How to Prevent Muscle Cramps
Step-by-step Instructions
Here is what you need to do...
Step 1
Picture this: you're having a great leg workout, you've squatted, done some deadlifts, and you head over to the leg extension machine where you do one set then BAM- muscle cramp. Your quads feel too tight to stand and you can't figure out a way to make it go away. This is one of the worst situations to deal with as a weightlifter, and I'm going to show you how to do your best to avoid it.
Step 2
The first part of avoiding muscle cramps comes from your dietary intake; primarily potassium. The best source of potassium for a weightlifter is a good old fashioned banana. The sweet yellow fruit packs a potassium punch that, when eaten before a workout or after one, will help your body combat any oncoming muscle cramps.
Step 3
However, bananas do occasionally fail. When you've eaten your banana and your leg still cramps up during a workout it might seem like there's no hope, but there is. That hope comes in the form of myofascial stretching. Myofascial stretching comes in the form of foam rollers which, when you roll a body part over, are able to use the pressure of your body weight to relieve the muscle of any excess stress.
Step 4
Purchase an OPTP - PRO-ROLLER Soft, 36" x 6" Round from amazon and take it with you to your gym. If a muscle cramp hits halfway through a workout, you can roll it out on this foam roller and make the cramp disappear quickly.
Step 5
You can also use the myofascial roller at home in the morning or at night. Any time of the day is a great time to relieve pent up stress from your muscles. Doing so will vastly decrease your chance of getting a muscle cramp before, during, or after your workouts.
Special Attention
Difficulties people often experience or parts that need special attention to do it right.
Muscle cramps are very difficult to deal with. But with attention to diet and the use of a OPTP - PRO-ROLLER Soft, 36" x 6" Round, you can combat these cramps like a champion. If the foam roller seems too bulky to carry around, just bring it into your gym and ask them to hold onto it for you. This way you are able to request it whenever the evil and debilitating cramp comes about.
Stuff You'll Need
| Brand | Product | Price |
|---|---|---|
| OPTP - PRO-ROLLER Soft, 36 | No Price |
Suggested Further Reading
| Author | Title | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Joe Weiders Ultimate Bodybuilding Weider | No Price |
This Student Author
This Student Author's Background
Funny or interesting story about this topic...
I can't tell you how many times I've had leg cramps during my workouts. My biceps occasionally get an extreme pump too, and this might seem like a cramp, but for me the real cramps mainly happen in my quads. When this happened in the past, I had no idea what to do. You would find me hopping around on one leg and then laying down, a fierce grimace on my face and a frustration that I can't continue my workout at normal speed. Once I started implementing myofascial release with the foam roller, I never experienced another cramp again that was too powerful for me to quickly get rid of.
When did you first do this & how did you get started?
I first started using the foam roller when I was in my late teenage years. Until then I had a young body that rarely cramped up. Once I started getting muscle cramps once a month or so, I had to gravitate to the foam roller. Not only that, but I started taking extra precautions by consuming bananas on a daily basis. Together, they have defeated my muscle cramps. Hopefully they can defeat yours too.
J