Massage is one often overlooked method of improving your results in the gym. While the therapeutic effects of massage continues to be an active field of research and very little is known about how massage works, it comes with an increasing amount of evidence suggesting a wide range of benefits of massage for weightlifters from managing pain to improving sleep.
These
include pain management, improved sleep, and faster recovery. Everything can make
a big difference if bring your training in the gym seriously or just have a
stressful life.
It
may be worth noting that there is an overwhelming amount of anecdotal evidence when
it comes to speeding up muscle recovery and I can personally attest to that.
Below I have listed several benefits of massage for weightlifters. However, you do not necessarily have to lift weights to savor these benefits.
Increased
Flexibility
Weightlifters,
just like other athletes, should put good effort into increasing (or
retaining) their flexibility ensuring a great variety of motion and preventing
injuries.
Lifting
heavy weights is likely to lead to tight muscle tissues over time, simply due to
the intensity of the activity. Lifting causes harm to your muscle tissue on a
microscopic level which the body responds to by making the tissue stronger and
denser to higher support the resistance.
This
is all good and area of the recovery process, but it also slightly increases
the risk of that tissue to bundle up together and make what is known as muscle adhesions.
Over
time this can build up and eventually cause tightness and inflexibility.
Injuries and scarring will make it even worse.
I have dealt with tight thighs for years once i had an injury to both my legs. Using a percussion massager and doing yoga regularly seems to be the only way to help manage it, and when I don't there will be hell to pay for 1-2 days after a heavy squat session.
Speeds Up
Muscle Recovery
As I pointed out above, there is an overwhelming amount of anecdotal evidence to suggest that massage for weightlifters helps speed up recovery. For me, it can make a big difference on my thighs.
When
looking to research it becomes less clear. According to a meta-analysis (an analysis of existing
research and evidence), massage could help alleviate delay-onset
muscle soreness (DOMS).
It might also help muscle recovery due to something called myofascial-release which is also achieved through foam rolling.
Reduced Soreness
and Tension
Have
you ever experienced a sore neck and back?
Who shall we be held kidding, of course, you
have!
The
many stressors of our daily life and the less optimal positions we quite often put
our body in creates a lot of tension and soreness.
A
neck and back massage is, in my opinion, one of the best ways to feel relief
and relax. Particularly if you had s stressful day/week.
I
mean, consider how good and relaxing it feels when someone massages your
neck after a long day.
Feeling
good is absolutely not the only thing that is positive about alleviating your
sore neck.
The
buildup of tension can interfere with your training and lots of other things
in your everyday life. It may cause uncomfortableness and pain in your muscles
and in more severe cases it can lead to headaches and migraines.
That
is not compatible with lifting heavy weights, which is devastating if you are
supposed to sustain endless hours of work and focus.
Being
able to relax is a crucial part of your recovery and you may help achieve that
by massaging sore and tight muscles.
Help Reverse
Muscular Imbalances
Injuries
and sore muscles aside, the heavy emphasis on training certain muscle groups
that is common among many is bound to create an imbalance sooner or later.
Muscles
are supposed to work together e.g. some muscles operate in pairs where one will
cope with the flexion of a limb while other the extension. If your are more
dominant than the other, the natural position of that limb will probably be a
flexed or overextended.
It
is an issue that most people don't take seriously until there is a big
problem-
Take
the most common issue as an example, which is chest and biceps, should you put a
lot of effort into working on your chest and biceps and fewer into the opposing
(“antagonistic”) muscles on the back (and maybe also triceps), then you will
have a well-developed and strong chest and biceps while your back is lacking.
This
creates an imbalance inducing the shoulders rounding forwards and inwards
as they are being pulled one direction with less counter pulling them the
opposite way,
I am sure you have seen someone with
this problem in the gym-
It
doesn't help that we spend many hours every day hunching over mobile devices
and computers that also leads to imbalances. The poor posture that normally
follows can result in a long list of health issues in the long run.
Massage for weightlifters is a great way to remedy those tight muscles and should be one among several things you need to do to improve your posture.
I have had a terrible posture myself coupled with to learn the hard way. It wasn't until I injured my shoulders that I cared about improving my posture.
Improved
Blood Circulation and Recovery
Another
benefit of regular massages is increased blood flow.
The
pressure applied to the muscle tissue by the massaging movement will literally
push more blood through tiny blood vessels or even congested areas, while also
flushing out lactic acid and other metabolic waste material.
This
is like a double whammy for recovery since you are both removing the “trash” while
the healthy blood circulation brings nutrients and oxygen.
Less Pain
A massage could possibly alleviate pain through several means. The relaxation and stretching of tight and sore muscles could mean less pain.
Also, massage for weightlifters has been shown to lower stress and anxiety perhaps due to a combination of a reduction in cortisol and increases in the two neurotransmitters serotonin and dopamine. While these brain chemicals have many functions, they are also known to cause you to feel good which could inhibit pain.
Interestingly
enough, a typical reaction to experiencing pain is rubbing and massaging the
area where the pain is felt.
Improves
Sleep
Practically
nobody would argue against the fact that being relaxed would help you fall
asleep, and a massage can be very relaxing.
Being
less sore and having less pain should also help.
However,
as I just mentioned above, massage can lower the stress hormone
cortisol and boost the brain chemical serotonin. This regulation is
particularly good for sleep and sleep quality.
Quality sleep plays an important role in your overall performance and progress
on your weightlifting sessions.
Furthermore,
while sleeping, the body and muscle tissue are recovering and preparing your
body and your mind for the challenges you will face the next day.
Percussion
Massagers – A Cost-effective Alternative
Depending
on location, the price of a massage can vary a lot. In most cases, it is going
to be a costly matter.
Another alternative is to try out a percussion massage gun. These are electronics that have become very popular. You have probably seen them before – they appear like a repurposed power tool.
They
are portable and cordless and work by simply delivering a lot of percussions
(tapping movement) in a rapid speed. Surprisingly enough, this works really
well and I have personally tried many different brands both cheap and
expensive.
The
machines you can get vary in build-quality, battery life, massage power, and
extra add-ons, however, with a few exceptions, they all perform the main
work well: the percussion massage.
Arguably
probably the most well-known brand is called Theragun. Their massagers are well-crafted
but additionally quite expensive, which is why I have put together a list of alternative options to the Theragun models that are cheaper.
My recommendation would be to browse the TimTam Power Massager which is a powerful massage for weightlifters at an affordable price.
Final
Thoughts
If
you are a serious weightlifter that competes or else you just enjoy spending time at
a fitness center to stay healthy and look great, getting massages regularly can help
you improve your recovery, alleviate sore muscles, improve the flexibility,
help relax the body and mind, and prepare you for good night sleep.
You have a lot to achieve, and I would encourage you to
consider whether a percussion massager might be a solution for you.
About The Author
Marcus runs the site Strengthery where he likes to write about weight training and weight loss, and share his many mistakes so others can learn from them. He is additionally a massage junkie