I Love this Book…..
You can get a copy here Buy Supple Leopard, it’s highly recommended.
But I think it’s started a nasty trend.
I agree with about 99% of what Kelly Starrett has to say.
I think the guy is turbo smart.
Where I disagree is more or less the minutiae and semantics. <—–I’m really not ok with kipping though….
Case in point:
Knees out:
Place of total agreement: The knees should be pushed out from the hip to activate the glutes, and never in a valgus position.
This is a valgus position and when you do it puppies die<——I made that up, the puppies are fine. It’s just not good.
Place of disagreement: Kelly advocates or at least is ok with what I would call a VERY knee out position.
Is it safer than knees in?
I think, in most cases, Yes
Is it 100% safe, I would say no.
A knee Varus position can be problematic too.
Fact: Most folks don’t do this, knee out position, anyway, usually they’re collapsing like a House of Cards. So, I’m usually not too worried about knees being too far out.
Point of Agreement:
“All Human Beings Should Be Able to Perform Basic Maintenance on Themselves”- Kelly Starrett
I agree, people are gonna tweak things and have bad postures and just generally get jacked up.
Life happens…you should be able to fix that sh@t, if IF it’s just a ouchie…
Here’s the thing, and I think Kelly would agree with me on this point, it’s becoming too common place for SMR and joint mobilizations to be done with more and more aggressive modalities, instead of just enough pressure/ aggression to get the job done.
And I think Supple Leapord, unfortunately, has something to do with it.
Mobility is super popular now.
And as is par for the fitness course, people don’t read the whole book...
“I saw Mark Bell roll out with a barbell”
I don’t even know if that’s in the book, it’s just a general example.
“So that’s what I should do.”
Except you’re not a 240lbs plus world-class powerlifter…
You’re a dude with a 225lbs squat at 205 body weight.
I doubt you’re tissue density warrants a f-ing barbell.
The problem lies is a false belief:
More is always better.
Except it’s not
Better is better.
*Keep in mind Kelly works with a lot of high(er) level athletes who are probably very dense and tight in the tissues and probably NEED these more aggressive modalities.
Thing is, I don’t think the average or even slightly above average Joe Schmoe needs these.
A hard foam roller would work?
Why not use a PVC pipe?
A PVC pipe would work?
Why not use a barbell?
Why SMR Anyway?
Truth is, scientifically, we don’t know how exactly it works but we do know it improves the range of motion:
In conclusion, an acute bout of SMR of the quadriceps was an effective treatment to acutely enhance knee-joint ROM without a concomitant deficit in muscle performance. –MacDonald, Graham Z.; Penney, Michael D.H.; Mullaley, Michelle E.; Cuconato, Amanda L.; Drake, Corey D.J.; Behm, David G.; Button, Duane C.
Probably due to changes in the connective tissue/ muscle junctions.
it is speculated that FR provides recovery benefits primarily through the treatment of connective tissue. Because the present evidence is indirect.
The FR group displayed substantially less pain at all time points in comparison with the CON group. Because connective tissue (i.e., myotendinous junction) is the major site of EIMD disruption and pain (17,23,24,35), FR can be considered to be beneficial in the recovery of connective tissue. Research by Crane et al. (13) supports this finding, reporting that massage decreased pain and inflammation, potentially by promoting blood flow to areas of low blood flow, such as the muscle–tendon interface.- GRAHAM Z. MACDONALD1, DUANE C. BUTTON1, ERIC J. DRINKWATER1,2, and DAVID GEORGE BEHM1
So we know SMR (self myofascial release) is a good thing.
And it’s become really, really popular, and that’s good….we all get knotted up and need to move better.
But how much is too much?
And I’m not just talking about how much time you’re spending on the roller.
I’m talking about how hard the roller is.
Back to the barbell….
This is becoming a more and more common sight:
annnnnnd it’s probably a little too much for most people.
Are you really that huge, dense and knotted that you need a barbell to roll on, or even a PVC pipe for that matter?
Maybe you are.
Maybe you have lots of years of training under your belt.
Maybe you’ve logged thousands of hours of mechanical/ metabolic stress on the muscles/ fascia etc. and it’s become all tacked down and knotted up.
Maybe you’re made of cold hard Russian steel more like Colossus and not of flesh less like the Hulk.
Maybe you do need a barbell to illicit change.
But I’m guessing you don’t.
Here’s the Thing:
The Organism will Adapt to the Stress Placed Upon it
Ie. the drug (foam rolling) becomes less effective the more frequently and intensely (foam vs steel) it’s applied.
That’s the issue…
Once you’ve infused you muscles with adamantium (Wolverine only had it in his bones, but straight into the muscles looks better on the Instagram) you’re gonna need a barbell.
But eventually even that’s going to stop eliciting change in the tissues, they’ll adapt.
Where do you go?
What’s harder than steel?
You gonna buy a titanium roller?
Where you gonna get it?
Any good massage therapist will tell you that different massage techniques (pressures, depths etc) will elicit different changes.
Some are for recovery, some for removing tissue waste, some for unlocking trigger points.
They’re not all the same and should not be used constantly.
Get the Most Out of the Least
On the days you’re not feeling particularly tight don’t use anything, unless you know you have something that is always tight/ prone to pulling.
Daily maintenance to stave off continuing problems is a good thing.
For me it’s my upper back between the scapula (rhomboids/ traps), left glute and plantar fascia.
Those get daily (rhomboids and feet) love or at least before I lift (left glute).
Yes, other things will tighten up over time, IT bands, lats, chest and they’ll need some extra “love” for a few weeks or even a few months.
Other than that I only roll something out when it feels tight.<——-if you train often and at least try to act like you’re lifting weights or have years of bad posture and tight muscles this could be needed everyday.
Often in programs I’ll assign a sh@t load ton of SMR and stretching at first cause people NEED it.
They’re wound all tight and we can achieve better body angles that proper TRAINING will help lock in.
After a while they’ll have a sheet that reads:
Foam Roll: |
Time/ Number |
| Extensions | As Needed |
| Mid/ Upper Back | As Needed |
| Lats | As Needed |
| Glutes | As Needed |
| IT Band | As Needed |
Lacrosse Ball: |
Time/ Number: |
| Upper Back | As Needed |
| Chest | As Needed |
| Feet | As Needed |
| Glutes | As Needed |
Know why?
Cause maybe they don’t need to spend the extra 10 mintues getting loose that day.
Maybe they’re in a really good place..
No Stress,
Fully Recovered,
Well Hydrated,
Loose and ready to roll.
They might not need rolling that day.
Then again maybe they didn’t sleep,
Sat on their butt all day,
Had a stressful day at work
They’re gonna need some rolling and digging, more just beyond daily maintenance.
They’re gonna need some extra “love” to get ready to train.
You’re Creating Adaptation
You’re lessening the response to the drug
You’re using all your bullets.
Eventually, You’ll Run Out.
*Just so I don’t get any Kelly Starrett/ Mobility WOD hate. I’m not blaming Kelly, I’m blaming people that read the book and fail to use common sense and put things into context.
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