The foam roller is always a fantastic tool to help release tension and pain in muscles that you didn’t know were tight or sore. It is an essential recovery tool before and after training. It comes in all shapes and sizes to improve mobility and movement and reduce muscle soreness, especially if you are an experienced weightlifter.
The first time I used a foam roller on my quads I both smiled and cried. It hurt, sure, but the relief my body felt when it was all over was even greater.
At the same time, while it serves as an essential tool for warming up before training, creative trainers are coming up with alternative uses for the foam roller. Some are worth trying.
Here are four strength training exercises with foam rollers that you may have never done or even knew were available to add to your workouts. It may change the way you use and think about foam rollers in the future, as they are so much more than just rolling your quads.
WHY USE IT FOR STRENGTH?
Not everyone has the benefit of having a personal trainer hovering over them to make sure they are lifting with good form. Along with two of the exercises below, the foam roller acts as a great tool for developing proper technique before hitting the bar. If you lose your balance or use other parts of your body to perform the lift, the foam roller will tell you.
4 foam roller exercises
You may get some weird looks for using the foam roller in an unusual way, but they won’t improve like you, so brush it off and keep going.
