RumbleRoller

The RumbleRoller Manipulates Soft Tissue - Like a Massage Therapist!
I think everyone should own one of these. The trigger point roller only compresses the muscle, the rumble roller digs into the muscle.

The surface of the RumbleRoller contains specially designed bumps that are firm, but flexible, much like the thumbs of a massage therapist.

As you roll over the top of the RumbleRoller, the bumps continuously knead the contours of your body, gently stretching soft tissue (muscle and fascia) in multiple directions. This action erodes trigger points, helps restore flexibility, and brings quick relief to common types of muscular pain. By design, the RumbleRoller's bumps are firmer than muscle tissue, but much softer than bone, so they deflect out of the way if they contact your spine or other bony protrusions.

Through simple techniques, you can control the amount of pressure the bumps apply to your body. The bumps are closely spaced to one another (< 2" apart), so several of them simultaneously contact your body during most exercises. However, with a slight shift of your body, you can reduce your area of contact with the RumbleRoller, which increases pressure and provides deeper, more penetrating relief.

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Downward-Facing Dog

Stretches feet, shoulders, hamstrings, and calves; strengthens arms, legs, and core

Start on your hands and knees with your feet and knees hip-width apart. Position your hands about shoulder-width apart, and spread your fingers wide. Pressing firmly through your hands, lift your knees off the floor and straighten your legs. (If you have tight hamstrings, a gentle bend in the knees is fine). Walk your hands forward a few inches, and walk your feet back a few inches to lengthen the pose. Squeeze your thighs as you press them toward the back wall. Press your heels back and down toward the floor (though they might not reach the floor). Relax your head and neck and let your shoulder blades slide down your back toward your feet. Set your gaze between your feet. Suck your stomach in and engage your core muscles. Breathe deeply. Hold for three minutes, rest, and repeat one more time.

Why it's good for you: We often experience back pain due to chronic tightness in the hamstrings and hips. It's also common for us to have very tight shoulders. Down Dog releases those areas, while building upper body strength. If you can do only one pose a day, start with Downward Dog.

Come get Balanced!

Yoga with Chad @ 12:30 on Sunday

“The greatest art is to attain a balance, a balance between all opposites, a balance between all polarities. Imbalance is the disease and balance is health. Imbalance is neurosis, and balance is well-being.”
–Osho

Listen to what your body tells YOU!

Listen to your body and feel the stretch where you know you need to feel it best. It is not motivating to stretch on one's own, so taking a yoga class in a group setting with many others stretching with you can be a fun and innovative way to make stretching an important part of your training, as it should be.

A Simple Warm-up Helps

We all know the importance of warming up before exercising, and we all know that it’s something we’re supposed to do. This will consist of light stretching and ‘warming’ of the muscles; getting the blood to flow around the body, loosening joints and stretching the muscles and connective tissue.

• 2-3 minutes of jump rope or Run
• 50 jumping jacks
• 15 body weight squats
• 5 lunges (each leg)
• 10 forward leg swings (each leg)
• 10 side leg swings (each leg)
• 10 push ups
• 10 spiderman steps (each leg)

• 10 arm swings and trunk twists

Don’t Think You Are Too Advanced To Warm-Up

You might think you’re too advanced to dedicate 10 minutes of your session to warming your muscles and stimulating the central nervous system, but I guarantee you that your body is thinking that you’re not too advanced for injury. Stepping into the gym and immediately hitting the iron /or starting on the muscle-ups is not the ideal way to go. You run with the increased risk of injury and decreased performance. Spend a few minutes performing a low-intensity mobility and soft tissue warm-up followed by a specific warm-up before even
thinking about doing the WOD.

Yoga + Weight Training

I get emails all the time from different people asking great questions. Here is one about weight training and Yoga.

I am 29 yr old fairly fit guy who has recently taken up Ashtanga Yoga. Previous to doing Yoga I lifted weights three times a week (not huge amounts of weight I'm a fairly slim athletic build). I find now that the weight lifting interferes with my Yoga as my muscles haven't recovered enough so I stopped lifting a few weeks ago. Do you have this problem?

If you find weight training to inhibit your yoga practice it may simply be how you are weight training. Yoga should compliment your weight routine. Yoga can help with stretching and fluid movement. This is something that pro athletes have found to work wonders when used in combination with weights. Yoga and weight training offer a complete and balanced program for total fitness of body and mind. This will give you a better outlook on life and improved confidence in every aspect of living.

Are you Flexible?

Despite the fact that flexibility is one of the ten CrossFit pillars of complete, well-balanced fitness. Increasing flexibility potential remains the downfall of most athletes training program. According to the ten general physical skills list, flexibility is allegedly as important as power or strength. So why don’t we take it more seriously? Stretching(Yoga)without a doubt, is all focused on increasing performance.

Stretching is the KEY to fitness

We all know we should stretch, but far too many of us overlook this and choose to get on with the 'fun stuff' instead.

Stretching reduces the chance of injury by gradually elongating the muscle. If you're more flexible then that will mean that you don't pull or tear a muscle if you are to slip or trip as your body is capable of reaching that position. In the short term it also helps to limber up the muscle and tendon and thereby prevent a pulled muscle or tendon.

It's Time to start stretching

Starting a stretch routine allows you to reap all the benefits that stretching has to offer. Stretching exercises should be performed in a comfortable area with no distractions, so that you can focus on reaching your full potential. Wear clothes that are light and that do not restrict your movement. Warm up before you stretch. A good warm up activity is going for a 5 minute jog.

What exactly does stretching do?

It can be defined as something soft or elastic being capable of being made longer or wider without tearing or breaking. What does this mean? Stretching makes your muscles longer and bigger. When you stretch a muscle, you are pulling on the fibers, and causing them to stretch out. Why would you want a longer muscle? Longer muscles have more potential for growth. If you do not stretch, your muscle still grows, but its growth is very limited because it is short. A short muscle can only grow so much. On the other hand, if you stretch a muscle, resulting in making it longer, there is more room for fibers to expand and grow, filling in the muscle. Think of muscles as balloons. You have both a short balloon and a long balloon. You can blow up the short one, but it can only be blown up so far. Then you blow up the longer one, and it can be filled with far more air, and can be inflated to be much bigger.

Stretch or Else

Listen to your body and feel the stretch where you know you need to feel it best. It is not motivating to stretch on one's own, so taking a yoga class in a group setting with many others stretching with you can be a fun and innovative way to make stretching an important part of your training, as it should be.

You Must Warm-up

We all know the importance of warming up before exercising, and we all know that it’s something we’re supposed to do. This will consist of light stretching and ‘warming’ of the muscles; getting the blood to flow around the body, limbering joints and stretching the muscles and connective tissue.

• 2-3 minutes of jump rope or Airdyne
• 50 jumping jacks
• 20 body weight squats
• 5 lunges (each leg)
• 10 forward leg swings (each leg)
• 10 side leg swings (each leg)
• 10 push ups
• 10 spiderman steps (each leg)

• 10 arm swings & trunk twists

Most Men Don't Stretch

When trying to develop strength and power, most people devote their time to lifting weights, pushing as much as physically possible. Some will also do a little cardio training to improve endurance, interval sprints to develop explosiveness, and steady-state sessions to shed layers of excess body fat. What most people don't do, however, is stretch. Many men think stretching isn't a requirement, since it is less intense and not suited to their goals. What many don't realize, though, is that stretching isn't only a great way to cool down from a workout, but it can actually help make you stronger.

Six ways to Stretch during the day

1.  As you’re laying in bed contemplating your plans for the day, take several moments to stretch out long, from your fingers to your toes to the top of your head.

2. Spend a few more minutes in the shower, which is an ideal place to stretch because the hot water and steam relaxes your muscles. Do a few neck rolls, sky stretches and toe-touching bends.

3. Do you have a cat or dog? They are a tangible reminder to get off your rear and give it a good downward dog, or perhaps just a cat tilt.

4. If you work at a desk most of the day, it is crucial that you change up your body’s position so that you don’t develop the dreaded shoulder slump with lower back pain. Stand up and stretch every 30 minutes at a time.

5. Stuck waiting in line at the grocery store or somewhere else? Lift up onto your toes and stretch towards the sky, roll your shoulders in circles or wiggle your feet. If you’re worried about people giving you funny looks, get over it.

6. Anytime you sit down to watch a movie or some TV, balance out the brainless entertainment with a few full body stretches. Get on the floor and reach for your toes, stretch out your back and do some easy yoga moves to strengthen your core. I use my foam roller to break up the soreness.

Stretch so you won't break!

-Prevent injury
-Increase muscle-tendon flexibility
-Enhance performance
-Improve range of motion
-Increase sleep
-Alleviate muscle soreness
-Enhance well-being
-Decrease low-back pain
-Improve circulation
-Post-exercise cool-down
Do you stretch enough?

Take Care of YOUR Body

If you’re a modern human with a fast-paced life, chances are that you probably do not stretch your body enough. Perhaps you leap into every day headfirst with a to-do list on your tackle sheet, squeezing in physical exercise only when it suits your schedule and fits in with your priorities. However, taking care of your body should be your highest priority!

If hitting the mat still seems like it's only for girls, consider the nearly 3.5 million men who are probably sleeping better than you because they've mastered their breathing. Or the NFL players who swear by it.

Improve Your Flexibility

Improving your flexibility leads to an ease of movement with fewer injuries. It enables you to move more freely and with a greater, improved range of motion. The more freedom your body has to move into the positions necessary for your sport, the more quickly you can do so, with less effort.

Trying to make things easier

Here is an email that I received the other day about a video I made last week. I receive 2-3 emails a week asking questions about different stretches and training. My whole goal here is to help people stretch more and maybe realize it's a lifestyle. People need to balance their exercise with stretching. Keep the emails coming because I love answering them.

Hey man - I am just some random dude in Canada that bodybuilds and I gotta tell you that the lower body warm up you posted on youtube is awesome. I have been doing it everyday just for regular mobility and has been really working well for me. There is nothing I have not seen before, but you were able to put it all together in a nice logical sequence. I noticed that it still does not have many views and that kills me, if everyone did this before working out it would make a huge difference. Anyways, thank you very much for the effort of putting it on youtube it has really helped me out. If you ever do an upper body warm up that would be pretty cool.