Gear I Use - The Stick

I thought it would be fun to chronicle training tools / gear / stuff that I use on a frequent basis or that I really love.  Today's gear is The Stick.

The one I have is about 20 inches long.  The handles are grippy and the middle is made of some sort of slightly flexible plastic core with white "marshmallow" segments that move freely around the core.  You use this thing as a self massage tool. 

I like to roll my legs out while watching tv, usually my quads and calves, the night after a hard workout.  Hamstrings and glutes are harder to get to - I usually lay face down on the bed and had Will roll those out.  You start with about 20 initial easy pressure rolls along the entire muscle group and then you can really get to work.  What I really like about this torture device is that you can really feel where knots are, pinpoint them, work on them, then roll the whole muscle out.  Your control is much more exact - you control the pressure and location.  This sucker is similar to a foam roller, but is so much better (and easier to use).

Lately my calves have been bothering me because they are crazy tight.  I have one knot in each of my upper calves that I call my "little friend".  I'm trying to roll my calves out ~4 x a week (honestly, its whenever I remember to do it) in hopes that my calves loosen up and I won't have to get Graston done to them.

The other nice thing about the stick is that its fairly small.  Foam rollers are kind-of big and in the way... and ugly.  The Stick is really small and hides easily.  I hide it under the coffee table or under my nightstand.  And it fits in a carry-on suitcase! Try doing that with your foam roller!

The price is ~$25, depending on where you buy it from.  I really love this thing and I feel that it makes a huge difference in getting my quads to recovery quickly after a hard workout.