Your Massage Gun Probably has a Feature You Forgot About

What You Need To Know

RYAN: Well, it’s happening. I’m finally embracing my need to recover after runs. Maybe it was my brush with a stress reaction earlier in the year that clicked me into gear, or maybe it’s just my rapidly approaching 27th birthday. Either way, I’m feelin’ the impact of hard miles more than I used to. Listen, some of us just age like avocadoes, alright?

As such, I decided it was time to finally upgrade my recovery equipment. It was high time to put my flexible, plastic Stick away and pick up a heavy-duty option. I did a little research, opted for Hyperice over Theragun, and haven’t looked back. I use my Hypervolt 2 multiple times a week to cover several different muscle groups, but there’s one feature I hadn’t known about for months after getting my massage gun.

Hyperice has a freakin’ app, and it’s taken my massaging to another level. Before we get to that, let’s praise the Hypervolt 2 for what it is first.

Why I bought the Hyperice Hypervolt 2

RYAN: I won’t claim to be a hipster for choosing Hyperice over Theragun — it’s not that deep. I was looking to upgrade my massage gun around Black Friday, and Hyperice just had the better savings to choose from. When I grabbed my Hypervolt 2, it was already discounted for the holidays, and now it’s even more affordable. The everyday massage gun recently got a price cut down to $199 (in the few remaining colors), which puts it on equal footing with the Theragun Mini despite coming with twice as many attachment heads.

Also, I find that the Hypervolt 2 is, well, simpler to use than most Theragun models. It’s either right side up or upside down; there’s no holding three different parts of the triangular frame to reach your shoulder just right. Hyperice’s rubberized grip is sized perfectly for my hand, and the soft texture helps to dampen the good vibrations while I hold on for the ride.

I mentioned that the Hypervolt 2 has more charging heads than the Theragun Mini, and I wasn’t lying. It comes with five easily interchangeable heads — but don’t worry if they’re a little intimidating at first. I didn’t swap away from the default flat attachment for the first few months I had my massage gun. However, the setup also comes with fork, ball, cushion, and bullet attachments, each with its own specific set of muscles to pound away at. I’ll come back to them later — they’re important parts of the Hypervolt 2’s secret weapon.

The Hypervolt 2 percusses at three speeds, which you can toggle with a press of the rear button. I usually keep things pretty light on the lowest setting, but I’ve used the bullet attachment on one of the higher settings a few times in order to really dig into a knot or two. It’s… intense. I mean that in a good way, but the higher speeds definitely aren’t for the faint of heart. The Hypervolt 2 can pound away at your muscles for up to three hours, too, which is more than enough time for me to recover throughout the week.

If there’s one drawback to the magic (again, my personal opinion) of the Hypervolt 2, it’s the charging setup. My pet peeve is a proprietary charging cable, and Hyperice’s is one of the least convenient. It pairs a big ol’ block with a long, skinny connector that slots into the bottom of the Hypervolt 2. Maybe this just bothers me so much because my first Hypervolt 2 came with a defective charger that immediately smelled like burning plastic once plugged in, but it’s still worth a note. Hyperice immediately replaced my defective charger though, so props to the service team. The Theragun Mini, on the other hand, charges with a basic USB cable, making it a much easier accessory to tote around.

Don’t forget about the Hyperice App

RYAN: Alright, so honestly, this whole article has been a ploy to get you to download the Hyperice app — or the Theragun app, if you swing that way. Either way, just download your massage gun’s respective app (if it has one) because it completely changes the game when it comes to recovery. I can only really speak to the features of the Hyperice app, but I’d guess the two are probably pretty similar.

Anyway, the Hyperice app allows you to register your massage gun (which can help with customer service should you need it), and it’s also jam-packed with massage routines to help you get a little more out of your setup. Most Hyperice guns come with Bluetooth, meaning that you can pair them to your phone when you’re ready to start. From there, the massage gun will take care of starting and stopping percussion in time with the routine, and it will also tell you when it’s time to swap attachments.

I’ve become particularly attached to a routine called Run Recovery, which is apparently steeplechase queen Colleen Quigley’s personal favorite routine. It covers the hamstrings, quads, and calves and uses a combination of flat and fork attachments. Unfortunately, Colleen herself isn’t coaching you through it, but it’s still a pretty solid 13-minute flush. There are other routines, too, if you’d rather get some recovery advice from Fernando Tatis Jr. or Ja Morant — just maybe don’t listen to Ja when it comes to social media usage.

Hyperice also has a Discover tab, which is jam-packed with educational videos from medical professionals explaining common injuries and how best to manage them (with help from Hypervolt massage tools, of course).

By the way, we all recover differently

RYAN: Of course, massage guns aren’t for everyone. I keep mine on the lowest setting 90% of the time, and even then, it can be a bit harsh. Thankfully, there are about a million and one other ways to recover after a run, whether you want to roll your muscles or hop into an ice bath.

My personal favorite non-percussive recovery device is the incredibly simple (and simply incredible) Roll Recovery R3. It’s basically the best version of a lacrosse ball you could ask for, with three different ways to roll out your foot on the hourglass-shaped TPU body. Roll Recovery has several other options, too, like the R4, which is basically the biggest, baddest foam roller you’ve ever seen. In that case, the name indicates that there are four different ways to throw yourself over the tube shape to hit different muscles.

Honestly, what I’m saying is don’t be afraid to try different recovery tools before you settle on one. Give a roller a go, give a massage gun a shot, and figure out what works for you.

In the meantime, you can pick up the Hyperice Hypervolt 2 using the widget below.