My response to the Australian Massage Q&A Facebook group, "Anyone work on body fitness competitors? How would you treat them?"
 

Apart from working on many athletes in the fields of cycling, running, swimming, triathlon, golf, football, martial arts, yoga and dance, I have been massaging a six time Mr Australia IFBB title holder for some years...90min weekly. They don't teach you in massage school how to massage arms that are stronger than most legs. I've developed the "Mr Australia" rubdown to keep his body competitive, highlight muscle striation and enable muscle growth.

After warming up with static pressure, rocking and then longitudinal strokes (progressing to full body weight through the palm), lots of forearm work through back glutes hami's calves quads rotator cuff & lats (side lying & arm overhead) & TFL/ITB (side lying). Usually working through major areas three times finishing with focused work through towel.

 

Arm overhead (prone w/practitioner sitting at head of table) interlock fingers, pull & stretch, then hand & finger work followed by working forearm extensors, delts & everything in between, abduct arm & rot fwd (practitioner sitting by side facing head table arm across lap palm up) to hit triceps, adduct by side (practitioner still sitting by side) to get forearm flexors.

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Arm by side (prone w/practitioner standing by side of table) work through forearm flexors applying compression and Effleurage strokes. Similarly work palm of hand and fingers. Abducting arm slightly, drop forearm of side of table and work through triceps.

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When later in supine, arm by side w/practitioner standing by side of table, work through forearm extensors and biceps using compression and effleurage using palm of hand.

 

Note: Basic rectangular table with facehole preferred for this procedure...big arm, big muscles, treat it like a leg. Lean in with forearm working in either circular or longitudinal pulsing movements, as you feel necessary, along each muscle from all aspects.

 

Pump shoulders (see shoulder treatment protocol), open chest, rake pectorals, release/stretch pec minor in supine.

 

Lots neck scalenes, upper traps, occipitals & head both prone & supine.

 

The life of these guys/girls is one of constant pain...there is always one part of the body or another affected by DOMS. While this particular specimen is a genius with supplementation/recovery and rarely exhibits muscle tone that says don't touch me today, it is not uncommen to be able to do much for a recently trained chest, for instance.

 

Also notable about this guy is he needs little or no stretching on the table. When I have tried, cannot get him on stretch. He takes care of that himself...can do the splits. With others it is a different story.