Massages and Foam,Who Ever Thought They Would Ever Mix?

What if I told you that you could get a deep tissue massage without even the touch of a masseuse’s hand? Would you believe me? Well it’s true and with an economy not doing so good I know I am one looking to save on luxuries. Here is the answer to the above mentioned question, the foam roller. I know that some of you may crave the feeling of human touch, but let’s face it, there are a lot of you out there I know who aren’t as comfortable. How is this accomplished you might be asking? There is an organ inside a muscle spindle called the Golgi Tendon and is responsible for sensing the tension change in each muscle. By applying a foam roller against the muscle being worked on you are relaxing this tension which also relaxes the Golgi Tendon Organ.

I know you can get those chair massagers which range in cost anywhere from $30 up to $5,000 but really who has extra cash for that. A foam roller costs only $10 to $20 and gives you so many healthy benefits. You be the judge but I think I rather save the money and get just as much of the treatment. Once you go foam roller I truly believe you will never enlist a masseuse’s services again.

They come in multiple shapes, sizes, and even colors depending on what your goals are. There are also half rollers and full circular rollers. I have to be totally honest though; the foam roller isn’t just used for relieving muscle tension. It is also a major contributor in rehabilitation and core stability. The foam roller is used to provide an unstable atmosphere which in return requires core muscles, a.k.a. stomach and back muscles, creating the strong mid section you have always been wanting.

Sandbag Training, An Innovative Approach to Fitness

You may be wondering, why sandbags? How can they really be used for workouts? Here are some convenient answers to discuss around the dinner table.
Sand bags are a nice and cheap alternative to spending the massive amounts of money you will or already have paid on your local gym membership. With a jobless rate nationally topping 8%, many individuals don’t have the extra cash to fork out for those extra luxuries. Fitness is about being creative and getting a workout in with anything that provides a little extra weight.

The detrimental part of using a sand bag as your resistance bearing instrument is that it can easily be lightened or loaded with the fluctuation of the sand. Now tell me, who can’t afford to go to the nearest beach and pick up a bucket of sand. You will get your cardio just by walking there if a car is not at your disposal or you want to save the gas.

Josh Henkin, the guru of Sandbag training, has developed multiple workouts with the key weight bearing instrument being, you guessed it, the sandbag. Research from individuals such as himself and others among the fitness industry conclude that sand bags are a mode of training that have been around for hundreds of years. They are a great tool to use when providing an unstable environment requiring core muscle groups as the main stabilizers of any movement pattern. Along with working the core muscular structure, you are also helping to strengthen grip strength just by continually holding the bag. They also hit multiple muscle groups at one time shortening up the length of your workout yet increasing overall maximal performance.

Here is a sample workout you can do to hit all major muscle in a minimal amount of time courtesy of Dream Body Boot Camps. Reminder: These are compound movement patterns. You can do more dynamic patterns to provide variance in your workout if you wish to.

Squats to Press: Legs start shoulder distance apart with sandbag resting on shoulders in front of body. Go down into squat, as you return to starting position you will go straight into a shoulder press.

Lunge and Curl: Step one foot first a fair distance in front and bend both legs at 90degree angle. Follow that by doing a bicep curl in your lunge position. The Sandbag will presumably be in front of body with arms in a fully extended position. Push back up to starting position and repeat with alternating leg.

Romanian Dead Lift to a Bent Over Row: Starting position- legs shoulder distance, bend over with slight bend of knee and back straight. Feeling is in back of leg and glutes. Come up to starting position. Go back down again and bend at elbow bringing sandbag into your belly button.

Lying Press to Tricep extension: Lie on your back with sandbag held a shoulder distance and arms bent at chest height. Press bag up and at top phase bend at the elbow into the tricep extension.

You can do each exercise for 10 reps in total or per side when alternating for 3- 4 sets. The whole workout should last no longer than 30 minutes. Keep your breaks short, usually around a minute between sets. If you are looking for new and innovative workouts check out http://www.dreambodybootcamps.com.

Have fun with your inexpensive way to workout.