Massage Guns - Are They Worth it?

July 1, 2019

Massage Guns: Are They Worth it?

Some looks like a power tool, and can sound like one, too. But ours is quiet, and our innovative touch screen is world class.

The massage gun is a hot new trend that just may be landing in a gym near you. Over the last couple of years, more and more people have grown aware of the importance of active recovery. Various methods have grown popular to do that, with everything from compression pants to foam rollers to vibration therapies to massage therapists.

Several pro athletes have been seen using massage guns during games, and it is becoming more common for the average person to add these into their routine.

Also known as percussive therapy, physical therapists have been using these massage guns on clients for recent years and the results have been strong. Whether the client has muscle tightness or is recovering from an injury, these massage guns can help with muscle imbalances during the recovery phase.

If you train hard and are looking for an edge, a way to recover more quickly and get into your workouts more aggressively, a massage gun is a device you should consider.

What Exactly Is a Massage Gun?

The massage gun trend is a relatively recent one in the fitness industry. You’ve used foam rollers before, and vibrating foam rollers appeared on the market three or four years ago. The science behind these foam rollers is that the vibrations trigger a brain body connection, which helps to relax tight muscles.

Benefits to a Massage Therapist:

Save your hands the excess stress by using the Kingsfield ULTRA Massage Gun. Your clients will get targeted percussive therapy up to 3600 RPM. By using this massage gun, you will be able to provide better, more precise massage to your clients. You will also save your hands and knuckles from the traditional stress they currently undergo. Let the Kingsfield ULTRA Gun do the work, and adjust speed accordingly.

Benefits to an Athlete:

Don't have a trainer to give you a massage 24/7? By having this massage gun, you will have your own personal massage available before, during, or after games or competition. Get ahead of your competition by recovering more efficiently and more effectively.

How to Use the Kingsfield ULTRA Massage Gun:

Before Your Workout:

Massage guns are primarily thought of as “recovery” tools in today’s fitness culture, but you can use them for either situation. In fact, using them as a warmup tool helps get you off the hook of that dreaded foam rolling ordeal.

In theory, the percussive therapy is doing several things you want in a warmup. First off, it’s heightening blood-flow in your targeted muscles. Secondly, the pulsating is turning on your sympathetic nervous system, the fight-or-flight system that preps your body for activity and sport, thus activating targeted muscle groups.

To use the Ultra massage gun to prime for a workout, take aim at the muscle group you’re going to train. For example: if you’re going to bench press, you’ll want to hit your pecs, or if you’re going to do pulldowns and rows, you’ll want to hit your lats. Spend 30 seconds on working along the muscle; never venture toward bone or a joint. Stay on the thickest part of the muscle. Use the massage gun and move back and forth along the span of each muscle.

There’s never a need to press extra-hard with your massage gun; the pulses do their job. When you find a trigger point, a tight, knotty area of muscle that’s a little more painful and sensitive than the rest of the muscle, linger on that area, just as you would with a foam roller.

Move your massage gun slowly along the muscle. There’s no need to rush the process. Enjoy the massage.

During a Workout / Competition:

Between sets, you can also take advantage of a massage gun, loosening tense, tight areas so you can get more out of your next set. For example, you may feel your chest tighten slightly after a set of bench press reps and be tempted to stretch. But research tells us that statically stretching a muscle may decrease potential and force output. Instead, use your massage gun for 15 seconds on a muscle area that feels tense. This should increase blood flow and excite the muscle, loosening it again for the rest of your workout.

After a Workout:

When you’re done with your workout, your body’s in a heightened state, and your muscles are tightened up. But a massage gun can help you relax your nervous system, which in turn relaxes your muscular skeletal system. The quicker you fire up your parasympathetic nervous system, which helps govern rest and relaxation, the sooner your body shifts into recovery mode. The sooner you can recover, the sooner you can get back to training.

To use the massage gun, it is recommended to spend 1 to 2 minutes moving up and down each muscle group. If you find a tender spot, you can apply more pressure or increase the speed to dissipate the tightened fascia.

Massage Guns Summary:

Massage guns can be a great way to improve your recovery. Consider investing in one today to add to your fitness routine. The best investment you can make is in yourself! Get your Kingsfield ULTRA Gun on our website!