“But not our jumpers, who should have been well aware of the simple recovery
processes available to everybody. It all comes down to a “professional treatment
of your body.” We all know about it but somehow fail to put our knowledge into
action. It really is all as simple as the advice that a doctor of the Soviet national
team gave a few years ago: “Get knee deep into cold sea water and you will
recover”.
It was interesting to witness in Seoul how the American sprinters placed their legs
after the completion of a race into a container of crushed ice. This was followed,
after 8 to 10 min., by hard toweling. It was a simple and effective method to speed
up recovery. I can hear complaints that crushed ice is hard to find.Well, a
contrasting cold and hot shower is always readily available. There is no value in replacing these procedures with massage. It is a well-known
fact that daily massages are often responsible for the “hardening” of the muscles.
Take the legendary Viktor Saneyev, for example. He trained as hard, if not harder,
than our contemporary jumpers but avoided frequent massages, using it only
once, at the most twice a week. However, Saneyev never forgot to finish a training
session with an extended jog on the grass.” http://www.athleticscoaching.ca/UserFiles/File/Sport%20Science/Theory%20&%20Methodology/Jumping%20Events/General%20Concepts/Zotko%20Small%20Details%20Decide%20Success.pdf
Sounds like the body is guarding against the “too harsh” massage. Of course if you batter the body it will react like this which is why you need to be a skilled therapist to get stuff done!
My Osteopath reccommended I see the practice massueure. I felt worse for quite some time afterwards. Her technique was hard and deep (steady guys) and I felt my muscles tightening in response rather than relaxing. So I think you could well be right TC.
Good massage is good- bad massage is… well… bad.
BUT to say: “it is a well known fact that daily massages are often responsible for hardening the muscles” is horseshit. That could only be true of a study where all the masseurs were imbeciles (and not just the author).
I can only commend and highly rate the effects of skilled daily massage. On a recent trip I had top end massage everyday (sometimes twice) and the whole overall feeling was amazing. I felt lighter,loose and more relaxed. I opened up with an equal PB in my first race indoors.
