Over two years ago, I was having pretty significant pain in my knee from my marathon training. I went to my local running store, and an employee introduced me to a great product. The Grid by Trigger Point Therapy takes the place of a traditional foam roller. You can do all the stretches that you would normally do with a foam roller, but with the added benefit of various textures and patterns. These different textures and patterns are designed to mimic various hand positions – as if you were getting a massage.
The Grid features very durable construction, and unlike a foam roller, won’t compress down and wear out with use. It also packs, stores, and travels very easily as the length is only 13 inches. Despite this smaller size, I haven’t experienced any issues performing specific stretches and exercises.
I have found The Grid exceptionally beneficial to use for massaging sore muscles and stretching out. I love the textured surfaces, because it really allows you to work out knots and lactic acid from your muscles. You can really get a deep massage for specific muscle groups that you wouldn’t even be able to touch with a foam roller.
The Grid comes in exceptionally useful for triathlon, running and cycling training. I’ve used it between stages of a stage race and after hard workouts. I personally benefited from The Grid through reduced knee pain. I would use the grid to roll out after my longer runs while training for the Ogden Marathon. It became a great tool – and you’ll always find it in my bag when I’m traveling to different races.
Finding videos for specific stretches and massage techniques proved quite difficult when I first purchased The Grid. It came with a vague brochure that really was not helpful. Trigger Point Therapy has put some videos on their website, but they don’t demonstrate a lot of technique. They do have some DVDs for sale, but they are expensive and focus more on a core routine with self massage. The best solution I’ve found is to simply get on the floor and experiment with various stretches.
The Bottom Line ~
If you are looking for a foam roller, consider buying The Grid. This roller allows you to do all the stretches that you can do with a foam roller, but with the added benefit of massage. While The Grid is more expensive than a foam roller, it lasts much longer and won’t wear out with use. I have owned mine for two and half years and it’s still going strong. The Grid also travels and packs much easier than your traditional foam roller.
