training to keep your muscles strong and pliable. Stretching also increasesblood supply to the joints, helps relieve pain and stress, boosts energy levels, and improves posture.
ROLLING HAMSTRINGS
1. Begin in a seated position, with a foam roller placed underneath your upper legs, and your hands either to the side or behind you for support. Bend your left leg and shift your weight on to the right leg.
2. Keeping your right foot off the floor, begin rolling over the belly of the muscle. Hold for 10–30 seconds at the highest point of tension, then switch legs.
Targets
• Hamstrings
Benefits
• Promotes myofascial release in the leg biceps
Best For:
• biceps femoris
• semitendinosus
• semimembranosus
ANNOTATION KEY
Bold text indicates target muscles
Gray text indicates other working muscles
* indicates deep muscles
ROLLING: GLUTES
1. Start in a seated position, with a foam roller placed directly beneath your glute muscles. Place your arms behind you for support.
2. Cross your right ankle over your left thigh, shifting your weight to one side.
3. Begin rolling over the belly of the muscle. Hold for 10–30 seconds at the highest point of tension, then switch legs.
Best For: • gluteus maximus
Targets
• Glutes
Benefits
• Promotes myofascial release in the gluteus maximus
ANNOTATION KEY
Bold text indicates target muscles
Gray text indicates other working muscles
* indicates deep muscles
ROLLING: ILIOTIBIAL BAND
1. Lie facedown, supporting your weight on your hands, with your lower body slightly rotated so that your right leg rests on a foam roller situated between your knee and your hip. Cross your left leg over your right thigh; both feet should touch the floor. Keep as much of your weight on the bottom leg while relaxing the other.
2. Roll from your hip to your knee over the foam roller, and hold for 10–30 seconds at the point of greatest release. Switch legs and repeat.
Targets
• Iliotibial (IT) band
Benefits
• Promotes myofascial
release in the
iliotibial band
Best For
• tractus iliotibialis
ANNOTATION KEY
Bold text indicates target muscles
Gray text indicates other working muscles
* indicates deep muscles
ROLLING: QUADRICEPS
1. Lie facedown, supporting your weight on your hands, with your lower body slightly rotated so that your right leg rests on a foam roller. The roller should be situated between your knee and your hip.
2. Keeping both legs and feet off the floor, roll over the area between your knee and your hip. Hold for 10–30 seconds at the highest point of tension, then switch legs.
Targets
• Quadriceps
Benefits
• Promotes myofascial release in the quadriceps
Best For
• vastus intermedius
• vastus lateralis
• vastus medialis
• rectus femoris
ANNOTATION KEY
Bold text indicates target muscles
Gray text indicates other working muscles
* indicates deep muscles
ROLLING: LOWER BACK
