Why Online Massage Training is Better Than Going to Massage School?

If you’re interested in online massage training, that’s fantastic. As you probably already know, massages offer a slew of benefits – whether it be from helping other people, or you self massaging yourself. However, going to a school might not always be the best option. Online massage training tends to beat school out in my ways, and for a few reasons.

Here are some: You might not like it! – How awful would it be to plunk down thousands of dollars on a massage training education, switch around your schedule to make it to school, tell everybody about your decision as you get more emotionally invested in it – and then decide you don’t like it? There’s nothing more disappointing than being super-energized about something and then having it fade out completely. An online training beats out going to school because the courses would be less expensive, and you would be able to do them at your convenience.

Because of the anonymous nature of them, you wouldn’t even have to tell anybody until your mind was made up that you loved massages. It costs a lot of money! As mentioned, massage schools can cost anywhere from $1k up to many thousands of dollars. If budget is an issue, or if you’re just not 100% that this is what you want to do, it can be a huge drawback to have to lay out that kind of money. Online training beats this because you can get year-long training very inexpensively, even though you get course-style lessons. It takes up a lot of time! Going to massage school takes a lot of time.

You have the commute to school, the time you spend at school, the time it takes for teachers to answer other people’s questions that you might already know the answer to, etc. With online massage training, you can learn at your own pace, and you can do it from the comfort of your own home, so you never have to worry about neglecting anything else to further your education.

Overall, online training tends to be a much better idea for many people. If they end up liking it, they can certainly go to a school and get their accreditations – but for a fraction of the price online, they can make sure it’s even worth it in the first place.

Make Massage a Part of Your Training Program

You’ve seen that guy. Heck, you might even have been him. That haggard-looking, sunken-eyed athlete lying on his back cringing in cramp, begging the kind volunteers in the massage tents to make his pain disappear – fast.

He looks as though the massage is the only thing that’s going to get him to the finish. And it might just be. At the very least it’ll go a long way to limiting stiffness the following day. It’s strange that there’s a misconception among recreational athletes that they need to be completely exhausted to deserve a massage. They can learn a lot from the pro racers who use massage as a training tool.

Sports massage was introduced to the world by the Soviet Union back in the Sixties when Communist Bloc teams had therapists travelling with them. The practice of providing ongoing and regular treatment for athletes (and the idea that this improves performance) spread to Europe and America only in the Seventies. By the late Nineties it had become commonplace for pro teams to have in-house therapists. Since then just about every big event (amateur or individual) offers it as a service.

It’s More than a Feeling

Massage is a great way to relax and de-stress – a great treat from your lady – but few guys know there’s a lot more to it than just making you feel good. Massage can speed up recovery. If done regularly, there’s faster elimination of toxic metabolic by-products. Recovering well means you can train better at your next session, which ultimately leads to better conditioning. Massage also speeds up healing in general and breaks down scar tissue, playing a major role in the rehab of injuries.

More Benefits

1. It loosens tight or damaged muscle tissue.

2. It stretches tissue that cannot be stretched by usual methods and also helps to improve tissue elasticity.

3. It releases endorphins, which leads to pain reduction.

4. It aids relaxation through heat generation, circulation and stretching.

5. It increases blood flow to the tissue, which lets nutrients pass through more easily.

Everything in Moderation

As with energy drinks and nutrition products, race day is no time to experiment with massage. Everyone responds to massage differently. Your masseuse needs to learn your body in order for you to get maximum benefits from massage. Going deep into the muscle to release muscle ‘thickness’ or knots may take one athlete far longer to recover from than another. You don’t want to arrive on the start line with ‘flat’ legs.

So that you can get used to the feeling and understand what works for your body and what doesn’t, even without the luxury of a private masseuse, here’s what you should do. Ideally, you’d start with a couple of sessions well in advance of your event. It’s pointless to go for some ’skin polishing’ sessions that provide no real stimulus if your masseuse or physio is too cautious to go in too deep.

Besides non-effective treatments, there are other things to be aware of. It’s best to avoid massage if you have any of the following: fever, any kind of inflammation, thrombosis, advanced heart disease, varicose veins, rashes, swelling, sprains, torn muscles and ligaments or broken bones and burns. There is a lot of technique involved and if done incorrectly, it can be painful and actually damage healthy soft tissue.

Arnica, Aloe or Almond?

Most guys associate aromatherapy with spas and girly-smelling baths, but the medium oil (or cream) used during massage plays a definite role in its effectiveness. This is particularly relevant with regard to an aromatherapy massage, where the essential oils are chosen and blended by the therapist, according to their therapeutic effects and the needs of the client.

The word ‘aroma’ refers to a fragrance or sweet smell, while ‘therapy’ means ‘treatment designed to cure’. So, aromatherapy massage brings together the therapeutic power of touch with the properties of the specific essential oils. Certain essential oils will aid relaxation and help to reduce muscle tension by aiding the reduction of lactic acid build up. Ginger, rosemary, marjoram and black pepper are all great essential oils to use for athletes, particularly during periods of intense training. The base oil, to which the essential oils are added for massage, also has a specific effect. Sweet almond oil, for example, is ideal for a dry skin or for eczema sufferers.

It’s important to remember strenuous activity should be avoided for about eight hours after an aromatherapy treatment. It’s also not a good idea to have a sauna, steam bath or shower, so that the oils can stay on the skin for as long as possible and be absorbed.

Punching Bag Training 101

Using the heavy bag can be a great way to improve your game. It is there to help better your endurance, strength, and to work on proper punching techniques and combinations. Despite the name, the punching bag shouldn’t just be a bag that you punch. It should be treated as a true opponent so that you can prepare as much as possible for the real thing. When fighting an opponent, important things to consider are blocking effectively and using many combos to keep your opponent on his toes.

The jab_____________________________

For a righty, the left jab is your lead punch. Although the jab isn’t as powerful as the cross (right/strong arm), it is there to setup scenarios where a cross can be landed- it is usually the start to every combination. The cross is meant to stun and trick your opponent so that a big punch can be landed.

With your right hand by your chin for protection against the punching bag (your opponent), a jab should be very quick. As a starting position both fists should be by your chin for protection. It is very important that after a jab is thrown, you return back to the starting position. The fist should be turned 90 degrees when throwing a jab, starting with your thumb faced up and making impact to the punching bag with your thumb to the side. Again, even though you may be training with a heavy bag that won’t necessarily attack you, it is important to always come back to your chin to protect yourself. Practice makes perfect.

Don’t let the punching bag win____________________

Whether it is the jab or any other punch, it is important to remember to make contact primarily with the pointer and middle finger knuckles. There are many injuries because punches are landed right between the middle two knuckles. These injuries can last months or years, so this is not something to scoff over. Injuries can occur with a bag or with an opponent.

Whenever you throw a punch, it is important to effectively transfer weight into your punches and to keep your opponent on his toes. I love this sport so I could chew your ear off forever giving you thousands of punching bag techniques- Instead of doing this, I just want to stress a few of my favorite shots and shifting your weight effectively.

Jab: Strive to punch straight forward and retreat straight back, using hips for power. To ensure a straight punch, line up your fist with a spot on the heavy bag and just focus on staying in line with that spot.

Left body shot: Lean in towards the heavy bag, use power from hips, pivoting off the ball of your left foot. Many times this shot is meant to contact the kidneys because it takes a lot out of your opponent. With proper pivoting and weight transfer, you should be able to move the punching bag a good amount.

Left hook: Ensure elbow is at the same elevation as your shoulder for a strong punch. With your arm bent at a right angle, pivot off your back foot. Again you should be able to move the punching bag a good amount.

Remember to have fun, stay focused and get the most out of training with your punching bag. Even though the heavy back won’t hit back, remember to keep the guard up. And even though it might be fun to just use your stronger arm and throw crosses constantly, the jab is really the shot that sets up the fight so that the stronger punches can have a place later.