Sports and deep tissue massage

Who it's for

Jiu-jitsu and grappling, running, swimming, CrossFit and lifting, cycling, golf, tennis, horse riding, motorsport and car racing, rugby and other team sports. Rafael trains himself, with a purple belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu and a brown belt in karate. His studio is inside a jiu-jitsu academy, so he sees a lot of necks, shoulders, hips and lower backs that take a beating.

What the session focuses on

• Deep tissue work on the muscle groups your sport overloads
• Trigger points and tight spots that limit range of motion
• Stretching to restore movement after hard training
• Optional cupping, massage gun or kinesiology taping as add-ons

Timing around training and events

Deep work is best a few days before a competition or race, not the day before. After an event, wait until the initial soreness settles. During a training block, a regular session every two to four weeks helps keep small problems from becoming injuries.

Bundles for regular treatment

If you train hard and come in regularly, the 5, 10 and 15-session bundles bring the cost of a 60-minute session down.