Self-Massage for Athletes

"Rich Poley gives a humorous and informative way to massage yourself. The beginning is about the benefits of massage in general, and how useful it is to learn to do it for yourself. The techniques are spelled out in such an easy way with photos and tips, that anyone can learn how to do it. At times the writing is a little elementary and basic, but that might be needed for people who really don't know what they're doing. Rich makes a good point when he says that some people may never have touched themselves in this way, and he encourages people to learn more about their own bodies.

It's a great resource to have around anytime you're feeling tight or sore. If you see a massage therapist, this will teach you how to keep up with those benefits while saving yourself some $$$.

Rich's website is also awesome. He promptly responds to emails and answers questions thoroughly. You can tell he really wants to help other people, making us better athletes in our chosen sport(s). He combines his love of sports and writing in a great book for those of us who aren't professional athletes with our own trainers, coaches, and massage therapists."
~ Written on 2008-08-19

"
I got this book because I am in Ironman training and have been nursing some injuries. This book not a magic pill, but it does help.

The book is gorgeous and easy to read. The pictures are very nice, nothing is left to guess from the explanations. Most of the important content is in one chapter. The rest is trying to convince you that it's a good thing to do, and later in the book there's a couple of chapters that include some nice accessory information.

There are a lot of statements that could be considered "kooky," but if you are buying a book with this title you are already open to such ideas. Thankfully, the author didn't mention the obvious talk that some other reviewers and friends may joke about. There are also a lot of statements made that make you want more information as to where the source came from, how it came about, etc. While the author does have an extensive bibliography, that is not enough. I do not want to go searching everywhere to explain every sentence in the book. If you're going to make a claim that XX has been shown to be good for YY, tell me more than just that statement. In addition, the chapter with accessories, while nice to have, does not explain very much about each accessory.

For some reason - probably because of no details on the remarks as stated above, the structure of the book and the short chapters - this book read a lot like a college paper. Overall it's good information to have, and I'm going to be using this in my training. I haven't read this type of information before. I probably could've gotten the same thing in an active.com article though. If it existed."
~ Written on 2008-08-19

"Rich Poley has provided a great resource for athletes of all types looking for a proven recovery method and saving on time and cost by performing these massages on your own body. I am a competitive age group athlete in the sport of running and triathlon and have been using massages for recovery and general body health for a long time. This book has taught me, in great detail, several of the key massage techniques that I can perform myself on a regular basis. The detailed pictures and excellent descriptions add to the book's usefulness. Additionally, with the high cost of massages, I can now perform the self massage techniques on my own, on a daily basis, rather then periodically paying for them. This book is an asset to any athlete's library."
~ Written on 2008-08-12

"Whether you are an athlete or not, this book can have great practical use to anyone. Although the book is designed around knowledge of athletic training in making sure your muscles are supple before or after a workout or playing in whatever activity you play in, the person who might be tense after a day at the office will find equal value in learning how to massage themselves.

Going to massage therapists might be costly, or even time consuming for some people who have a lot to do. This book teaches you how to give gentle to firm and deep massages, but with proper guidance. Letting yourself feel good, trusting and relaxed is one of the key components to a healthy body and allowing oneself to be massaged effectively. So author, Rob Poley, who is self taught in the ways of Self-Massage, realized through his own experiences, teaches how important massage is and how to do it.

I am not athletic, but I have put to work Rob's guidelines and they I feel great. I usually do them before bed and it gives me an excellent night's sleep. I know water is important after an intense massage, so depending on the level of massage you give yourself, make sure you drink some water to help rid of the toxins that are loosened through this.

In detail, the author gives all the recommended techniques for various parts of the body, as well as how to reach those tough to get to spots, like the mid-back and the like. And like reflexology, you are in effect helping your internal organs to be healthier as well as your muscles, and thus emotions and mind.

There is no debate about the benefits of massage on all levels. It is only a matter of whether you give yourself the time to relax and enjoy a great massage. You know your body better than anyone else, so who better to give a better massage?"
~ Written on 2008-08-04

"I'm a landscaper, and I can tell you, at the end of the day I am pretty wiped. I didn't think I'd have the energy to massage myself - even if it feels good and helps my body, it's hard to find time to do one more thing.

But the beauty of self-massage is its simplicity - you have everything you need right there with you and you can do it anytime. When I am stuck at a red light, I can massage my arms or upper legs, when I am watching TV or waiting for the toaster, I can massage myself then too.

It's amazing how much just a little bit of attention to my body increases my awareness and helps me avoid injuries. I've been using this book for a couple months now and I am totally impressed. It isn't hard to learn the techniques and in just a few minutes of reading, you get some tips and tools to begin.

I am definitely going to recommend this to my gardener friends, and I hope anyone who is on the fence about buying this will go ahead. It's really written for everyone and is easy to understand and do, yet complex enough that I really did learn a lot that I wouldn't have figured out on my own."
~ Written on 2008-07-14