Mike Bosch had written a good article about ‘the stick’ a while back, but I thought I would expand here since there are several versions available (I think they have recently added a couple more versions). In all I think there are 5 versions, with the original, the sprinter, the travel, and the Marathon (which is one I picked up a few weeks back). Note the not all of these are available on the web at the moment so make sure to see in store for the different ones available. I decided to get this version since it was full length, but very flexible, allowing me to have more control on the pressure I was applying to the muscle.
I have always found it difficult to stretch after workouts, since I’m not very flexible, and I never found much benefit from doing it. Basically I get very tight muscles. So I was a bit skeptical as to whether I would see any benefits from using this, but I recall a university running teammate that swore by them, and from my days working at the Running Free Markham store I recall several people raving about them. I had used one in the store but was not able to get a proper idea of how well they worked from prolonged and consistent use.
I decided to give it a try, and have certainly not been disappointed. Since using the product I have seen a noticeable decrease in muscle stiffness, and this is despite my workout volume and intensity increasing since buying the product. I try to use it before most workouts, after workouts as much as I can, and even just for a few minutes while watching the TV. I don’t want to sound like an infomercial, but it really is simple to use.
A highly recommended product.
