TFM WEEKLY NUT
This week's highlights and best content in a nutshell

This week I received an email from Chris Shugart, one of the head honchos over at T-Nation. I was asked to answer the following question:

"In the fields of training or nutrition, what theories do you have that haven't been proven yet?"

In other words what hunches do I have based on my experience, if studied more in the future will probably be proven.

There are loads! Like the sad person I am, between training clients and writing programs I'm thinking about training clients and how I can write even better programs. There might be the odd thought towards food, a 14 week old puppy, or even my partner in crime (lucky girl!), but that's about it.

Lots of my time is spent pondering useless exercise and nutrition junk. But the act of humping a foam roller is something I feel passionate about, and useful for just about anyone.

Here's what I had to say in response to Chris' email:

FOAM ROLL FOR MORE WORKOUT ZEN

For those that foam roll or encourage their clients and athletes to do so, this "poor man's massage" influences most who frequently use it. Anecdotally, you'll move better, you'll recover faster, and it'll help you feel more zen.

Don't get me wrong spending the first or last 20-minutes of a workout humping a foam roller isn't a great use of time. But a quick 5-7 minutes should be enough to get the job done. The odd n=10 study might not agree, but numerous coaches with thousands of hours in the trenches experience will.

At the start it gives you a buffer between the car park and the gym floor. Just a few minutes opportunity to plan, set your days workout objectives, and even figure out the lay of the land. You're in a much better state of mind and you'll achieve a more productive lifting session as a result.

At the end it stops you from taking that workout "beast mode" on to your drive home or the office with you. Taking just a few minutes to flip the switch to a more parasympathetic state will help you combat the rest of the day with a better mindset. For those that are always on-edge then it'll work wonders.

Now, we don't know much about foam rolling as far as research is concerned. But we do know any effects are probably related to the stimulation of certain receptors within muscle and/or fascia. Because of how these receptors work; FOAM ROLLING SHOULD NOT HURT! The "no pain, no gain" approach will most likely over-simulate the nervous system leaving you over-sensitive and tight. There's a fine line between gentle rocking, and common assault by foam roller.