The 3 Primary SMR Regions
Practice these 3 movements Every Week The 3 PrimaryExercises Just like there are 3 colors in art that you can make all the other colors with, the 3 primary SMR exercises are the most important self-care exercises to do on a weekly basis to maintain proper function and range of motion. By practicing these three movements you find your ‘trouble areas’ that make the greatest impact on your movement. From these three, you then move on to the 16 secondary exercises, then the 41 extended exercises. By using the right techniques and tools on a regular basis, you can keep a small problem from becoming a much larger one. You can get details for each movement by clicking the image. It is likely you will need to stretch each day and possibly do these and other SMR exercises for your “trouble areas.” The three movements below are part of the foundation that you build on, and you should revisit them often. Click here to see all three SMR Categories. Click here for a printable download of the 3 primary SMR exercises and strategies for using the primary, secondary and extended movements. |
Quads Roll Primary SMR Movement #1
As athletes, we tend to be ‘quad dominant.’ One of the quadriceps muscles in the center of your thigh (the rectus femoris) attaches to BOTH the kneecap and the front of the hip. If you allow your quads to lock up from doing lots of work and virtually no stretching, all hip and knee movements will be compromised.  The Quadriceps |
Inner Thigh Roll Primary SMR Movement #2
As athletes, we tend to be ‘quad dominant.’ However, when the inside quadriceps (the VMO) locks up, the knee ‘buckles.’ To compensate, you’ll tend to shorten your stride, pull harder with the adductor muscles to keep your leg in close, and shift your weight to the other leg.  Vastus Medialis Oblique |
Lats Roll Primary SMR Movement #3
The target of this movement is the largest back muscle that attaches to the back of the hip, much of the spine, many of the ribs, and the upper arm (the latissimus dorsi). You are addressing many other muscles that lie under or cross this large muscle as you work from your shoulder to your hip.  Latissimus Dorsi |
Group SMR TipThese three movements are also the preferred SMR techniques you should use just prior to a workout. |
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Remember that SMR is like static stretching-going fast works against you! **All information is provided for educational purposes only. You should consult your doctor before attempting any exercises you read on this page or any page on this website.** |
Hi Jeff. can you clarify how to deal with “speed bumps” in the Center Quad Rock and Roll? I believe you say not to go over them, so should I try to put pressure on them from the side and hold it for a second or so before rolling back, or just roll up to it and then roll back. Perhaps I am overthinking it.
Carl, it’s more important to not flip back and forth across that knot or ‘speed bump’ so that the muscle gets aggravated as you quickly bump over it. Roll through the area very methodically and apply pressure to a knot without going past it, then roll or rock back a bit to take some of the pressure off the knot….then repeat as needed until the knot releases.
Keep up your homework, and good luck!
thanks, Jeff. I think I’m doing it correctly, but I’m sure I’ll have more questions.
Hi Jeff. on the leg exercises, you demonstrate moving from the knee to the hip, so I wondered if it is detrimental to go the other way (hip to knee). thanks.
For the most part, roll with heavy pressure towards the heart, lighter pressure away from the heart. However, if you practice good judgment and proceed with caution you may find certain areas where working either direction provides the best relief. In general, work toward the heart. (but feel free to practice ‘informed exploring’ like Kelly Starrett says)
thanks, Jeff. as I get more accustomed to the exercises, the systematic approach of SMR is really helping me. I really appreciate your website and esp your responsiveness to my questions.
Hi Jeff. when you suggest practicing the primary exercises every day, do you have a preference for pre- or post-workout? I am wondering if there is a most beneficial time to do them. thanks.
whoops. i just noticed your comment above that says the three primary exercises are good to do before a workout. sorry about that.
but, i guess i am still wondering if an extended SMR session ought to be done before or after a workout. thanks again.
Carl, for the most part let pain and progress be your guide…if you can do an extended SMR session prior to a workout and not pull a muscle, then go for it. Some people have trouble doing deep tissue work just prior to a workout so proceed with caution. That said, if you can do it without injury, then why not? Good luck, and keep us posted!
thank, Jeff. I appreciate your advice.
This site, and all of your collective information is extremely helpful to me. You have really tapped into something that has tremendous potential and i think, will be an area of much popularity in the near future…or now even. You guys are ahead of your time.
Great stuff
Chris
Thanks for the feedback, Chris! We’re working on more content, so there is more to come. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to ask. We are here to serve you.
Jeff
This movement has helped me out incredibly. As a victim of two shoulder surgeries, physical therapy’s answer was always to ‘strengthen and stretch the muscle around the joint.’ Well, my 20+ dead hang pull ups and 1.75 bodyweight bench press were pretty evident to me that it wasn’t a strength issue, and I have ‘healthy’ range of motion. The first few times I did the side roll, it was terribly painful and most of my time was spent holding on knots waiting for them to loosen. Now, a week later, I work through the motions in about 1/3 of the time generally pain and knot free- daily.
Thanks for showing me the missing link.
You are very welcome, Kevin! It’s stories like yours that mean the most to us. Please feel free to hit us up with any questions or concerns you have as you continue to learn the techniques. We want to help you maintain or improve your physical performance for many, many years to come. Keep up the good work!
I struggled for most of a year with any kind of workout that involved a squatting movement. I have an arthritic hip, and blamed that for my struggles. At your mini-clinic I learned how to effectively do the inner thigh roll (VMO). It turns out that my issues were based on thigh muscle tightness, not joint issues. Who knew? The results were AMAZING! I was instantly able to squat deeper, with less pain, and more control than I have done in years. The results are consistent. Every time I do the inner thigh roll before my workout I have the same result, and I am able to be much more productive during the WOD. Thanks a ton!!!
Kevin, I am so glad that your issue was simply tight muscles that were limiting proper hip function. It’s a pleasure to watch your progress in the WODs. Keep up the great work!
Why are hips supposed to be lower than knees on the center quad rock and roll? I usually have the hips level with knees. When I tried it with hips lower and then shifted from side to side, I could feel it in my lower back. Is that because it worked my core muscles in a way I am not used to? Or did it strain my back and I should go back to having hips level with knees? I hope that what I felt was just a core strengthening move because I liked this exercise and if I can improve my core simulaneoulsy that would be a good thing. Please clarify. Thanks
John,
When doing SMR for the quads you want your core relaxed and on the ground so that you are not firing (activating) your psoas and iliacus muscles. These two hip flexors will call the rectus femoris into action, and the roller will not penetrate beyond the immediate surface layer of the muscle tissue when you roll your thighs. This means your vastus intermedius quariceps muscle gets zero benefit from rolling your quads with your core off the ground. Why not get the most release with your efforts? When you lower your core to the ground you can ‘turn off’ your hip flexors and get much better releases in all of your quadriceps muscles. Your hips might be off the ground a bit, especially as the roller gets closer to the top of your thighs. The tightness in your back that you felt is likely from you over-muscling the movement. Rotate your thighs on the roller moreso than rolling your core to either side. Also, rotate only a little bit a first, then in larger patterns as your muscles relax more. You should NEVER cramp up when doing SMR. If you do, you are over-muscling (fighting) the movement. Let time a gravity do the work for you–lie in one spot and relax, relax, reeelllllaaaaaxxxx.
Good luck, and keep the feedback coming!
-Jeff
Jeff,
These videos are great. First a comment and then a question…..Your video instructions are awesome. I just wanted to let you know that many times you give an example of how NOT to do an exercise (such as the extensors to not just roll back and forth quickly). I used to do that but the reinforcement from you on how NOT to do an exercise combined with the proper technique is greatly appreciated.
Now for the question… Now that I am doing the primary quad exercises and the calves/soleus regions, my gait is changing for the better. I dont feel as crooked when I walk strange as that may sound. But in the process, my legs and calves feel like they have had a workout when simply doing a 1 mile walk. You know that feeling after working out after a layoff and you feel sore and even a little weak? The good pain. Thats how I feel. If my biomechanics are changing for the better, would this be a normal response? It should be noted my body is very inflexible and extremely tight so I am hoping that oxygen and elasticity returning to my tissues is causing this feeling after simple tasks such as walking.
Any comment is appreciated.
Thanks for your help,
John
John,
I really appreciate the feedback. We try hard to provide the best advice while keeping the instruction easy to understand and apply. It makes me happy to hear that we are meeting that mark. If you find we ever provide instruction that is confusing or unclear please do not hesitate to let us know.
As for your legs and the fatigue you are feeling…you have likely broken up some of the fascial adhesions that developed over years of poor biomechanics and abuse of your body. Click here to watch a very informative (and entertaining) video explaining how these fascial adhesions (nicknamed fuzz) can develop between muscle tissues. Adhesions between muscles help hold the muscles in place without the need for the muscle to fire. This means that when you clear any adhesions you will actually place a larger energy demand on the muscles that were formerly bound together. Initially you will feel more fatigue in the affected muscles. However as your muscle tissue adapts to the physical stimulus you should notice less and less fatigue, even when doing far more activity than previously possible. It may take a few days to several weeks to no longer notice the fatigue. Be diligent with the SMR and stretching, but also proceed at the pace your body can handle. You CAN overdo SMR, just like you can overdo a workout. Take it one day at a time and in no time at all you should be doing things you didn’t think were possible.
Good luck, and keep us posted.
–Jeff
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