Jonathan Siegrist is an extremely strong climber. He has sent 140+ routes 5.14a, up to 5.15a, so clearly he knows how to train hard and understands the importance of recovering to feel his best.
Here, he gives a review of the ArmAid, one of the tools he uses to help work out fatigue from his hands and forearms, and also to help recover from wrist injuries. Thanks, J-Star!
J-Star (Bear Cam Media photo)
Enter J-Star:
Every athlete knows the immense benefits of massage. Ideally, as climbers, we would all have a personal massage therapist follow us to the crag and join us at home to press and work the fatigue out of our weary, flaming hands and forearms. However, unless your significant other is a massage therapist and extremely patient to boot, this is not much of an option.
Thankfully Terry Cross has created the ArmAid. You may have seen this somewhat medieval looking device at a buddy’s house or even strewn about someone’s crag pack.
In short, it is a self massage tool made for anyone that relies on hand and grasping performance, but it’s especially effective for climbers.
Really the device is very simple. You strap the ArmAid to your thigh while seated, and then you clamp it down over one arm while you squeeze and move the top of the device with the other arm.
It’s built with a ball joint in such a way that it can be rotated and moved easily. One side of the ArmAid is a padded roller, and the other side is an interchangeable massage tool. The width of the device (depending on forearm size) can be easily changed, and the device can also break down for shoving it in a travel bag.
The four interchangeable massage tools all serve a different purpose:
1. The White Roller is the standard attachment, and the one I personally use the most. It’s dense, and good for deep treatment on most zones of the arm.
White Roller (photo courtesy of armaid.com)
2. The Grey Roller is the same idea, but softer and somewhat rubbery (best to use over a shirt or with massage oil for this one).
Grey Roller (photo courtesy of armaid.com)
3. The Orange Roller is the hardest, and delivers the most intense and precise massage, making it great for trigger point type work.
Orange Roller (photo courtesy of armaid.com)
4. Lastly the Black Roller is the softest, and generally pretty mellow for the arm and hands.
Black Roller (photo courtesy of armaid.com)
Okay so now that you know the tool, here are my personal thoughts on it:
For starters, it feels good.
If nothing else, it is a great sensation and good feeling massage after a long ass day of climbing.
A little like an open bag of cookies, if the ArmAid is within reach I will always grab it and indulge.
After over a year of use, it has become clear to me that not only does it feel nice, but it produces results. I used and loved the ArmAid when I was recovering from a wrist related injury this past summer. I swear the ArmAid and a rice bucket are what got me healthy and climbing again quickly.
The interchangeable rollers are really nice.
The Orange Roller produces very different results than the Black Roller for instance. I use the Orange Roller to find trigger points (this, and other massage techniques are explained in detail on the ArmAid website) and I also use it to massage my palms and hands very carefully.
I use the White Roller for general use, and deep overall forearm massage, while I switch out for the Black Roller when I’m really sore or nursing an injury (I used this one a lot on my wrist).
I’ve not personally suffered from tendonitis, but I’ve heard that this tool can be a complete game changer from several friends.
The device itself is very well built. It’s so simple that I really don’t feel like there’s any way for it to break, and I have really rallied hard on this thing for well over a year now. The padded side of mine has started to break in a little, but otherwise it shows essentially no signs of wear. I’ve yet to actually carry mine to the cliff, although it’s light enough and relatively compact enough to do so.
But it is worth mentioning that, especially when you are new to the product, it is very possible to go too hard.
Start off easy and definitely watch the instruction DVD or go online for info on how to properly use this tool.
Bottom line, this self massage tool is sturdy and effective to help you recover from a long day of climbing or assist you in a more serious recovery from injury. Considering that it’s about the cost of one hour of massage, I would recommend the ArmAid to anyone that can afford it.
Not to mention that it’s made in the US. Bonus points.
DISCOUNT! *TrainingBeta readers can purchase an ArmAid for 10% off at Armaid.com, using the code “climb” at checkout.*
About Jonathan Siegrist/J-Star:
J-Star always tries hard, and ranks his climbing stoke level at extreme. He’s truly grateful for every opportunity he gets to be on rock outside. Plus he’s really into training indoors, which obviously works. He calls his current residence “on the move” and if you know Jonathan, you know his awesome dog, Zeke.
He’s done over 140 routes rated 5.14a and above, including at least 20 5.14c’s, 7 5.14d’s and with his recent send of Biographie, 1 5.15a. He won a Golden Piton Award for Breakaway Success in 2009 and in 2012 for Most Productive.
To learn more about J-Star, check out his website: www.jstarinorbit.com
I can confirm the tendonitis relief. After about 2 months of use, I no longer feel any pain behind my elbows at all. It’s like a distant memory, and it makes me very VERY happy to know I have no remnants of the pain. It also seems to help me recover quicker when I do a couple of 3 minute massage sessions the evening after hard climbing. I swear by this thing and use it regularly. J-Star is right.. it just feels good. The orange attachment is my favorite. I do bring it out to the crag and helps me have shorter times between goes and loosen up before and after projects. Fits neatly on the side of my pack when I cinch it down with the compression straps 😉