Start Fixin Yo’ Self - #MoveU #FixYoShit #ComeBackStronger
Tight lats? This is an awesome way to loosen up your lats after a workout or on your mobility/rest days. Why did I say “after?” Often times, when people ask for lat massages, it is because they have limited shoulder mobility or their back is excessively extended (arched). Releasing the lat can feel great for relieving shoulder and back tension, but if you are doing it before a workout, it can actually cause more instability in the shoulder. If you cannot walk into a gym and get your shoulder or hips into the required positions for your exercises WITHOUT massages and stretches, then it’s time to focus on actually strengthening your end-range of motion using PAILS and RAILS. We can start doing some videos on these if you are interested. Leave a comment below.
If you are doing a massage to temporarily improve flexibility for a workout, that means that you likely do not have enough active mobility/strength to actually hold your shoulder in the position required to reach overhead. Simply smashing the lat or shoulder to get your shoulder into that “new” range of motion, does not mean that you have enough active strength in that new range of motion. This is when injuries can occur.
It is very common to walk into a gym and see a large number of people foam rolling and stretching to help improve their range of motion before a workout. That is great if you follow up your massage/stretching with some active end-range holds to build strength in that new range of motion so that your own muscles actually hold and maintain that motion.
Sometimes a foam roller can be too painful so use a softer object. If you are massaging yourself to the point that you feel 9/10 pain, then you are likely guarding, tensing up, and holding your breath. This is counterproductive and you may not see relief in the long-run. Start slow and soft. ;)
Written by Andrew Dettelbach @MoveUShirtlessDude
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