A foam roller is one of my top home gym essentials. I like to use mine to warm up before a workout and sometimes in the evening to aid with muscle recovery and relaxation (wonderful before bedtime!).
I have been using a foam roller on and off for about a year supplemented with massage balls and a massage stick. I recently received a Muscle Mauler Max foam roller to review and have decided that it is my favorite of my foam rollers.
My Experience Using the Muscle Mauler Max Foam Roller:
As I mentioned, I have used foam rollers on and off for over a year. When I consistently use one, I find I have a lot fewer aches and pains, I am more flexible and I get more out of my workout. I also seem to get less sore muscles and recover faster. There is a lot information about how foam rollers and other massage tools may aid workout recovery, decrease scar tissue and improve blood flow to muscles (another post!).
When I return to using one after a break, oooch! It isn’t really a bad kind of pain, it is more a reminder that I have areas of tightness and sensitivity that I have neglected. It is not completely unlike the sore muscles one sometimes receives when starting or intensifying a workout program. I do not normally advocate pushing through pain as I believe that pain is a warning. However, when it is a “good” pain, gently working through it can be beneficial. Anyway, the Muscle Mauler does give me that pain as I have been less consistent with my foam rolling lately!
At the gym, I use the larger rollers they have on hand to warm up. However, I just cannot see having a longer foam roller in my apartment. This foam roller is actually an excellent size for a home gym (especially if your home gym is a place you clear on your living room floor). It is long enough to use to foam roll all the key target areas, but small enough to be portable and easily stored. The length is just a little longer than the width of my yoga mats. This is perfect for me as I set up my smoothest textured mat under the roller to protect my skin from rug burn.
The Muscle Mauler Max foam roller is covered with flexible foam nodules. I find these nodules grip a little and it feels like they give a deeper massage. The roller is about 13″ long and has a hollow core. It is light and portable and I have even use the hollow core to store a rolled up yoga mat. (If I roll the mat tightly the fit is perfect and I am short on storage space!).
I notice one other benefit when I consistently use my foam roller. I typically do planks, side planks and reverse planks to get the right angle on some of the major muscle groups. When I do the upper back I incorporate mini-crunches. My core strength and posture improve when I foam roll at least a few times a week and core exercises in my workouts just seem easier. It is is probably no accident that there are gym classes and Pilates classes that incorporate the foam roller as a workout tool! (Though I’ve seen this mainly with the longer foam rollers.)
Note: I previously reviewed the Sunset yoga mat/towel hybrid shown in the post illustrations. It turns out this mat is perfect for foam rolling as it has a velvety smooth surface that feels nice against the skin, it is machine washable and it just so happens to roll up to fit within the hollow! (Click here to see the review of this mat)
About the Muscle Mauler Max Foam Roller:
From Master of Muscle (The creators of the Muscle Mauler Max!):
“The Muscle Mauler Max is the NEW ADVANCED MAXIMUM coverage foam roller designed for greater and more efficient use for all roller workouts.
With its increased high density coverage and advanced trigger-matrix design, the greater dual pressure zones allows for superior massage effect and maximum coverage for all tight areas.
The Advanced Roller is Ideal for Deep Tissue Massage, Myofascial Release and Muscle Pain and Stiffness Relief. It also assists with increased maximum oxygen and blood flow to the required regions and provides the body with increased flexibility, and overall more efficient body performance.
Key areas for Muscle Mauer Max include Lower and Upper Back, Neck, Knee, ITB, Quads, Hamstrings, Delts, and Shoulders.”
For More Information or To Purchase the Muscle Mauler Max Foam Roller:
The Muscle Mauler Max is available through www.masterofmuscle.com
It is also available through Amazon (affiliate link to follow): Click here for the Muscle Mauler Product Listing on Amazon
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