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What is “Self Myofascial Release”? What are the benefits of self myofascial release? When should I perform self myofascial release? In this article I will endeavor to explain all these questions and more. Feel free to contact me or leave a comment if you have any questions!

Introduction: What is Self Myofascial Release?

Self Myofascial Release is a self-massage technique where you use a foam roller to apply pressure on a muscular sore spot to release tension and improve muscle performance.

“Myo” means muscle in Greek and “Fascia” refers to the connective tissue that surrounds and connects your muscles. Together, muscle and fascia make up the “myofascia system”. Therefore, self myofascial release is the use of self massage to release the tension in your myofascia system.

Self Myofascial Release is also sometimes known as Self Myofascial Trigger Point Therapy or Self Myofascial Trigger Point Release.

The Myofascia System

Fascia is a connective tissue that surrounds every muscle, bone, nerve, blood vessel and organ in your body. It is made up of collagen fibers tightly packed together in a parallel pattern.

Fascia is everywhere in your body and it links together your muscles, providing support, stability and shape. Fascia resides in a gel-like material, called ground substance, that provides cushioning.

Damage to the Myofascia System

The problem arises when your fascia experiences micro-trauma. Micro-trauma is caused by strenuous exercises like strength training. It can also be caused by daily activities (carrying heavy things, poor posture, etc). For example, if you over-exert yourself in the gym, it will cause physical stress to your muscles and fascia, resulting in trauma. Below are the negative effects of micro-trauma:

1. Your body’s protective mechanism will cause the fascia tissue to become tougher, denser, tighter, and less flexible.
2. There will be micro-tears in the fascia, and if these tears don’t heal properly, the fascia tissue will become “stuck” together. This is known as an “adhesion”.
3. Finally, remember that fascia resides in ground substance? The trauma will also cause ground substance to solidify and become a lot less elastic.

These damaged areas in your muscle/fascia are known as “Restricted Tissue Barriers”. So what happens as a result of all this damage to fascia?

Impact of Damage on your Body

Remember that fascia is a ubiquitous tissue that is connected to your muscles. Therefore, as it becomes tighter and develop adhesions, it will restrict movement of the underlying muscles, resulting in reduced flexibility, reduced range of motion, and discomfort.

In addition, it can also pull your bones/joints slightly out of their normal positions, resulting in pain and/or dysfunction.

Last but not least, the fascia adhesions can also trap/restrict your nerves and blood vessels, resulting in reduced neuromuscular (connection between brain and muscle) efficiency and ischaemic (reduction in blood supply) issues. You will also experience significant pain due to the fascia adhesions trapping/restricting your nerves (nerves are very sensitive structures).

All the damage described above will cause chronic discomfort, tightness, soreness and pain, and affect your daily functioning adversely.

How Self Myofascial Release Works

So how does self myofascial release work to resolve the damage done to your myofascia system? The basic concept is pretty simple actually. When you use a foam roller to put pressure on the sore spots (aka the restricted tissue barriers), the tension in these sore spots will slowly be released, and your body will gradually be restored to its normal healthy state.

Here’s a more detailed explanation (feel free to skip this paragraph if you want): The sustained pressure breaks down scar tissue and adhesions in your fascia, resulting in softer, more flexible, and elongated fascia tissue. Consequently, this improves your muscle flexibility and movement, and restores bones/joints to their proper alignments. It also takes pressure off your nerves and blood vessels that were trapped by adhesions, hence relieving pain and improving blood circulation to the soft tissues.

In other words, you feel a lot better!

When to do Self Myofascial Release

Self Myofascial Release can be performed as part of your warm-up routine. By releasing tension in problematic muscle areas, you will improve muscle flexibility, performance and range of motion. This will make your workouts more efficient and reduce the risk of injury. It can also be done post-workout as an effective soft tissue therapy for restoring your muscles to their optimal healthy state.

Benefits of Self Myofascial Release

As mentioned earlier, self myofascial release improves muscle flexibility and movement, and restores bones to their proper alignments. It also takes pressure off nerves and blood vessels restricted by adhesions, therefore relieving pain and improving blood circulation.

Myofascial release techniques have also been found to improve pain and quality of life in patients with fibromyalgia. Fibromyalgia is a chronic syndrome characterized by generalized pain, joint rigidity, intense fatigue, sleep alterations, headache, spastic colon, anxiety, and depression.

Conclusion

I hope you have a clearer idea of self myofascial release now. You can learn about self myofascial techniques here. When performed correctly, myofascial release is a very effective soft tissue therapy that can significantly improve your soft tissue and bone conditions. Good luck with releasing those restrictive fascia barriers (aka sore spots)!

References

Barnes, M. F. (1997). The basic science of myofascial release: morphologic change in connective tissue. Journal of Bodywork and Movement Therapies, 1(4), 231-238.

Castro-Sánchez, A. M., Matarán-Peñarrocha, G. A., Granero-Molina, J., Aguilera-Manrique, G., Quesada-Rubio, J. M., & Moreno-Lorenzo, C. (2010). Benefits of massage-myofascial release therapy on pain, anxiety, quality of sleep, depression, and quality of life in patients with fibromyalgia. Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 2011.

MacDonald, G. Z., Penney, M. D., Mullaley, M. E., Cuconato, A. L., Drake, C. D., Behm, D. G., & Button, D. C. (2013). An Acute Bout of Self-Myofascial Release Increases Range of Motion Without a Subsequent Decrease in Muscle Activation or Force. The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research, 27(3), 812-821.

This article will show you how you can build muscles (“Bulk”) and lose fat (“Cut”) at the same time.

Most people are a little confused about whether it is possible to build muscles and lose fat at the same time. They often have the following questions: How much should you eat when trying to put on muscle mass? How do you build muscles without gaining too much fat? How do you shed fat without losing muscle mass? This article will show you how you can build muscles and lose fat in an efficient and healthy way.

Alternate between Bulking Phase and Cutting Phase

In order to build muscles and lose fat “at the same time”, you need to alternate between the bulking phase and the cutting phase.

In the bulking phase, your primary goal is to build muscles. At the same time, you need to ensure you do not gain too much fat.

In the cutting phase, your primary goal is to lose fat. However, you do not want to lose muscle mass. Your weight loss should mainly come from losing the body’s excess fat.

You would then alternate between these two phases until you achieve your desired physique.

Which Phase First?

Now, you need to determine whether to start with the bulking or cutting phase. If you are somewhat lean, start with the bulking phase. If you are somewhat fat, you need to start with the cutting phase.

For men, you are lean if you have about 13-15% body fat or less. For women, it would be about 17-20% body fat or less.

How do you tell if you are somewhat lean? The easiest way is to simply look at yourself in the mirror and gauge. If you feel that you lean towards the skinny side, start with the bulking phase. If you feel that you should probably be shedding some fat, start with the cutting phase.

Below are other ways to measure your body fat percentage. However, some of these methods are not very accurate (e.g. body fat scales) while others may be extremely expensive (e.g. DEXA Scanning). Nevertheless, I have listed them down for your reference and you may find out more if you are interested.

1. Body Fat Calipers
2. Body fat scales and monitors
3. Measurements (e.g. US Navy measurement or YMCA measurement)
4. Water displacement
5. DEXA Scanning
6. The Bod Pod

The Bulking Phase

For the bulking phase, you need to first have a proper workout plan. If you are a beginner, work out three times per week using a full-body split. If you are an advanced lifter, aim to hit the gym four times a week using an upper/lower body split. It is also EXTREMELY important to incorporate progression into your workout. Therefore, you should aim to lift heavier weights progressively over the weeks of your workout plan. Low/medium-intensity cardio should be performed about twice per week.

Secondly, you need to create a caloric surplus in your diet. This means that you will have to consume more calories than you burn per day. Your body will then use this surplus energy to build muscles. However, make sure that you calculate your caloric surplus correctly and do not over-eat. The common recommendation is to consume an extra 250 to 500 calories per day. If you put on weight easily, stay on the lower end of the range, and if you are a hardgainer, aim for the higher end.

Cutting Phase

For the cutting phase, you would need to have a proper workout plan too. However, progression is not so important here because you are not aiming to build muscles in this phase. Instead, you should aim to maintain the amount of intensity (load, reps, etc) at each workout session. Medium/high-intensity cardio should be performed about three times per week.

Secondly, create a calorie deficit in your diet. This means that you consume less calories than you burn per day. As a result, your body will be forced to burn body fat for the energy needed to sustain your body functions because it is experiencing a deficit in calories from external food sources. The common recommendation is to cut 500 to 1000 calories daily from your diet.

Conclusion

In summary, it is possible to build muscles and lose fat at the same time but you would need to alternate between the bulking phase and the cutting phase. During the bulking phase, make sure you have a proper workout plan along with a calculated caloric surplus in your diet. During the cutting phase, you would also need a proper workout plan along with a calculated caloric deficit. Continue to switch between the phases until you get the body you’ve always wanted!

In this article I will explain each body type and teach you how to maximize workout gains. Click here first to see the three body types.

Introduction

In the 1940s, American Psychologist William Herbert Sheldon developed a theory that there are three body types, or somatotypes: Ectomorph, Endomorph and Mesomorph.

The names were named after the three germ layers of embryonic development: the endoderm (develops into the digestive tract), the mesoderm (becomes muscle, heart and blood vessels), and the ectoderm (forms the skin and nervous system).

Each somatotype has its own distinct physical characteristics and supposedly personality as well. Modern scientists have dismissed his claims on somatotypes-personality as outdated/inaccurate. However, the unique physical characteristics of each body type is still widely used as an important factor when designing workout routines for the individual.

This is because the three body types each require different workout methods and diet plans. I have listed the body types below along with their respective traits and training methods.

Ectomorph

Characteristics

• High metabolism
• Low body fat
• Difficulty in building muscles
• Young appearance
• Lightly muscled
• Narrow face with high forehead
• Thin limbs
• Narrow shoulders and flat chest
• Narrow hips

Diet

• EAT MORE
• Huge amount of calories needed to gain weight due to high metabolism.
• Create caloric surplus
• Eat 5-7 small meals per day every 2.5 to 3 hrs
• Daily protein intake of 1 gram of protein per pound of bodyweight
• Use protein shakes to supplement diet
• Learn how to build your diet here and here

Workout Intensity

• GO HEAVY
• 6-8 reps per set
• Aim to lift heavier weights progressively every week
• Rest 90 seconds between sets (ensure sufficient rest due to heavy load)
• Learn more about intensity here

Workout Frequency/ Split

• Train each muscle group twice per week
• Best not to train each muscle group three times per week due to heavy load and thin body frame. Unless you are a beginner who’s starting out with light weights
• Learn more about workout frequency/ split here

Workout Volume

• Bigger muscle groups: 30-60 reps per workout session
• Smaller muscle groups: 20-30 reps per workout session
• Number of Sets: 3-4 sets
• Learn more about workout volume here

Cardio:

• Perform low intensity cardio (brisk walking, jogging, swimming) once or twice a week
• Do NOT perform intense cardio as this will burn away precious muscle mass

Endomorph

Characteristics

• Slow metabolism
• High fat storage
• Finds it hard to lose fat
• Round shaped with large bone structure
• Soft body
• “Stocky” build
• Underdeveloped Muscles
• Wide waist

Diet

• Eat less
• Keep food intake low due to slow metabolism
• Create caloric deficit
• Eat slowly; eating fast stokes your metabolism and makes you feel hungry
• Keep fat intake low and only eat lean meat
• Avoid eating late at night (suppers, etc)
• Avoid soft drinks and alcohol
• Learn how to build your diet here and here

Workout Frequency/ Split

• Train each muscle group twice or thrice per week
• Learn more about workout frequency/ split here

Workout Intensity

• Train at high intensity
• 9-12 reps / 12-15 reps per set
• Rest 60-90 seconds between sets
• Learn more about workout intensity here

Volume

• Bigger muscle groups: 30-60 reps per workout session
• Smaller muscle groups: 20-30 reps per workout session
• Number of Sets: 2-3 sets
• Learn more about workout volume here

Cardio

• Perform high intensity cardio (running, swimming, cycling, etc) at least 3 times a week.
• Incorporate HIIT (High-intensity interval training) into your cardio routine.

Mesomorph

Characteristics

• Genetically gifted
• Muscular build
• Gains muscle easily
• Low body fat
• Mature appearance
• Upright posture
• Medium bone structure
• Large head with broad shoulders and narrow waist (v-shaped)
• Long torso
• Muscular limbs

Diet

• Create caloric surplus/deficit depending on workout goal
• Daily protein intake of 0.8 gram of protein per pound of bodyweight
• Keep fat intake low and cut down on fatty meat
• Avoid eating late at night (suppers, etc)
• Avoid soft drinks and alcohol
• Learn how to build your diet here and here

Workout Frequency/ Split

• Train each muscle group twice per week
• For beginners, train three times per week
• Learn more about workout frequency/ split here

Workout Intensity

• 6-8 reps / 9-12 reps per set
• Aim to lift heavier weights progressively every week
• Rest 90 seconds between sets
• Learn more about workout intensity here

Workout Volume

• Bigger muscle groups: 30-60 reps per workout session
• Smaller muscle groups: 20-30 reps per workout session
• If performing 6-8 reps: 3-4 sets
• If performing 9-12 reps: 2-3 sets
• Learn more about workout volume here

Cardio

• Perform medium-intensity cardio (running, swimming, etc) 2/3 times a week to keep fat-burning channels active (mesomorphs can gain fat too if you do not have a proper diet/workout!)

Conclusion

Now that you know which body type you are, you can optimize your diet and workout to fit your body type.

Ectomorphs and endomorphs are not naturally muscular and well built like mesomorphs. However, you can train hard to look as close as possible to a mesomorph. Do not feel upset that you have to work so hard; just focus to reach your maximum genetic potential and you will still look great!

On the other hand, mesomorphs are lucky because they can gain muscle/ lose fat easily. However, if you are a mesomorph, you should still watch your diet and exercise regularly to keep in shape. I know of many mesomorphs who are underweight or overweight due to a lack of discipline. I’m sure you know of several examples yourself!

No matter what your body type, you CAN build a ripped muscular body if you believe in yourself

Check out the FREE and FANTASTIC workout guide that will teach you how to build muscles and burn fat. Click here: The Ultimate Guide to Working Out