training & massage, a winning combination

Sports Performance Training Blog
by Emily Joyner


This week I got to blast my muscles and then get a massage all at one convenient location! Although the massage is not part of the standard performance training package, it is an option because In Motion has a certified massage therapist in house. Massage is a special treat for me, but I can see why many pro athletes have sport massage as part of their regular routine.

I scheduled the training session first. It happened to be an off-day for cycling so this was the only hard effort I would put in that day. I enjoy the warm-up and stretching sequence, and find it really loosens me up without taking very long, I use bands and active stretches. The plyometric section of jumps and bounding make me sort of nostalgic to my old gymnastics days because of the emphasis placed on sticking the landing and focusing on balance. I think I am improving with the bounds, too, or at least I am more aware of my actual abilities... when I first started doing the jumps from one leg to another I would try to go much farther than I could actually land and end up falling over, now I can stick them.

The strength circuit this week was pretty awesome, every time I come I learn new exercises or variations that are exciting to me. This session, he split the strength up into two circuits. Circuit 1 had a leg exercise followed by a hip/quad stretch, then pull ups followed by a shoulder/back stretch. Circuit 2 focused on strength, but took away stability rather than adding weight to make the exercise more difficult and utilize core muscles during the exercises. With my recent back injury I can see the weakness in the left side during this type of exercise because I loose balance very easily, but the exercises do not cause pain in my back. While the entire workout engages the core, the last set is directly targeting core strength. This time we did a plank series and then a variation of a crunch to finish it off. Protein shake for the road and I am done... now it's time for the massage!

What can I say, it was a one hour massage, and I loved it. The massage therapist was able to combine a relaxing massage with stretching , especially in my legs. Problem areas like my IT bands and my piriformis received attention and I know massage helps both of these areas just from using a foam roller on my own. In the end I felt very relaxed and could have fallen asleep, but my hour was up and I had to drive home. I was actually sleepy for a while and even after riding later that evening fell asleep very quickly when I went to bed (which is not always easy for me).

Overall, I really like the combination of training then massage at In Motion- it's like he icing on the cake!