You're trying to stay active, but the harder you push yourself, the more it hurts. Sure, they say "no pain, no gain." But when you can't walk down the stairs or sit on the toilet the next day, it's time to do something about it.
Everyone who's ever chased progress knows muscle soreness. The problem is, most people just wait it out. Which is a shame, because it doesn't have to last that long.
A massage gun isn't a miracle. But if you know how to use it, it's one of the most practical tools for post-workout recovery out there. Here's exactly what to use it on.
So what actually is muscle soreness?
Muscle soreness has a proper name: DOMS, or Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness. As the name suggests, it doesn't hit right away. It shows up 12 to 24 hours after your workout, peaks the next day and then slowly fades.
The cause? Tiny micro-tears in your muscle fibres. Nothing dramatic. Your body repairs them and your muscles come back stronger. But the process itself just hurts.
It most commonly hits after coming back from a training break, trying a new movement, or simply overdoing it. Beginners can expect it after almost every session, but it usually clears up within five days. If it lasts longer or gets worse, it's not DOMS anymore and you should see a doctor.
Why a massage gun?
A massage gun works on the principle of percussive therapy, rapid pulses that penetrate deep into muscle tissue. It boosts blood flow, releases tension and helps break up those tight, tender spots in the muscle that hurt even to touch. And it shortens the time your muscles keep giving you grief.
It's not a replacement for stretching, but as part of your recovery routine, it works. And the best part, a good massage gun does pretty much the same job as a decent sports massage. Except you can use it at ten o'clock at night without booking an appointment. :)
5 muscle groups that know soreness best
1. Quads (front of the thighs)
Four heads, one massive muscle group, and after a serious leg session, your biggest source of suffering. Squats, lunges, cycling, skiing... If you gave it everything, you'll know about it in the morning.
How to use it: Lie down or sit on the edge of a bench. The Ball Head (round attachment) is perfect here. Start on a low setting and work slowly from the knee up towards the hip. About 90 to 120 seconds per leg. Skip the knee joint. The gun is for muscle tissue, not bones and joints.
2. Hamstrings (back of the thighs)
Hamstrings are the muscle group most people ignore, until they can't. Almost everyone who sits at a desk or in a car all day has tight hamstrings. And a tight muscle that gets a heavy dose of deadlifts or sprints will let you know.
Hamstrings pull on the pelvis, and when they're tight or overworked, your back feels it too. Connected system, basically.
How to use it: Lie face down, leg relaxed. Work from the middle of the thigh upwards towards the glute. Ball Head or Fork Head. Medium intensity is plenty. Avoid the back of the knee, nerves and blood vessels run through there.
3. Lower back
The back is a quiet worker. It's never the main muscle in any exercise, but it kicks in as a stabiliser for pretty much everything. Deadlifts, squats, rowing... Your back is working the whole time, even when you're not thinking about it. Then morning comes and you realise bending forward or twisting isn't quite as easy as it used to be.
How to use it: The Fork Head works best here. The prongs run alongside the spine without actually touching it. Work from the lower back up to the shoulder blades, low to medium intensity.
Important: never press the gun directly onto your spine or vertebrae. Muscle tissue only, on either side.
4. Glutes
The biggest muscle in the body. And when you properly work it for the first time after a break, we guarantee you'll still be feeling it three days later.
A lot of people have glutes that are basically switched off. The brain just doesn't fully engage them. Hip thrusts, squats, lunges, hills... Those are the things that wake them up. And then comes the soreness, the kind you feel every time you sit down on a hard surface or climb a flight of stairs. Classic.
How to use it: Ball Head, feel free to go up a level on the intensity. These are strong muscles, they can take it. Work slowly across the whole area, two minutes per side. Avoid the tailbone (the hard bit right in the middle at the bottom).
5. Calves
Your calves take the impact of every single step you take, and yet most people never really look after them.
After your first spring run, a full day of hiking or a skipping session, the soreness can make normal walking genuinely difficult. Every step hurts. Literally every one.
How to use it: Sit down, leg relaxed, and work from the ankle upwards. Use the Fork Head or a smaller Ball Head. Keep the intensity low, calves are more sensitive than bigger muscle groups. 60 to 90 seconds per calf. Avoid the Achilles tendon and the back of the knee.
When to use your massage gun
Don't wait. Use it before the soreness sets in.
Right after training: 5 to 10 minutes, low intensity. Helps flush out what's left in the muscles after your session.
The next morning: This is where it's most useful. 20 to 30 minutes on the areas that feel tightest. Medium intensity.
Before training: 30 to 60 seconds on the muscle groups you're about to work. Warm-up and activation. Not a replacement for a proper warm-up, but a solid addition.
What can the RelaxGun G6 Metal do?
The TrueLife RelaxGun G6 Metal handles all of the above.
Inside the box you'll find four silicone attachments. Ball Head for large muscle groups, Fork Head for the spine area, Flat Head near bones and Bullet Head for trigger points. There's always the right one for the job. Plus five intensity levels and up to 10 kg of stall force. And trust us, you'll feel those 10 kg on your wrecked quads the day after leg day.
Then there are two things you'll appreciate more than you'd expect. The Automatic Pressure function adjusts intensity based on how hard you're pressing, so you don't have to keep fiddling with the settings. And Safety Stop slows the motor down if you press too hard. Simply put, the gun keeps an eye on you.
Battery lasts 5 hours, the body is aluminium and it runs quietly. So you can massage away in peace without bothering anyone.
