get thrown out and are perfect for rolling on.

Duck's hoop

calfmuscle wrote: »

save yourself the hassle and expense, drop into a carpet store and ask for the hard core that the carpets are rolled around. they get thrown out and are perfect for rolling on.

Don't be ridiculous. These things have been scientifically researched. And have DVDs. The foam is foamy.

I did buy the 'grenade'. Complete novice roller person. But while I think the pointy bits are probably beneficial on lats or pecs maybe, for lower back yeah, just a hard cylinder of appropriate diameter as you describe would do the job.

It does a great job.

mick121

thanks Calf and Duck,my main objective is my lower back but i will use it on my legs at time as i enjoy cycling

calfmuscle

mick121 wrote: »

thanks Calf and Duck,my main objective is my lower back but i will use it on my legs at time as i enjoy cycling

I end up needing to use a roller most evenings because of my work and rugby training. the carpet inserts are perfec!!

discus

Did you get them for free?

nice_guy80

a nice hard baseball, sliotar with low seams or hockey ball is great for getting in at muscles
lot of back problems cause by tight glutes and hamstrings

Burkatron

Car Buffer trumps them all! http://www.allthingsgym.com/car-polisher-next-level-self-myofascial-release/

strava

free giveaway here http://tinyurl.com/k8o8fhk

Adventure Pout

mick121 wrote: »

thanks Calf and Duck,my main objective is my lower back but i will use it on my legs at time as i enjoy cycling

Sorry but you Do NOT foam roll your lower back!! Very very BIG mistake that lots of people do.
Your lower back is actually your spinal lumbar and it is there to help you to maintain and stabilise your posture. It serves as Stability and NOT Mobility.
If you cycling then work on your legs muscles (quads, hams), IT band, and glutes. They are the areas you can foam roll.
Oh, and calves too.. Everything is connected.
Also as a recommendation for foam roller, the triggerpoint roller is okish for beginners but would recommend the PB elite if you can get your hands on them (they last longer, give you really good Smr).. Else,as somebody mentioned get a rolling pipe in any hardware shop..
Or, if you have a partner, ask her/him to roll you calves and legs with a kitchen roller pin..
Trust me, am a PT and during my course they emphasized a lot (and I mean a LOT) on SMR...

nice_guy80

Adventure Pout wrote: »

Sorry but you Do NOT foam roll your lower back!! Very very BIG mistake that lots of people do.
Your lower back is actually your spinal lumbar and it is there to help you to maintain and stabilise your posture. It serves as Stability and NOT Mobility.
If you cycling then work on your legs muscles (quads, hams), IT band, and glutes. They are the areas you can foam roll.
Oh, and calves too.. Everything is connected.
Also as a recommendation for foam roller, the triggerpoint roller is okish for beginners but would recommend the PB elite if you can get your hands on them (they last longer, give you really good Smr).. Else,as somebody mentioned get a rolling pipe in any hardware shop..
Or, if you have a partner, ask her/him to roll you calves and legs with a kitchen roller pin..
Trust me, am a PT and during my course they emphasized a lot (and I mean a LOT) on SMR...

use the foam roller to anchor your back and do some lumber exercises

a sliotar, baseball or hockey ball is great for getting into the calves, shins, bottom of feet, glutes, pecs and shoulder (against a door frame)

mick121

Adventure Pout wrote: »

Sorry but you Do NOT foam roll your lower back!! Very very BIG mistake that lots of people do.
Your lower back is actually your spinal lumbar and it is there to help you to maintain and stabilise your posture. It serves as Stability and NOT Mobility.
If you cycling then work on your legs muscles (quads, hams), IT band, and glutes. They are the areas you can foam roll.
Oh, and calves too.. Everything is connected.
Also as a recommendation for foam roller, the triggerpoint roller is okish for beginners but would recommend the PB elite if you can get your hands on them (they last longer, give you really good Smr).. Else,as somebody mentioned get a rolling pipe in any hardware shop..
Or, if you have a partner, ask her/him to roll you calves and legs with a kitchen roller pin..
Trust me, am a PT and during my course they emphasized a lot (and I mean a LOT) on SMR...

Thanks for the tips.could you explain to me what SMR means,cheers

Burkatron

Adventure Pout wrote: »

Sorry but you Do NOT foam roll your lower back!! Very very BIG mistake that lots of people do.
Your lower back is actually your spinal lumbar and it is there to help you to maintain and stabilise your posture. It serves as Stability and NOT Mobility.
If you cycling then work on your legs muscles (quads, hams), IT band, and glutes. They are the areas you can foam roll.
Oh, and calves too.. Everything is connected.
Also as a recommendation for foam roller, the triggerpoint roller is okish for beginners but would recommend the PB elite if you can get your hands on them (they last longer, give you really good Smr).. Else,as somebody mentioned get a rolling pipe in any hardware shop..
Or, if you have a partner, ask her/him to roll you calves and legs with a kitchen roller pin..
Trust me, am a PT and during my course they emphasized a lot (and I mean a LOT) on SMR...

You're very far off the mark with this! If you have low back pain due to hypertonic mucles in the region why can't you foam roll it? Granted, there are better ways of releasing the muscles but they've a similar mechanism (SMR)to foam rolling! In your opinion Is it just foam rolling or is it all forms of Myofascial release that should be avoided? So should physio's not do MR on patients lower backs? In your opinion is it ok to stretch these areas? The Psoas has direct attachments to the spine, should that never be rolled or stretched? How about Quadratus Lumborum which when aggravated causes all sorts of problems! Should I just roll my glutes, ITB, TFL, quads? Why would I use a foam roller on my ham strings when it's hardly effective?

You need to think about it rationally! Don't foam roll your lower back before training! If you need to foam roll your lower back to train due to hypertonic muscles then avoid heavy loading! This goes for other parts of the body aswell! If you foam roll before training you should do activation excercises after to make sure the muscle is firing.
http://www.t-nation.com/free_online_article/most_recent/corrective_complexes_the_secret_to_feelin_good

Adventure Pout

mick121 wrote: »

Thanks for the tips.could you explain to me what SMR means,cheers

SMR = Self Myofascial Release

mick121

Adventure Pout wrote: »

SMR = Self Myofascial Release

Ta now to Google it lol

Adventure Pout

Burkatron wrote: »

You're very far off the mark with this! If you have low back pain due to hypertonic mucles in the region why can't you foam roll it? Granted, there are better ways of releasing the muscles but they've a similar mechanism (SMR)to foam rolling! In your opinion Is it just foam rolling or is it all forms of Myofascial release that should be avoided? So should physio's not do MR on patients lower backs? In your opinion is it ok to stretch these areas? The Psoas has direct attachments to the spine, should that never be rolled or stretched? How about Quadratus Lumborum which when aggravated causes all sorts of problems! Should I just roll my glutes, ITB, TFL, quads? Why would I use a foam roller on my ham strings when it's hardly effective?

You need to think about it rationally! Don't foam roll your lower back before training! If you need to foam roll your lower back to train due to hypertonic muscles then avoid heavy loading! This goes for other parts of the body aswell! If you foam roll before training you should do activation excercises after to make sure the muscle is firing.
http://www.t-nation.com/free_online_article/most_recent/corrective_complexes_the_secret_to_feelin_good

T-Nation is a great source.. However, I am not a physio so I cannot say further about lower back. however, check out on FMS site and you can find more answer...

siochain

As mentioned don't roll lower back and use lacrosse ball for calves.

Duck's hoop

I have severely hypertonic lower back muscles. I get fantastic relief by mostly just lying static across my roller with some actual rolling.