EXERCISE 3: THE LATISSIMUS DORSI MUSCLE ( MUSCULUS LATISSIMUS DORSI )
Have you trained hard to give your back muscles some more body? Then it is good to let the broad back muscle go over a foam roller after training. This ensures that there are no unwanted trigger points in the muscle.
To massage, lie on your right side and place the foam roller under you just under your armpit. Then put your left hand on the floor for stability. Then lift your right arm off the floor so that you put your full weight on the foam roller. Twist slightly to your back, but not too far.
Push off slightly with your left hand so that you can ‘roll’ back and forth on the foam roller. Don’t go too far down. The broad back muscle runs from the side to the center of your back. To also get your back well, turn with your face to the ceiling. Keep using the foam roller on one side of your back; so don’t turn too far. Roll over the foam roller from top to bottom.
The same applies to the left side of your back, only in mirror image.
EXERCISE 4: THE HAMSTRINGS (AND GLUTEI)
Grab your massage ball (this can also be a hard tennis ball) and sit on the floor. Then straighten your legs and place the ball under the sore hamstrings. Now put your hands on the floor and push yourself up slightly. Then lower yourself and make sure that your weight is really resting on the ball.
It is important that the ball really presses into the muscles. That way you ensure that the muscle is massaged deeply, and this is important for trigger points.
Then you move from left to right and from back to front, so that the muscles are well massaged. Tense and release the muscles from time to time. If your hamstrings are bothering you, don’t keep massaging just the part of the muscle that hurts. As mentioned before, trigger points radiate pain and it is important that you massage the entire hamstrings.
You can also perform the same principle to give the glutes an extra massage.
EXERCISE 5: THE CALF ( GASTROCNEMIUS MUSCLE )
You can massage the calf with a foam roller or with a massage ball.
If using a foam roller, sit on the floor and place the roller under the right calf. Then roll your calf over the foam roller. To increase the pressure on the muscle, you can place your left leg on top of your right leg and apply pressure with it. You can also lift your buttocks off the floor to shift your weight more toward the calf.
You do the same with a massage ball. However, you can also make circular movements with a massage ball, so that you massage the muscle slightly differently than with the roller.
Don’t forget to include the outside of the calf.
ADDITIONAL TIPS
It is important during every exercise that you put good pressure on the muscle. The pressure from your body weight is sufficient in most cases. If you feel a trigger point during the massage, let the pressure rest on it for a while before continuing.
