Daily Mobility Exercises by Dr. Kelly Starrett › Forums › General › Bruising

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    • 01/23/2014 at 3:54 am #70742
      AvatarKrista Foulke
      Participant

      Hey there,

      I have a question regarding smashing:

      I have super tight quads (which e.g. hinders me getting into a good position in the couch stretch > I can`t get my torso upright). I did a lot of smashing with a conventional foam roller which didn`t help much. Recently I got myself a blue rumble roller. Smashing feels great and although it´s a little bit painful it´s still bearable. But the morning after my smashing sessions I experienced brutal bruising especially around the IT band area. Am I doing something wrong or is that just the simple sign that there´s a lot of slack that built up over time??! Is it safe to go after the same areas since they are still tight?

      Thanks for your help!!

    • 01/23/2014 at 9:56 am #73895
      AvatarNathan Richer
      Participant

      generally you shouldn’t smash until you’re bruised!

      if you are very tight, it may take a lot of time to work out the tightness.  only limit yourself to 2 minutes if you’re doing longer, try other tools that are harder than a foam roller but just as wide to spread the load for now.  things like the big battlestar, or the alpha ball.  once you work some of the tightness out across many days, graduate to smaller or harder tools, like small battlestar and supernova.
      it is also possible that the hardness of the tool you’re using, like the prongs of the rumble roller may be preventing you from relaxing into it because you are too tight. another reason to start with less pressure, and work up to more focused pressure which is to let your body and brain learn how to relax with the given pressure.
    • 01/23/2014 at 10:13 am #73898
      AvatarNathan Richer
      Participant

      oh to answer your question – i think you should wait until the bruising subsides before smashing there again. bruising is indication of trauma and you don’t want to damage muscles, only reorganize the tissues to be more functional again.

      another thing to try besides smashing – try voodoo bands around your quads. start near the knee, wrap until run out of band. do movements. then wrap a little higher, do movements. keep moving up the leg until you get to the hip.  this should also hit the IT band and help mobilize those tissues, but potentially help you not get so bruised.
    • 01/23/2014 at 10:20 am #73899
      AvatarAnonymous
      Guest

      You may have over done it especially if you are beginning to introduce a rumble roller.
      There may have been a big difference in the 2 rollers you have used and it was alot of change all at once.
      You need a minimum of 2:00 on an area to see change.
      The rumble roller may be too much for your IT band right now. If this is a tender area it may take a little more time before you are ready for he upgrade here. Make sure you are drinking enough liquids following to clear out the area of toxins as well.

    • 01/23/2014 at 9:32 pm #73914
      AvatarJames Beatty
      Participant

      I don’t like the rumble roller that much. I think it, and lacrosse balls have too small of surface area for quads. I’d try something harder, with adequate surface area such as a PVC pipe roller or a softball.

    • 01/24/2014 at 6:23 am #73915
      AvatarKrista Foulke
      Participant

      Thank you so much for your help and insights! I really appreciate it!

      Not being relaxed may be a big concern. I´ll try to keep that in mind, next time I´m smashing.
      And beside that I spend around 10min on leg (I thought, I heard Kelly recommending it in one of his videos), which may have been too much.

      Regarding flossing: I use an old bike innertube. Will that be sufficient? And how often would you recommend doing it?

      Are there some other ways to get the stiffness out of my quads? E.g. couch stretches? And if so, what can I do if I have problems getting my torso upright?

      Thanks again!

    • 01/24/2014 at 9:57 am #73916
      AvatarNathan Richer
      Participant

      ha 10 min is too long!  there are instances where kstarr says 2 min, sometimes 3-4min and sometimes 5min.  i think the tolerance to longer time needs to be built up.  but personally i think 2 min is enough, sometimes even 1 min if there is only minor tightness.  the 2min or longer is really for problem areas.  

      and as you discovered, too long can result in excessive trauma to the area which is not good.
      i think in the old videos before they started selling the official voodoo bands on Rogue Fitness, they suggested inner tubes.  i think it should be ok but it’s much better with a nice voodoo band.  i also think that an inner tube is not very long whereas a voodoo band is 7 feet long to get more wrapping area per wrap.
      as for frequency – you can do it every day and see how it works.  usually it takes about 3 wraps to get from the knee all the way up to your hip, 4 if you’re taller.  you can try 2 min at each wrap – do deep squats a few reps, or stay down in deep squat and move around from side to side, or do some hip hinging like you were deadlifting, or get on the ground on both knees and sit back – vary it up for the 2 min.  i usually like to wrap both legs at the same time to save time.  watch out for cramping! relax into the wrap and ease into deep positions.
      if you’re getting bruised or too painful etc., do it every other day and do something else in the days between.
      re: couch stretch
      you might try working your hip flexors and midsection/abs with an alpha ball or supernova first.  it sounds like they are tight and are preventing you from getting upright during couch stretch.

      ha here he says 20 min!  i would start with 2 min and see if you need to work up from there…

      here’s another good one:



    • 01/24/2014 at 10:20 am #73918
      AvatarAnonymous
      Guest

      2 minutes is a minimum does to see change.
      Yes, use the recommendations within an episode on the amount of time to spend on an area as a guide. Some episodes have 1 focus some have multiple areas that are addressed.

      Yes, you are fine using an inner tube to start with. In time you may need more at that point you can purchase a band if needed. Frequency is based on your situation and what you are addressing. Are you seeing change? Does the area still need attention. The number of wraps, timing, etc is going to depend on the person and how tight the band is wrapped.

      Here are 2 that address the trunk which may be an impacting factor with downstream tightness restrictions
      Jill Miller Smashes Your Guts! (and psoas, and tacked down viscera, and matted down abdominals…) Part 2
      Jill Miller Diaphragm Evolution Part 3: Eccentric Loading
      Episode 301: Psoas Flossing and Biker Hips
      Episode 129: The Twin Bowstrings, the Psoas and Scalenes
      Episode 75: Your Inside Psoas Bits, World Record?
      Episode 26: Hips and Seppuku: Psoas and Hip Soft Tissue Mob

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