Summary
Mike Mallory, founder of RAD (a massage and myofascial release company based in Denver, Colorado), joins the Fit Father Project podcast to discuss how to properly do foam rolling and self-myofascial release (SMR). As a former competitive skier and mountain biker who suffered extensive injuries including breaking both legs in a snowboarding accident, Mike shares his personal recovery journey and how SMR tools helped him go from wheelchair to back on the ski slopes. The conversation covers three core SMR techniques: pin and hold (compression on a tender area), flushing (stroking toward the heart to move lymphatic fluid), and shear (lateral movement across tissue). Mike emphasizes that SMR works primarily through the nervous system, pressuring receptors in muscles and tendons to signal relaxation and restore range of motion. The discussion highlights how tight muscles function as poor lymphatic pumps, creating stagnation that leads to inflammation and pain. Both hosts stress the importance of breathing and relaxation during SMR, noting that holding your breath triggers a guarding response that prevents tissue release. Practical recommendations include starting with the thoracic spine using connected roller balls, spending 10 breath cycles per area, taking two minutes to work up each quad, and integrating just five to ten minutes of SMR daily rather than one long weekly session. The episode also covers how pain in one area often originates from dysfunction elsewhere in the kinetic chain, and why consistent daily SMR practice is essential for maintaining mobility as we age.
Key Points
- Three core SMR techniques: pin and hold (compression), flushing (stroking toward the heart), and shear (lateral cross-fiber movement)
- SMR works primarily through the nervous system by pressuring receptors that signal muscles to relax and restore range of motion
- Tight muscles are poor lymphatic pumps, creating fluid stagnation that causes inflammation and pain
- Spend 10 breath cycles on each area; if you are holding your breath, the pressure is too intense and the muscle will guard
- Start with the thoracic spine, then work outward to extremities; the spine is the foundation for all movement
- Five to ten minutes daily of SMR is more effective than one long weekly session
- Pain site is often not the pain generator; search upstream and downstream of the painful area
- Muscles crossing two joints (like quads crossing hip and knee) cause the most problems when tight
Key Moments
Tight muscles as poor lymphatic pumps
Mike Mallory explains that one of the secondary functions of muscles is acting as pumps for the lymphatic system. When muscles are tight, they become poor pumps, leading to fluid stagnation, inflammation, and pain, like a stagnant swamp versus a clear river.
"One of the secondary functions of muscles is that they're pumps. And I think you know all this information, but for everyone out there, the lymph system is a one-way system. It's got all these valves in it, and they're essentially one-way valves."
Three core SMR techniques explained
Mike describes the three fundamental SMR techniques: pin and hold (compression creating pressure zones to move fluid), flushing (stroking back toward the heart to move lymph), and shear (lateral cross-fiber movement used by therapists).
"exploring that area, trying some different techniques. Like for instance, we teach generally speaking three techniques for SMR. One is pin and hold. That's where you take a ball, pin it to an area and hold, you know, that's, that's just compression, right? Yeah. That does create a high pressure and a low pressure zone, which will move fluid through it. Mm-hmm."
Breathing and time under tension for effective SMR
Mike recommends 10 breath cycles per area during SMR. If you are holding your breath, the pressure is too intense and the muscle will guard rather than release. The goal is to signal safety to the nervous system.
"using some reps and sets but more importantly kind of what you're talking about is breathing for one and then time under tension so we really look for about 10 breath cycles when you're in one area so if I can and hold a specific area you know number one I don't want it to be insanely uncomfortable right what we teach is if you're if you're holding your breath"
SMR as a nervous system effect
Mike explains that SMR works primarily through the nervous system rather than physically moving tissue. Pressure on muscle receptors signals the brain to relax, temporarily restoring range of motion that can then be reinforced through exercise.
"SMR really is a, is a nervous system effect. You know, certainly there are physical effects there. There is lymph. I think we all suspect there's a little literal tissue movement, but for the most part, we're talking about the neurological system, right?"
Start with the thoracic spine for maximum benefit
Mike recommends always starting SMR from the thoracic spine outward, as spinal muscles engage before any others during movement. Opening up the thoracic spine creates a foundation for head, neck, and shoulder function while preventing compensatory low back strain.
"foundationally if you want to kind of think like a therapist you're always thinking from the spine out everything starts and ends in the spine they've got some interesting research showing you know which muscles of the spine engage almost before any others if you want to throw a ball like you'll see the the multifidi and whatnot in your spine engage 15 milliseconds quicker and that's to stabilize the shoulder the elbow the wrist etc"
