How to Use a Massage Gun: The Muscle-by-Muscle Guide

A massage gun only works if you use it on the right muscle, at the right speed, for the right amount of time. Most people do the opposite: full speed, too long, straight onto a bone. This guide is how we use ours after training and on rest days, muscle by muscle.

The three rules before you start

• Short beats long. One to two minutes per muscle group after training, 30 to 60 seconds before. Longer does not help and can leave the area tender.
• Muscle, not bone. Keep the head on the thick part of the muscle. Stay off the spine, shins, kneecaps, elbows and the front and sides of the neck.
• Let the gun do the work. Float it over the muscle with light pressure. Pushing hard just stalls the motor and bruises you.

Which head for which job

The round ball is your default for big muscles: quads, hamstrings, glutes. The flat head spreads the force for the chest, upper back and anywhere that feels sensitive. The bullet is for a specific knot, used briefly. The fork straddles the Achilles or runs either side of the spine without touching it. If you are unsure, use the round head at a low speed.

Before training: wake it up (30–60 seconds a muscle)

Use a low speed and sweep along the muscles you are about to load. Before a run or a rugby session that is calves, quads, hamstrings and glutes. Before an upper-body gym session, pecs, lats and the back of the shoulders. Keep it brief; you are warming tissue, not trying to relax it.

After training: flush it (1–2 minutes a muscle)

Medium speed, slow strokes along the length of the muscle, towards the heart. Spend the most time where you worked hardest. After leg day or a match, a full lower-body routine takes about ten minutes:

1. Calves: sit, knee bent, work from ankle to below the knee. Fork head either side of the Achilles, never on it.
2. Quads: seated, long strokes from above the knee to the hip.
3. Hamstrings: lie on your front or prop your leg up; stay off the back of the knee.
4. Glutes: round head, circles over the thickest part. This is where most runners carry tension.
5. Hip flexors and ITB area: low speed only, lighter pressure; work the muscle beside the band, not the band itself.

Upper body

For the upper back and traps, flat head, low speed, and keep to the muscle between the shoulder blade and the spine. For the chest, flat head across the pec towards the armpit. For the forearms (climbers, golfers, anyone at a keyboard), low speed along the fleshy side from wrist to elbow. Never on the front of the neck.

Rest days and sore days

When you are sore two days after a session, drop to the lowest speed and do short sweeps; it will feel better than hammering one spot. On rest days a five-minute full-body pass in the evening pairs well with sleep. If an area is bruised, swollen or a recent injury, leave it alone.

When not to use it

Skip it over open wounds, bruises, varicose veins, recent fractures or sprains, and anywhere with numbness. If you are pregnant, on blood thinners, or have a circulatory or nerve condition, speak to a physio or doctor first. A massage gun supports recovery; it does not replace treatment for an injury.

Which gun for which person

Our Lite V1 is the everyday gun for most people. The Master V1 has the extra depth heavy lifters and rugby players want. The Pro Mini lives in a gym bag. If you are choosing, the massage gun guide compares amplitude, battery, noise and price side by side, and you can pay in three.