Do you have a Voodoo Compression Floss Band in your Gym Bag?
The Voodoo Compression Floss Band is a great addition to your mobility tool Kit if you don’t already have one; I personally have both thicknesses in my gym bag. The WOD Life offers this great too that is both affordable and portable. There are no excuses not to have this versatile piece of kit in your gym bag! Pick them up today at The WOD Life Store!
Floss compression bands are a great multi purpose mobility tool, they can be used to help increase mobility in a region of the body such as; help gain internal rotation of the shoulder, extension of the elbow and knee.
It can be used to break up adhesions in connective tissue in regions of chronic overload such as lateral knee/ thigh in ITB friction syndrome or in the sub-acute rehabilitation phase for the anterior ankle after ankle sprain.
The Voodoo Compression bands can also be a great aid for recovery; flossing the thigh after high repetition squats or the arms after high repetition pull ups/ muscle ups. Flossing after a WOD can help with muscle recovery, reduce waste products and muscular tightness. Muscles feeling tight and restricting movement the day after a high intensity WOD is common, it can seem to take forever to warm up. The reduced posterior chain length from deadlifts yesterday can limit toes to bar today; simply taking some time to mobilise after the WOD can reduce all this.
My favourite exercises with the voodoo compression band;
1. Ankle Mobility
Wrap the voodoo compression band starting midfoot working up over the ankle, then move the ankle thru its full range. This can be done actively by pointing your toes and then bring the back up as far as you can. I like to perform my ankle mobility lunging with the compression bands on. (I prefer using the thicker red band)
2. Shoulder Internal Rotation
Get your training partner/ wife / husband to wrap the voodoo compression band high up the arm as possible into the armpit. Lye down on the floor, have your partner push down on your shoulder or place a barbell/kettlebell across the front of the shoulder. Then either slowly rotate your arm into internal and external rotation or have your partner rotate the arm back and forth. I suggest if doing this with a partner always go first then you know how much pain to cause them.
3. Anterior Knee Pain
Wrap the Voodoo compression band around the knee, start just below the patella (kneecap) and wrap firmly working the way up to just above the patella. Then squat 20-30 times.
4. Lateral Knee Pain
For lateral knee pain I find wrapping the voodoo compression band firmly just above the kneecap. Wrap the band so you are pulling from the outside of the knee across the thigh towards the inside. Pull the band tighter around the lateral thigh.
5. Infra-Patella Pain (Pain Under Patella)
For infra patella pain wrap the compression band around the leg just below the patella. Squat 20-30 times.
6. Flossing Upper Thigh/ Groin / Hamstring
Wrap the Voodoo compression band around the upper thigh as high as possible. You can squat or sit on a box straightening and bending your knee. My favorite is to grab onto the barbell (can be done without barbell as in photo) in my clean setup position then push the knees back and straighten the legs while maintaining midline, flossing the area as the tissue slide back and forth.
7. Flossing arm and elbow
Wrap from just below the elbow up to above the arm. Move the elbow through full range using your other hand or even better get someone else to bent and straighten your arm. Bend and straighten for a couple or minutes or until you feel like you need to rip the band off as your hand is going numb!!! You might have had it wrapped a little too tight.
Try some of these techniques and you will start to the feel the difference in no time!
There are no excuses not to have this versatile piece of kit in your gym bag! Pick them up today at The WOD Life Store!
“MOBILISE and TRAIN WISE” – Jon Park (WOD Health)
How do I learn more about WOD Health?
For more movement and mobility tips check out the WOD Health Facebook page www.facebook.com/wodhealth
WOD Health workshops “Injury prevention through movement and mobility” will benefit every level of athlete. Contact Jon for more information or organising workshops at your affiliate.
How do I contact WOD Health?
JON PARK – APA Sports Physiotherapist
Jon@wodhealth.com.au
