I received this foam roller from workoutforless.co.uk, and have used it extensively for two weeks. I’ve used it to foam roll my calves, hamstrings, quadriceps, ITB/VL, glutes, lats/upper back, and pecs. I wanted to use the roller extensively before reviewing it so I could test its durability, so I did some long duration rolling sessions with it and have found it to be very robust.
So what are the benefits of the Fitness Mad EPP roller, and who would benefit from it?
EPP Rollers are very dense, which makes them firmer than other foam rollers. If someone is experienced at foam rolling they may find that their softer roller no longer penetrates deep enough into their muscles to relieve the deeper knots, so a firmer roller such as this one would be a good step up for them. Firmer rollers put more pressure on the muscles when rolling, which allows them to penetrate deeper into the muscles. It’s important that rollers aren’t too hard however, there needs to be a certain amount of “give” to protect the muscles and nerves, and while this roller is very firm, there is just the right amount of give in it, making it perfect for the job.
One of the things I wanted to find out about this roller was if it would be big enough to target larger areas such as the upper back, while also being space efficient enough for people to keep in their homes and gym bags. Well, I’m pleased to report that indeed I was able to effectively roll all areas of my body effectively, and the roller’s compact size made sure that it was easy to store away at home and would easily fit in someone’s gym bag if they wanted to travel with it. Additionally, despite its firmness and durability, this roller is very light, you’d barely notice the weight of it if you were carrying it in your bag.
I performed two types of rolling with this roller-using pressure from the roller to break down adhesions in my muscles, enhancing my freedom of movement, and more traditional sweeping rolling which enhances blood flow to the muscles and recovery from strenuous exercise. I found this roller to be really good for both methods.
Different rollers have different pros and cons and in reality, it’s good to have a variety of tools to suit your needs on any given day, but if you wanted a good all-round roller that will meet the majority of your rolling needs, the majority of the time, then I’d highly recommend this one. The only person I think would not benefit from this roller was someone who was very new to foam rolling as the high density would make it a painful experience for them. Someone who is new to rolling would be better off starting with a softer, lower density roller, and then graduating to a firmer roller like this when they are no-longer feeling the benefits. If you’re someone who is experienced at rolling and does a lot of training though, I recommend this roller highly.
If you’re interested in picking up this roller for yourself, you can find it here: Fitness Mad Studio Pro EPP 45cm Foam Roller - Workout For Less
You can check out another of my product reviews here: Resistance Bands Product Review — Shreeve Health and Fitness (shreevehandf.com)