Introduction: Recovery Training 1: Calves, IT Bands, & Quads

This recovery video focuses on addressing tight calves, IT band, and Quads using SMR/foam rolling. Often times due to our sedentary lifestyle we tend to have very tight calves, IT band and Quads. It often times is indicated during squat movement and I, myself, tend to have similar issues. A lot of us tend to have valgus knee (cave in) and feet pronation (flattening of the feet) and both can cause long term health issues especially knee injuries, lower back pain, shin splints, and many other more.

This video explains the proper way of using foam rolling or SMR. During SMR you try to locate one or two tender/sore spots in the targeted muscles and simply apply tension to the muscle tissues. The tension will eventually activate one of the body's mechnical receptors in our tendons, GTO, (Golgi Tendon Organ) and this will relax our muscle tissues when it senses too much tension in the muscle fibers. This usually takes at least 30 sec for the nervous system to receive the impulse so you need to hold at the sore spot for at least 30 sec or when the soreness goes away.

During this video we shared how to SMR your quads, IT bands, back calves (soleus, gastrocnemius), and side calves (peroneal longus).

We will finish the SMR series in our recover series 2 video where we will foam roll our lats, thoracic spine, piriformis, hip flexors, and other common tight areas in our body.

Hopefully you find this video helpful and you can use this before and after your workout. It can also be incorporated into your weekly corrective exercise workouts.

For similar recovery and stretch workouts below:

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL5eJCT09znHxExwHuMFAPMQR16gvJhoxz

Check out my other health/fitness/recipe videos here: https://www.youtube.com/c/getfitwithmindynow