* '''Calves'''. [[The Stick]] works well on the calves, but requires a lot of force to get deep enough. (I have disproportionately larger claves than arms.) Using your knee to massage your other leg's calf works surprisingly well. Cross your legs so you calf rests on your knee and then rub the calf up and down the knee. The [[Thumper]] also works well on the calves.
* '''Hamstrings and hip adductors'''. [[The Stick]] works best here, but make sure the knee is bent and the foot supported so that the hamstring is relaxed.
* '''The quads'''. Use the [[Foam Roller]], but take time to go deep enough to work the full muscle. [[The Stick]] can help, but it's hard to go deep enough. The elbow is great for going deep with lots of control. Be careful using only the Foam Roller, as this tends not to get to the VMO (see below for details).
* '''The Glutes'''. A softball is the best approach I've found for the glutes. I use a [http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001UIA128 16 inch circumference softball]. (Thanks to Charles W for this tip!).
** Be careful near the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piriformis_muscle Piriformis]. The Piriformis lies over the sciatic nerve, so massage in this area can be quite painful. Problems in the Piriformis muscle can cause [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piriformis_syndrome Piriformis Syndrome].
* '''Back'''. I have a Panasonic massage chair that does a good job on my back. Far from cheap, but it's proved its worth over the years I've had it. If I need more than the chair, I get my wife to use the [[Thumper]] or I use my [[Teeter Inversion Table]]. (I had [[Back Surgery]] so looking after my back is critical to me.)
=Calf Massage=
{| class<gallery widths=300px heights="wikitable" |- valign200px caption="topCalf Massage">|[[File:CalfRelax.JPG|none|thumb|300px|As with all muscles, they should be as relaxed as possible when being massaged. For the calf muscle, the heel should be supported and the foot relaxed so that the muscle itself is floppy.]]|[[File:CalfStick.JPG|none|thumb|300px|The Stick works remarkably well on the calves, and can detect muscular problems early. Roll the stick over the full length of the calf muscle, moving over the full width with successive strokes. Don’t use the stick on the front of the lower leg with the foot in this position as the muscle (Tibialis Anterior) will be under tension.]]|[[File:CalfKnee.JPG|none|thumb|300px|The calf can be massaged by the opposite knee. This approach can apply quite a lot of pressure for helping with specific problems, but it is tough to cover the sides of the calf muscle.]]|- valign="top"|[[File:CalfElbow.JPG|none|thumb|300px|This technique only works on the medial side of the calf, but can apply a great deal of pressure with a lot of control.]]|[[File:CalfThumperSide.JPG|none|thumb|300px|The Thumper can be quite effective, though a little cumbersome. I apply extra pressure with my hand, which is against the manufacturer’s recommendation. Here you can see me use the Thumper on the side of the calf.]]|[[File:CalfThumperBelow.JPG|none|thumb|300px|Getting to other parts of the calf can be rather awkward.]]|- valign="top"|[[File:TibialisAnteriorStick.JPG|none|thumb|300px|To massage the front of the lower leg (Tibialis Anterior) support your foot at the front so that the calf is under tension and the front is relaxed. Use the Stick but be careful to avoid the bone.]]|[[File:Image To Follow.JPG|none|thumb|300px|The Thumper can be effective at massaging the front of the lower leg though I only use the Thumper here if I have a specific problem that the Stick is not fixing.</gallery>=Quad Massage=<gallery widths=300px heights=200px caption="Quad Massage">File:QuadRollerFront.JPG|My primary quad massage is the foam roller. Here you can see me massage the front of the quads, with both feet off the ground to put extra pressure on the muscle. If this is too deep, put the other foot on the ground (see notes and picture on the softball further down). This massages the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rectus_femoris Rectus femoris], which occupies the middle of the quad group close to the surface.File:QuadRollerSide.JPG|The foam roller also works well on the side of the quads, working the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vastus_lateralis Vastus lateralis]and the ITB. File:QuadElbowMain.JPG|}While the foam roller is great, I find that the elbow can get deeper and with more control than any other option. Flexibility limits how much of the quad you can reach, but within that range, this is remarkably effective. File:QuadElbowVMO.JPG|One flaw with the foam roller is that it does not reach the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vastus_medialis Vastus Medialis Obliquus] or VMO. This muscle may help keep the kneecap aligned, which in turn may be useful in treating knee pain. The elbow can reach this area quite well.File:QuadStickTop.JPG|I use the stick on my quad every day, but generally it does not go deep enough to provide a good massage. However, it does give a good sense of how the muscle is feeling, which is a useful diagnostic.File:QuadStickVMO.JPG|The stick is rather more effective when it comes to the VMO. Make sure you massage from near the knee down to close to the groin to get the full length of the VMO. File:QuadThumperSide.JPG|I occasionally use the Thumper on my quads, but I don’t find it as effective as other techniques. File:QuadThumperVMO.JPG|The thumper works a little better on the VMO, where you can apply more pressure.File:QuadSoftball.JPG|I find the softball rather awkward to use, but it can go deep. You’ll notice I’m using my other leg to control the pressure, which you can also do with the foam roller. Using sandpaper to roughen up the surface of the softball helps in controlling it. </gallery>
