The Best Muscle Massage Gun

You’ve probably heard the cliche a thousand times at the gym: “No pain, no gain.” And while that might be true when you’re in the actual workout, it can be cold comfort when you’re still sore and achy hours later. That soreness is a byproduct of the tissue breakdown that comes from exercise, but there’s nothing to be gained from suffering any longer than you have to — especially when you’ve got a muscle massage gun to help you.

It’s long been a known fact that deep tissue massage can help relieve sore muscles, and not just after a workout. Muscles can get just as achy from old injuries, stress or even poor posture. Kneading them deeply breaks down the lactic acid that builds up when muscles get stressed and promotes blood flow for rapid healing. Once upon a time, you had to rely on a masseuse for this kind of relief, but massage guns are portable devices that can be the next best thing. They’re typically shaped like a bulky pistol, with a padded “barrel” that oscillates or thumps rapidly as you hold it against problem spots on your own body.

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Before you buy one, you should think about what kind of help those sore spots need. Are you looking for some gentle pressure or “tough love” that hits your muscles hard? If it’s the latter, power is key. You want a percussive massager, which means one that drives the head repeatedly down like a piston. You’ll need to look two factors: amplitude (which is how far that massage head travels) and stall force (which determines how much force the head can deliver). Deep tissue massagers will need an amplitude of at least 13 millimeters and stall force of at least 30 pounds.

If you just need some light loosening, you can probably get away with an oscillating massage gun. The head on these guns will vibrate rather than go back and forth, and they’re generally a little less expensive.

Of course, not all muscle groups need the same kind of pressure, and that’s where attachments come in. The default head for a massage gun is usually some type of padded ball, but better models come with at least a couple of interchangeable heads. These might be as simple as smaller prods that allow you to dig deep between muscles, or you might be able to get wider vibrating heads for overall relief. “Forked” heads are especially good for massage around the spine, if you can get someone else to reach that area for you. Look for attachments that attack the muscle groups where you feel the most sore.

Mind you, that huge arsenal of attachments won’t do much good if you can’t conveniently take it to the gym when you need it most. If you’re using your massage gun for post-workout relief, portability is a definite factor. Shop for guns that have a carrying case or at least ones that can fit easily into your gym bag.

When it comes time to use your massage gun for the first time, start slow. Even if you feel like your muscles need a lot of percussion, start on the lower settings and work your way up. You should quickly find your comfort zone. There’s no hard and fast rule when it comes to how long you should use the gun on sore muscles, but pay attention to your body and definitely don’t do it to the point of bruising. You shouldn’t need to massage any one area more than a couple of minutes, and you can go longest on the largest muscle groups. Use particular caution around bony areas like the hips, collarbones or ankles.