So, I took the plunge and gifted myself a percussion massager. I have seen them come up a lot in discussions about recovery. I have heard from athletic trainers and others who have sworn by them in use for athletes. I have had more muscle soreness with training lately and more frequent muscle spasms, so I was intrigued.
I am cheap, and, honestly, feel guilty buying nonessentials for myself. So, I shopped for the best deal. There are numerous established brands, e.g., Theragun, Hypervolt, and TimTam tend to lead the reviews. One less expensive brand that gets good reviews is the Exerscribe VYBE (~$150). The biggest complaint with it I saw was noise. Apparently, it can be quite loud. I read nothing but good comments about the Theragun models, Hyperice’s Hypervolts, and the TimTam percussion massagers, but these were $250 or (much) more. On Amazon, I found a plethora of models that were $150 or less that looked remarkably similar to the Hypervolt. (I later learned that the patent on the Hypervolt expired, and, thus, a lot of knock-off brands were appearing—which complicated the search.) I came across an advertisement for Booster brand. It all looked good, and they had an offer that I couldn’t refuse. They were offering their Base with four attachments and carrying case for $99 (regularly $349; https://boosterguns.com/). So, I bought.
It shipped from China and took a long time to arrive (16 days), but it arrived intact. The directions are a bit sparse. It took me a while to figure out how to remove the battery and start the device, but I was able to reason it out. Once I found the ‘start’ button it was easy to operate. It has 3 speeds and delivers up to 4000 strokes per minute and 60 lbs of force. The battery is supposed to last up to 4 hours. I have not tested these claims, but it seems plenty powerful and does the job. Hopefully, it lasts. (It is backed with a “30-Day Complete Money-Back Guarantee” and an 18-month replacement warranty, which gives me some comfort.)
I used it pre-workout and felt it quite helpful. It quickly relieved my sore back and relaxed several tight spots in the muscles. I felt it benefited by exercise (squats, bench, and rows in this workout). I hammered a few trigger spots in the quads and easily hit my sets.
Using the percussion massager reminded me of the whole-body vibration (technically shoulder vibration) I used in my rehabilitation from rotator cuff surgery. This seemed to relax the pain receptors in the shoulder and allowed me to lift weights without much inhibition. Similarly, the percussion massager left me with a persistent relaxed sensation (for lack of better description) in the treated muscle.
Like anything related to exercise, I would suggest that “opportunity costs”. The percussion massagers can have some benefit, but they are not a fix-all and should not dominate the exercise time. A quick run through the tender spots per-workout seemed to help. I also used it between some sets and post-workout. Just because it has a 4-hour battery doesn’t mean it has to be used as long. Use as needed, but don’t go overboard. I plan to use is as needed during the day too. I suspect it will be useful for relaxing my neck muscles after a period of typing and working at the computer.
Time will tell how good this model is, but, so far, I am pleased. It does what I expected. It will certainly be a part of my recovery routine. Perhaps, it will demonstrate a positive effect on my progression.
Be your best today; be better tomorrow!
Carpe momento!