I have been a user of the Trigger Point equipment for a few years now and decided to convey some of the benefits of this range of products.
The great thing about this range is that most of the items are small, lightweight and highly portable and this is a huge advantage for travel as well as pre and post competition.
When you massage aim to work from proximal to distal so that you shift the toxins away from the heart. I personally find that a session with the Grid to stimulate the fibres, then the trigger ball where required and finishing with the grid for tissue density is a good program.
The Trigger Point pack is a great start for self myofascial release -SMR- or self massage. If you know what you are doing you can really boost recovery from training with a 10 minute session post workout Possibly the most important device is the foot roller. I personally used this on both feet for a solid hour - 30 minutes per foot. This was based on reading a stretching text advocating massaging the feet on a daily basis compared to the infrequency of other body parts. I realised this was something that I had never done and so made up for it! The text used a great analogy of the fascia on the body being like a duvet. If you pull one corner the entire duvet moves. For this same reason tight feet can cause cranial nerve headaches due to this tightness in the fascia. I did used to suffer from quite a lot of headaches and have to admit that since doing this treatment and topping it up now and then I have never had a headache like I used to. They are also extremely good for your feet after a weightlifting session, or training session using weightlifting shoes. Just 30 seconds per foot is all it takes and you really do notice a difference.
The block allows you to get deep into the soleus group by raising the leg and then placing it on the ball, or foot roller as required. It also comes with a DVD covering the major body regions.
The Grid is one of the best foam rollers on the market and mine has served me well for a good few years. Unlike many traditional foam rollers it maintains its shape and density and does not collapse over time so it is a one-off investment for less than the price of a good massage. The Grid also has several different surface textures so that stubborn muscles can be massaged in different was that may require different techniques from a therapist The Grid is also just wide enough to hit the entire length of the posterior muscles that support the spine without you falling off and also allows you to slightly rotate the torso in order to increase the tension on one side when required. The Grid is full body and can comfortably and effectively be used for the following muscle groups with no problem at all -
Calves/Soleus
Quads/Hamstrings
Adductor complex
Glutes/Hip Flexors
Erector Spinae
Latissmis dorsi
Lower Trapezius
Most of the smaller upper back muscles
The Quadballer is also massage on the next level. If your sport regularly sends your legs into a coma then this will resurrect them. It is a lot more intense than the Grid and only a few minutes is required for the anterior and lateral quads to get them back online. The hamstrings can also be done with the Quadballer and it is great for the calves and surrounding regions. Many people complain of a tight iliotibial -IT- band. While this would often seem the perfect product for surfing along on this region I have often found that the Glute med and Tensor Fascia Lata are better regions to help relieve pressure here as the IT bands forks into both of these muscles at the hip region.
The ball is really the main "trigger" release from the Trigger Point family as it is the lazer of the gang. For stubborn knots a short blast with this will have you gurning for England and pain free in 20-30 seconds. Where the roller distributes the pressure over a large surface area, the ball focusses on a tiny area with a lot of pressure so you can view this as progress from the Grid if you really need to take it to another level for stubborn muscles. The ball should also only be used by people that know what they are doing and what their body can handle and requires as excessive pressure on a region that has never been through this kind of treatment could leave you feeling worse than when you started.
While The Grid can access a lot of the smaller upper back muscles, the ball can get right in to the trouble spots. The trick is to progressively use the leverage of the body to adjust the pressure as required. Lying straight on the ball with the full weight of your torso will be a shock for most people used to a "gentle" massage. The ball is really the medic of the team and can access the real knots and tension areas specifically and often at the right angle to alleviate them with some cunning!
Verdict 9/10 - if you train hard then you will really appreciate how much these tools can do for recovery!
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