Hey Ironraider
That's by no means a stupid question and I'll be happy to help.
First off, I would imagine that very, very few bodybuilders use it or know anything about it. I learned of it's value several years ago while attending a PT seminar which delt with injury prevention and recuperation.
For me personally, it has worked wonders. I tend to use it strictly on my quads and IT band, and use it almost daily. I could do the sickest quad routine, one that would leave me sore for several days. By using the roller, I can reduce that to "a little soreness for maybe a day". What you are doing is called myofascial release, a very deep form of massage, all the way down to the muscle fasia. Go to fitnesswholesale.com and order a 3' x 6" diameter
single roller. They also carry a double and a triple roller, I just ordered a triple roller, but will base my comments on the single roller use. I think a single roller is like $30 and will never wear out. It is made of a very firm foam rubber material.
The concept is like any other deep tissue work. It stimulates blood flow and circulation, removes excess lactic acid, speeds up recovery and bottom line
increase the volume of the muscle. I notice more thigh sweep and separation
even during an off season mode.
So here's the deal. First off, it is very painful at first. It feels similar to someone jamming a screw driver into your quads. What you are doing is breaking down all those adhesions which have been building up over the years. The key is consistancy, everyday for as long as you can tolerate the pain. The reason it's so painful is because you're using your entire bodyweight to do the work. No massage therapist would have the strength to do this.
So lay it on the floor, preferably tile or hardwood, carpet has a little more cushion to it, so actually that may be a good place to start. Give your self plenty of room. You willl be lying face down on your stomach. Lift your torso so you can fit the roller under both quads, at the very top of your quads. At first let your feet drag along the ground, this will lession the pressure to some degree. Using your upper body, pull yourself up the roller so it's rolling under your quads. You will know what I'm talking about pain wise. Roll very slowly covering the area from the top of the quad to your teardrop.
Your upper body should always stay paralell to the floor. Next turn on your side and do the same on each IT band. When you're ready, the next progression will be to do all movements with your feet off the ground, then roll on each quad separetely and always do the IT band. Feet off the ground equals more pressure on those areas.
This is a gradual process because everyone has a different pain threshold.
The key is to do it every day until you can roll pain free. This usually takes 1-2 weeks. I do it daily because it feels so good. You will always roll onto some hot spots. When you hit one, stay on it using tiny short rolls. You can actually feel that adhesion give way. I actually do it immediately after I do quads and then again a few hours later.
For the smaller bodyparts (bi's, forearms, delts) I use something called an Astym tool. I will tell you about that after you get efficeint with the roller.
This is something that you will notice improvement not just in function but also in appearance. It really works well. Give it a shot.
Shout out if you need any more help
Peace,
Mack
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