Guide · Percussion

How to use a massage gun

Short passes on muscle, never on bone or joints, and stop well before it hurts. The trial evidence supports acute gains in flexibility and reduced soreness; it does not support grinding on one spot until it goes numb.

Per muscle

1–2 MIN

Studies

On bone

Amplitude

— UNPUBLISHED

THE BASIC PATTERN

Move the head slowly across the muscle belly rather than holding it in one place. A minute or two per muscle group is consistent with the session lengths used across the trials. Let the device's weight do the work — pressing hard is not what makes it effective, and on most units it simply stalls the motor.

WHERE NOT TO USE IT

Directly on bone — shins, kneecaps, elbows, spine, collarbone.
On joints rather than the muscle around them.
On a fresh injury, a bruise, or anything swollen.
On the neck and throat, where every manufacturer warns against it.
Anywhere that hurts sharply rather than feeling like pressure.

WHAT THE TRIALS ACTUALLY FOUND

The percussion evidence is real but narrow. Pooled trials show acute improvements in range of motion and reductions in perceived soreness. What they do not show is a lasting change in strength, or a benefit that persists days later independent of how you feel. That is a useful tool, described accurately.

THE SPEC YOU CANNOT USE

Depth of treatment is governed by amplitude and stall force, and neither Therabody nor Hyperice publishes either figure on any model. So the practical guidance has to be about technique rather than settings: move continuously, stay on muscle, and stop when it stops feeling useful.

Worth knowing

If you have seen an amplitude figure quoted for a Theragun or Hypervolt anywhere, it was an estimate. Not one of the twelve current models from either brand publishes it.