Lacrosse Ball - Hamstrings
The Lacrosse Ball Hamstring Roll is a targeted self-myofascial release technique used to release deep tension in the posterior thigh muscles. It helps break up trigger points and improve tissue quality, making it an excellent recovery tool for runners and lifters.
The AI analyzes your recent training load—specifically heavy hinges or sprints—to prescribe this recovery work exactly when your hamstrings are most fatigued. By tracking your subjective difficulty and pain reports, the system learns which specific areas of your posterior chain are prone to tightness and adjusts the duration of your mobility sessions to ensure optimal recovery without over-irritating the tissue.
Form Cues
- Sit on a hard surface like a box or floor
- Place the ball under the meaty part of your thigh
- Shift your weight onto the ball to apply pressure
- Pause and breathe deeply on tender spots
- Relax your leg completely while rolling
- Don't roll directly behind the knee joint
- Don't tense your hamstring muscles
- Don't rush the rolling speed
- Don't hold your breath
- Don't continue if you feel sharp nerve pain
Common Mistakes
- Rolling too quickly
- Using a soft surface like a mat
- Tensing the leg muscles
- Avoiding trigger points
- Rolling over the popliteal fossa (knee pit)
Muscles Worked
This exercise specifically targets the hamstring complex (biceps femoris, semitendinosus, and semimembranosus) to reduce hypertonicity and fascial restrictions. While the primary focus is the hamstrings, releasing tension here can also alleviate compensatory strain on the glutes and lower back.
Primary
Secondary
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