When performing foam rolling exercises, people tend to concentrate on the leg and back muscles and miss out on the benefits associated with foam rollings arms.
When foam rolling your arms, the main muscles to target are the:
- Biceps
- Triceps
- Wrist Flexors
- Wrist Extensors
Foam Rolling Arms – Biceps
The large muscle on the front of your upper arm is known as your bicep muscle. Directly underneath this muscle is the brachialis muscle which helps the biceps flex the eblow joint (bend the elbow up).
How to Foam Roll Biceps
- Lay on your front and place your arm over the foam roller. You can also do this by using a chair if you find this easier.
- With your thumb towards the floor roll from your shoulder to your elbow
- When you find a tight spot hold for 30 seconds, breathing into the muscles.
- Repeat on the other arm.
- Roll at a speed of 1 inch per second.
Foam Rolling Arms – Triceps
The Triceps (aka Triceps Brachii) are located along the back of the upper arm. There are three seperate heads or sections that make up the triceps:
- Long head
- Lateral Head
- Medial Heep (or deep head)
The triceps are used in a lot of sports that involve over and under handed throwing motions, such as taking a throw in in football, however they are also often overworked in the gym via weight training.
How To Foam Roll Your Triceps (Video)
Here is a great video by Transform Your Life on how to foam roll your triceps.
How to Foam Roll Triceps
- Place your foam roller on a bench or chair and rest the back of your upper arm on top of the roller.
- Start with the foam roller at the bottom of your triceps (near elbow) and roll slowly up towards your shoulder
- When you find a tight spot, hold for 30 seconds taking deep breaths until the muscle releases and pain goes
- Repeat on the other arm.
- Roll at a speed of 1 inch per second.
- To increase pressure push down on your bicep with your spare hand, or perform the movement with a massage ball
How Do Calf Muscles Get Tight?
Tight calf muscles are a common problem in dynamic sports, especially football.However, there is a cure. Foam rolling calves can help to relieve the pain and add flexibility back into your lower leg.The Gastrocnemius and Soleus muscles group together to form the calf muscle and these muscles can tighten over time from excessive running, jumping and turning throughout a match or training.
Foam Rolling Forearms- Wrist Extensors and Flexors
The wrist muscles comprise two groups of muscles, The:
- Extensor muscles
- Flexors Muscles
Wrist Exensors
The wrist extensors are located on the posterior (back of) side of the forearm and comprises three muscles:
- Extensor Carpi Ulnaris
- Extensor Carpi Radialis Longus
- Extensor Carpi Radialis Brevis
This group of muscles works together to perform grasping movements of the hand and wrist extension.
Wrist Extensor Trigger Points and when to foam roll
Common symptoms of trigger points within the wrist extensors are:
- Weakness of grip – causing you to lose grip often
- Pain on the outside and back of wrist
The wrist extensors become short and tight from overuse. Activities that require repeated wrist extension such as:
- Tennis (poor technique)
- Typing
- Climbing
- Press Up
- Over training the wrist extensors
These issues can lead to tennis elbow, therefore foam rolling for wrist extensor health is essential.
Wrist Flexors
The wrist flexors are found on the inside of your forearm and comprise of two main muscles they are the:- Flexor Carpi Radialis
- Flexor Carpi Ulnaris
Wrist Flexor Trigger Points
The tightness of trigger points in the wrist flexors can have the following symptoms: Pain on the inside of the wrist Problems when grasping tools like scissors Numbness or tingling in the hand caused by trapped nerves. The wrist flexors can become short due to repetitive flexion and gripping use or movements. This is common in sports that involve:- Throwing (cricket)
- Weight Training
- Golf swings
- Climbing
How to Foam Roll Your Wrist Muscles
Performing self massage on your wrist can help to reduce pain, improve flexibility and improve performance. Here is a great video by Howcast on how to foam roll your wrist flexors and extensors:Upper Body Foam Rolling Exercises
- How to foam roll your neck muscles
- How to foam roll your shoulder muscles
- How to foam roll your chest muscles
- How to foam roll your lats
- How to foam roll your rhomboids
- How to foam roll your arm muscles
Lower Body Foam Rolling Exercises
