ABSOLUTE ASCENDANCY

Commencing operation . . .

Overview

If you are someone who exercises regularly, especially at high intensity, then you will know the importance of aiding the body in swift recovery. There are a few different tools I usually use to help keep my body in fighting form for each workout. The main one is a foam roller that goes by the name of Rumble Roller. It is different from most other regular foam rollers I have come across in that the Rumble Roller is covered with triangular shaped protrusions of around a centimetre in height. These spikes allow for deeper penetration into the muscles when rolled against. The Rumble Roller benefits from three different sizes for the original (blue) and extra firm (grey). I have used the small extra firm Rumble Roller for many years and recently decided to pick up the full-length extra firm Rumble Roller to use as my main roller and delegate my compact one when travelling.

How to use

I typically spend a few minutes before each of my home workouts rolling the entirety of my legs and back. This is enough to get the blood circulation going and fire up the muscles before getting stuck into the training. You can also roll post workout but I prefer beforehand and post workout, I perform cool down stretches. If I have a particularly sore spot, I will spend a bit more time rolling that area and may go over it several times a day. I won’t roll directly over an actual injury or joint though, as a foam roller can provoke additional inflammation to an injured area. As for ligaments and joints, they are not the same as muscles, and the foam roller is not designed to treat these. You are more likely to aggravate your joints rolling over them rather than help heal them. A foam roller should be rolled over slowly and not fast. This gives time for the spikes to sufficiently penetrate and target the deep-rooted areas of pain that can often be bypassed if rolling too quickly. The muscles need time to relax and adapt to allow the foam roller to compress them.

Recommendation and Conclusion

I would recommend starting with the original blue roller compact size (smallest size – 31 inches) as that should be sufficient for the vast majority of circumstances. The extra firm grey is for the rare exceptions where super deep muscle penetration is required for recovery and is not for the inexperienced. One of my former work colleagues had soreness on her calf muscles, so I showed her how to use my Rumble Roller and had her try it. Upon bearing her weight onto the roller, before even trying to roll her leg over it, she complained that it was too uncomfortable. The original would have served better. I have used other foam rollers in the past but have found that they do not produce the desired targeted pressure to relieve me from my pain. From all the rollers I have tried, I have found the Rumble Roller to be the best.

Mission complete – Overlord Drakow signing out.