5 Challenging And Innovative Ways To Use A Foam Roller -

Foam rollers have received a bad rap, and in many instances, this is well warranted. While rolling can serve a purpose, many people waste endless time and energy aimlessly foam rolling before and after their workouts. However, this is not the point of my article. I am doing something entirely different, and am sharing 5 challenging and innovative ways to use a foam roller that don’t actually involve “rolling.”

#1) Push-Up + Single Arm Roll-Out Combo

This exercise essentially involves performing a push-up with one arm while simultaneously performing a single arm roller roll-out with the other arm. While this is not as tough as a single arm push-up, it is challenging nevertheless.

This exercise develops upper body strength, shoulder and scapular controlled mobility, and lumbo-pelvic stability.

Only roll the roller to a range where you are able to maintain proper form. All same key points in form to regular push-ups apply. Here is an article that compares good vs bad push-up form.

#2) Band Resisted Roller Hamstring Curls

This exercise strengthens and develops the hamstrings, and involves performing hamstring curls using a roller, and with band resistance.

The roller is lower to the ground than a stability ball, so the body is in more of a horizontal vs diagonal position. As a result, the exercise should feel more challenging. Adding in the band resistance increases the difficulty of the exercise even more.

Make sure tension remains in the band for 100% of the movement. You do not need a lot of tension to make this challenging.

For the duration of the exercise, your head, torso, and hips should remain in a stacked position. Do not allow your lower back to hyperextend, or ribs to flare. Go to a range where you are able to maintain proper form.

I attached the band around the squat rack.

#3) Band Resisted Multi-Directional Taps For Scapulae In Bear Crawl Position, And With Feet On Roller

This unique exercise develops shoulder and scapular controlled mobility on the side that is moving, and stability on the side that is planted. This exercise also develops lumbo-pelvic stability.

While this exercise is definitely innovative, it makes sense for many reasons, some of which I will describe below.

Elevating the feet on the roller makes the exercise significantly more challenging for two reasons. First of all, obviously the roller can move around and needs to be stabilized. Secondly, having both feet on the roller forces you to adopt a narrower base. All of the above demands a greater amount of lumbo-pelvic stability.

When many people perform this exercise, either from a bear crawl or plank position (from the ground or hands elevated), due to a lack of lumbo-pelvic stability, or even mindlessness/going through the motions, they allow their weight to shift from foot to foot. Elevating the feet on the roller makes this common ‘’cheat’’ less possible as doing so might cause the roller to tip.

#4) Dead Bug With Roller

Like all dead bugs, this variation strengthens the muscles of the anterior core, trains the body to resist the extension of the spine, and develops lumbo-pelvic stability. This dead bug variation is so much tougher than it looks.

For the duration of the exercise, you will press your forearm and thigh of the opposite leg into the roller, and will perform the regular dead bug movement.

#5) Single Arm Push-Up Lateral Roll-Out Combo

This exercise essentially involves performing a push-up with one arm while simultaneously performing a single arm lateral roller roll-out with the other arm. For most people, this variation tends to be more challenging than the forward rollout (exercise #1)

This exercise develops upper body strength, shoulder and scapular controlled mobility, and lumbo-pelvic stability.

Only roll the roller to a range where you are able to maintain proper form. All same key points in form to regular push-ups apply.