Sports Massage for Weight Weightlifters, Massage for Resistance Training, Resistance Bands, Circuit Training, Kettle Bells, Cross Fit, Tae Bo, Aerobics, Boot Camps, Spinning and Many Other Sports

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Riktr Pro Massage can be healing, cat-like, relaxing flowers or deep tissue bodywork for sports injuries and muscular and or emotional pain. (We all have holding patterns in our bodies according to Ida Rolf and John F. Barnes.) Nicola, LMT

Nicola of Riktr Pro Massage is a practicing licensed insured professional LMT (Licensed Massage Therapist) and fine artist based in Santa Barbara, CA. Nicola has a wide range of female and male clients, including athletes, professionals, housewives, artists, landscapers, out of town visitors, people who are retired and students. He is very flexible in scheduling appointments at his studio in Santa Barbara. You can also make appointments at Holistic Centers in Santa Barbara, Buellton, Key2Fitnessplus Nicola offers In (Home Based) or Outcall Mobile Massage in Santa Barbara, Ventura, Montecito, Carpinteria, Summerland, Goleta, San Ynez Valley, Buellton, Ca.

  • “If you appreciate high-quality bodywork or just want to RELAX and go to “LA LA LAND” call Riktr Pro Massage.  Are you a serious athlete and need EXTREME bodywork or “FIX IT” work, weekend warrior, stressed out professional or student? Maybe you are going through tough life issues, have athletic injuries or just want to keep that body tuned up and healthy? Then you have finally found your Santa Barbara Licensed and Insured Pro Massage Therapist. Nicola will always personalize your massage session to fit your physical and emotional needs.”
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Services 

Riktr Pro Massage offers a wide range of services, including:

In Call Massage @ my Studio or 3 Other Locations in the Tri-Counties Area

Mobile and Out Call Massage to your Location

Massage Modalities

–Ashiatsu,  Shiatsu Massage

–Athletic Event Massage

–Barefoot Deep Tissue Massage

–Barefoot Shiatsu

–Chair Massage

-Chi Nei Tsang (CNT)

–Compression Massage, Ischemic or Static Pressure

-Cupping Therapy

–Deep Tissue Massage

–Healing Massage for Depression and Anxiety

–Manual Lymphatic, Drainage Pump, Lymphedema

–Myofascial Release

–Neuromuscular Release

–Orthopedic Massage  (OM) 

–Post-Operative / Surgical Massage

–Reflexology

–Relaxing Massage

–Scar Tissue Massage

–Sports and Injury Massage

–Sports Stretch Massage, Fascial Stretch FST & Self Stretching

–Swedish Massage

–Trigger Point

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Sports Massage for Weight Weightlifters

  • Improves Flexibility. In order for you to experience optimal performance each and every time you lift weights, you must be flexible. …
  • Increases Circulation. Sports Massage therapy not only loosens tight muscles but also improves circulation. …
  • Decreases Tension. Sometimes it’s not easy to relax. …
  • Inspires Sleep. …
  • Reduces Pain.

Sports Massage helps weightlifters in several ways: Massage increases blood flow through the body. Muscle tissues heal faster when they are invigorated with healthy blood flow. Soft tissue manipulation like massage focus the body’s awareness of the sore or affected areas and cause blood to flow. These tend to block muscle repair and growth. Sports Massage, however, appears to not only make you feel better but also speed up muscle recovery. Researchers also found that the sports massage did not decrease the amount of lactic acid in the muscles, something often given as the reason for post-workout massage. A sports massage after vigorous exercise unquestionably feels good, and it seems to reduce pain and help muscles recover. Many people — both athletes and health professionals – have long contended it eases inflammation, improves blood flow and reduces muscle tightness. No, it will not build muscle. Sports Massage relieves stress and muscle soreness and improves blood flow in tissues. In my opinion, massage can help your gym performance to train harder resulting in greater muscle mass if done regularly. No, it will not build muscle. Getting a sports massage before working out allows the muscles to get warmed up and stretched out. Receiving a massage after lets the body and muscles help relax a bit smoother and help with not being so sore.” “I would work out first, then get your message. When you work out, your body releases lactic acid. After a sports massage, wait about 24 hours before engaging in vigorous exercises, such as running or weight training. Exercising too soon after a massage session may impair recovery from the sports massage, increase soreness and inhibit the effectiveness of the soft tissue work performed during your sports massage. Massage therapy relaxes muscle tissue, which reduces painful contractions and spasms. Sports Massage can also reduce nerve compression. To understand this, consider that when muscles are contracted, they sometimes compress the nerves around them. … Touching the skin or applying pressure relaxes muscles, tendons, and ligaments

Soft-tissue treatment is an important part of the recovery process for many weightlifters. Massage is probably the most favored method. Massage is used to speed recovery following heavy single workouts, competitions, or during high-intensity cycles. Sports Massage also plays a part in the prevention of injury, especially those that might arise due to overuse and overload. And finally, we can’t forget the importance of massage in the injury rehabilitation process.

The physical effects of massage therapy can greatly improve a weightlifter’s health and lifestyle by alleviating pain and reducing the potential for injury in several ways. The ultimate impact of sports massage therapy is to increase the health of the body’s internal tissues by improving the circulation of blood and nutrients, while simultaneously removing toxins. This is accomplished by the varying type of stroke used.

Sports Massage Long stroking movements are used to move fluid through the circulatory system. How this works is interesting. As pressure increases in front of the masseur’s stroke, suction is created behind the stroke. This helps repair damaged muscles by increasing a fresh blood and oxygen supply and removing toxins that have built up in the tissue. Deep massages help to regulate the pores in the fibrous tissues, which increases permeability. This allows for more fluids and nutrients to flow through the tissue. Waste products are removed and new oxygen and nutrients are supplied.

Stretching of the tissues during a massage helps muscle fibers release tension and pressure build up. The sports massage helps stretch muscles lengthwise and sideways along the natural flow of circulation and the muscle tissues. Some of the following claimed benefits should result from basic massage techniques, whereas others will tend to come from more advanced and focused techniques.

Sports Massage therapy can improve flexibility. For a lifter to achieve optimal performance, he or she must exhibit a high degree of flexibility. Since massage therapy stretches the muscle fibers, flexibility is promoted and maintained. High volume or intensity training cycles and competition usually lead to increased muscle tension. The effects here may include disturbances of collagen scar tissue and development of various adhesions where the muscle, fascia, and other tissues stubbornly stick together. If this happens you will experience a reduction in overall flexibility and an increased chance of injury.

It should also be remembered that all muscles even when they do become overly tight, do not become so to the same extent all over the body. Tightness in one muscle group may not be balanced off by a similar degree of tightness in the opposing muscles. If not attended to, this can cause a permanent imbalance in the muscles. We see the best example of this occurring with bench pressers. They have well-developed pecs that are often in a permanently tight condition. The opposing muscles in their back are not always as well developed or as highly maintained. The result is the bench presser’s hunched-over posture, familiar to anyone who has spent time in an elite power gym.

Sports Massage therapy improves circulation, and with better circulation, the lifter can breathe easier and move more smoothly. Heavy training cycles cause microscopic damage (micro-trauma) to the muscle and facial tissue. That damage must be repaired via increased blood flow (i.e., nourishment). Since massage helps the blood flow, the circulation of the lifter will be improved and this will enhance his or her performance levels. This will have a great impact on lymphatic and blood circulation, influencing waste removal from these areas, as well as food and oxygen supply to these areas. All of this leads to faster recovery and an earlier return to effective training.

Tight muscles are also problematic in the opposite direction of blood flow. If tight muscles slow down blood flow to the muscles, then they also slow down the removal of metabolites. Remember it is in the recovery phase of training that strength adaptation occurs. Nutrients gained via adequate nutrition are transported in the blood to rebuild broken-down tissues and make them stronger. If the muscles are tight, then that will reduce that blood flow during the recovery phase. The result will be less than adequate progress.

Sports Massage alleviates muscular pain, whether caused by overwork or injury. If an athlete is in pain, he or she will not be able to approach maximum poundages. Chronic or acute pain unavoidably psyches out the lifter. The less pain that is felt, the better the lifter will perform. Pain is a signal that something is wrong, so that will have to be dealt with. Massage will often be part of the required therapy.

As we already know, sleep is another big part of the recovery process. Massage therapy promotes better sleep patterns. Massage can actually improve the quantity and quality of sleep. By getting more and deeper sleep, the athlete will be better able to perform at his or her best. The lifter who goes to bed in a high-tension state will have difficulty getting to sleep and may often wake during the night or wake too early. All of this compromises recovery. Massage will reduce some of that tension and promote deeper and longer sleep. Volume and intensity are not just important in your training. They apply to sleep parameters as well.

Sports Massage therapy increases muscle relaxation levels. Many lifters exhibit that hard driving type-A personality where relaxing is difficult. In those situations, stress can get the better of the lifter. With regular massage, such a lifter can learn to relax body and mind and perhaps improve his performances.

By having a deep tissue massage at least once per week, lifters can keep their muscles healthy, improve their flexibility, maintain a state of relaxation and thus have a better sleep cycle. It is worth considering if you are having problems recovering from workouts. Massage therapy can also help to identify potential trouble spots before they progress into something more serious. A skilled touch may reveal those soft tissue micro-injuries. So, treat yourself to a massage and your body and your performance may thank you for it.

 

What is Weight Resistance Training

 

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Resistance training (also called strength training or weight training) is the use of resistance to muscular contraction to build the strength, anaerobic endurance, and size of skeletal muscles.

Resistance training is any exercise that causes the muscles to contract against an external resistance with the expectation of increases in strength, tone, mass, and/or endurance. The external resistance can be dumbbells, rubber exercise tubing, your own body weight, bricks, bottles of water, or any other object that causes the muscles to contract.

There are several styles of resistance exercise. There is (1) Olympic lifting (where athletes lift the weight overhead like you see in the Olympics), (2) powerlifting (a competition where athletes perform the squat, deadlift, and bench press), and (3) weight lifting (a sport where athletes lift heavy weights—typically fewer than six reps). When you lift weights at the gym to get stronger or bigger or more toned, you are performing resistance exercise. Occasionally you will hear the term “strength training” associated with lifting weights. Technically, it’s incorrect to refer to resistance exercise as strength training. Instead, strength training would more accurately be described as resistance exercise that builds strength. In this article, the term resistance exercise will refer to the general type of weight lifting that you do in the gym to get bigger, stronger, more toned, or to increase your muscular endurance.

 

 

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Resistance training (also called strength training or weight training) is the use of resistance to muscular contraction to build the strength, anaerobic endurance, and size of skeletal muscles.

Resistance training is based on the principle that muscles of the body will work to overcome a resistance force when they are required to do so. When you do resistance training repeatedly and consistently, your muscles become stronger.

A well-rounded fitness program includes strength training to improve bone, joint function, bone density, muscle, tendon and ligament strength, as well as aerobic exercise to improve your heart and lung fitness, flexibility and balance exercises. The Australian physical activity and sedentary behavior guidelines recommend that adults do muscle-strengthening activities on at least two days each week.

You should vary your progressive resistance training program every six to eight weeks to maintain improvement. Variables that can impact your results include:

  • sets
  • repetitions
  • exercises are undertaken
  • intensity (weights used)
  • frequency of sessions
  • rest between sets.

If you vary your resistance training program through the number of repetitions and sets performed, exercises undertaken and weights used, you will maintain any strength gains you make.

Examples of resistance training

 

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There are many ways you can strengthen your muscles, whether at home or the gym.

Different types of resistance training include:

  • free weights – classic strength training tools such as dumbbells or barbells
  • weight machines – devices that have adjustable seats with handles attached either to weights or hydraulics
  • medicine balls – weighted balls
  • resistance bands – like giant rubber bands – these provide resistance when stretched. They are portable and can be adapted to most workouts. The bands provide continuous resistance throughout a movement
  • your own body weight – can be used for squats, push-ups, and chin-ups. Using your own body weight is convenient, especially when traveling or at work.

Health benefits of resistance training

Physical and mental health benefits that can be achieved through resistance training include:

  • improved muscle strength and tone – to protect your joints from injury. It also helps you maintain flexibility and balance and helps you remain independent as you age
  • weight management and increased muscle-to-fat ratio – as you gain muscle, your body burns more kilojoules when at rest
  • greater stamina – as you grow stronger, you won’t get tired as easily
  • prevention or control of chronic conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, arthritis, back pain, depression, and obesity
  • pain management
  • improved mobility and balance
  • improved posture
  • decreased risk of injury
  • increased bone density and strength and reduced risk of osteoporosis
  • improved sense of wellbeing – resistance training may boost your self-confidence, improve your body image and your mood
  • a better night’s sleep and avoidance of insomnia
  • increased self-esteem
  • enhanced performance of everyday tasks.

Basic principles of resistance training

 

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Resistance training consists of various components. Basic principles include the:

  • Program – your overall fitness program is composed of various exercise types such as aerobic training, flexibility training, strength training and balance exercises.
  • Weight – different weights or other types of resistance, for example, a 3 kg hand weight or fixed weight, body weight or rubber band will be used for different exercises during your strength training session.
  • Exercise – a particular movement, for example, a calf-raise, is designed to strengthen a particular muscle or group of muscles.
  • Repetitions or ‘reps’ – refer to the number of times you continuously repeat each exercise in a set.
  • Set – is a group of repetitions performed without resting, for example, two sets of squats by 15 reps would mean you do 15 squats then rest muscles before doing another 15 squats.
  • Rest – you need to rest between sets. Rest periods vary depending on the intensity of exercise being undertaken.
  • Variety – switching around your workout routine, such as regularly introducing new exercises, challenges your muscles and forces them to adapt and strengthen.
  • Progressive overload principle – to continue to gain benefits, strength training activities need to be done to the point where it’s hard for you to do another repetition. The aim is to use an appropriate weight or resistant force that will challenge you while maintaining good technique. Also, regular adjustments to the training variables such as frequency, duration, exercises for each muscle group, number of exercises for each muscle group, sets and repetitions, help to make sure you progress and improve.
  • Recovery – muscle needs time to repair and adapt after a workout. A good rule of thumb is to rest the muscle group for up to 48 hours before working for the same muscle group again.

Resistance training for beginners

Pre-exercise screening is used to identify people with medical conditions that may put them at a higher risk of experiencing a health problem during physical activity. It is a filter or ‘safety net’ to help decide if the potential benefits of exercise outweigh the risks for you.

Print a copy of the Adult pre-exercise screening tool from Fitness Australia and discuss it with your doctor, allied health or exercise professional.

The Australian Physical activity and sedentary behavior guidelines recommend that you do things to strengthen your muscles at least two days a week. These activities should work all the major muscle groups of your body (legs, hips, back, chest, abdomen, shoulders, and arms).

Starting resistance training

It is important to pay attention to safety and good form to reduce the risk of injury. A registered exercise professional can help you develop a safe, effective program.

To start, a typical beginner’s strength training program involves:

  • eight to 10 exercises that work the major muscle groups of the body and are performed two to three times every week
  • beginning with one set of each exercise, comprising as few as eight repetitions (reps), no more than twice a week.

Your aim is to gradually increase to two to three sets for each exercise – comprising eight to 12 reps, every second or third day. Once you can comfortably do 12 reps of an exercise, you should look at progressing further.

Warming up before resistance training

Before doing your strength training exercises, you need to warm up. Start with light aerobic exercise (such as walking, cycling or rowing) for about five minutes, and a few dynamic stretches. Dynamic stretching involves slow controlled movements through the full range of motion.

Advanced resistance training

To get the most gain from resistance training, you need to progressively increase the intensity of your training, according to your experience and training goals. This may mean increasing the weight, changing the duration of the contraction, reducing rest time or increasing the volume of training.

Once you’ve been doing resistance training regularly for several weeks, you can progressively increase the intensity of your training as your muscles adapt. Research suggests that expert supervision may improve your results.

Repetitive maximum (RM) and resistance training

The best way to develop muscle strength is for the muscle to contract to its maximum potential at any given time – maximal voluntary contraction (MVC). In resistance training, MVC is measured by the term XRM, where RM is the maximum number of repetitions that can be completed with a given resistance or weight. X is the number of times a certain weight can be lifted before the muscle fatigues.

It is the RM range that determines what type of improvements the muscles will make. The optimal range for improving muscle strength is 8–12 RM for a beginner and 2–6 RM for the more advanced.

For example, the formula 7RM means the person can lift the weight (let’s say 50 kg) seven times before the muscles are too fatigued to continue. Higher weights mean lower RM – for example, the same person could possibly lift a 65 kg weight, but less than seven times. Lower weights typically result in a higher RM – for example, the same person could lift a 35 kg weight about 12 times before muscle fatigue sets in. MVC principles can help you gain the most benefit from your workouts.

Applying MVC to meet advanced resistance training goals

The principles of strength training involve manipulation of the number of repetitions (reps), sets, tempo, exercises and force to overload a group of muscles and produce the desired change in strength, endurance, size or shape.

Specific combinations of reps, sets, exercises, resistance, and force will determine the type of muscle development you achieve. General guidelines, using the RM range, include:

  • muscle power – one to six RM per set, performed explosively
  • muscle strength/power – three to 12 RM per set, fast or controlled
  • muscle strength/size – six to 20 RM per set, controlled
  • muscle endurance – 15 to 20 or more RM per set, controlled.

Muscle recovery during advanced resistance training

Muscle needs time to repair and grow after a workout. Neglecting to give your muscles enough time to recover means they will not get bigger or stronger. A good rule of thumb is to rest the muscle group for at least 48 hours.

Once you have sufficient experience in resistance training, and with the support of a qualified allied health or exercise professional, you might like to consider a split program. For example, you could work your upper body on Mondays and Fridays, and your lower body on Wednesdays and Sundays.

Gaining strength from advanced resistance training

Most beginners experience a rapid increase in strength, followed by a plateau or leveling-out of strength improvements. After that, gains in muscle strength and size are hard earned.

When you start resistance training, most of your initial increase in strength is due to a phenomenon called ‘neural adaptation’. This means that the nerves servicing the muscles change their behavior. The nerves are thought to ‘fire’ more frequently (prompting increased muscle contraction) and more motor units are recruited to perform the contraction (a motor unit is the nerve cell and its associated muscle fibers). This means you become stronger, but the muscles remain the same size – you’ve hit the plateau.

In time, muscle cells respond to continuous resistance training by increasing in size (hypertrophy), so don’t be discouraged by reaching the plateau – it is actually an encouraging sign that gains in muscle size are soon to follow. Various techniques may help you shorten the plateau period.

Varying your workouts can help you push past a plateau. The theory of variation is that you can coax growth and strength from your muscles by surprising them with a range of different stresses. The muscles will respond in size and strength as they are forced to adapt.

Be guided by your gym instructor or personal trainer, but suggestions include:

  • Increase the number of repetitions.
  • Increase your workout by 10 or 15 minutes.
  • Increase the frequency of workouts, keeping in mind that each muscle needs at least 48 hours of recovery time. Once you are more experienced, you may like to consider splitting body parts over the different days of the week – for example, chest, shoulders, and triceps in session one, back, biceps and abdominal muscles in session two, and legs in session three.
  • Switch to different exercises – for example, focus on exercises that use multiple muscle groups and that are functional or specific in nature, meaning that they relate to activities of daily living or sporting requirements.
  • Increase the weight by about five to 10 percent.
  • Cross-train with other activities such as swimming or running.
  • Change your workout about every four to eight weeks to keep your muscles guessing.

Where to get help

  • Your doctor
  • Physiotherapist
  • Exercise physiologist
  • Registered exercise professional

Things to remember

  • Resistance training increases muscle strength by making your muscles work against a weight or force.
  • Different forms of resistance training include free weights, weight machines, resistance bands and your own body weight.
  • A beginner needs to train two or three times per week to gain the maximum benefit.
  • Complete the Adult pre-exercise screening tool and consult with professionals, such as your doctor, exercise physiologist, physiotherapist or registered exercise professional, before you start a new fitness program.
  • Rest each muscle group for at least 48 hours to maximize gains in strength and size.

 

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

Riktr PRO Massage by Nicola, LMT

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

*Disclaimer: This information is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice. You should not use this information to diagnose or treat a health problem or disease without consulting with a qualified healthcare provider.
Please consult your healthcare provider with any questions or concerns you may have regarding your condition.
The information provided is for educational purposes only and is not intended as diagnosis, treatment, or prescription of any kind. The decision to use, or not to use, any information is the sole responsibility of the reader. These statements are not expressions of legal opinion relative to the scope of practice, medical diagnosis or medical advice, nor do they represent an endorsement of any product, company or specific massage therapy technique, modality or approach. All trademarks, registered trademarks, brand names, registered brand names, logos, and company logos referenced in this post are the property of their owners.

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