One of my favorite massaging tools I use to improve my posture is the Hypervolt massage gun. It is made by a company called Hyperice. I’m not compensated by Hyperice in any way. I’m simply a customer who loves their products, which I paid for with my own money. All the info in this article comes from my personal experience of using the product.
There are three different versions of the Hypervolt massage gun. They all provide rapid bursts of pressure by giving a percussion massage, also known as a vibration massage. The version with the lowest intensity of pressure is the Hypervolt GO. The version with the highest intensity is the Hypervolt Plus. I own the version that has the output intensity in the middle of these two models. My version is simply called the Hypervolt. The Hypervolt is the model I will talk about here in this article, not the Hypervolt GO or the Hypervolt Plus.
Hypervolt users are typically athletes who exercise regularly.
It’s usually someone with a very high body awareness who is always looking for ways to improve their performance. I also think it’s a super effective tool for computer users who experience repetitive strain injuries. I use the Hypervolt to increase blood flow in my tight, overused muscles. Anytime my posture is struggling, or if I’m feeling sore and stiff, the Hypervolt is super convenient. It’s ideal to use when a foam roller isn’t an option, like when I’m at work or in a vehicle for a long period of time. It easily fits into my backpack and it only weighs 2.5 pounds.
The massage gun has a rechargeable battery and it plugs into the wall. It only has to be plugged in while charging. It doesn’t have to be plugged in while it’s in use. And it has 3 speeds that are low, medium, and high. It has a powerful 60 watt motor that puts out up to 3200 percussions per minute. That sounds insane, so I usually keep it on low when I’m using it. Occasionally, I’ll turn it up to medium if I’m working on a large, thick muscle. I’ve experimented with it briefly on high before. Personally, I’ve never left it on high for more than a few seconds.
As powerful as the Hypervolt is, it’s not very loud at all.
It has a patented QuietGlide™️ technology that makes the experience even more enjoyable. I often use it right before bedtime, while I’m already trying to keep the light and sounds in my home to a minimum.
The Hypervolt comes with 5 head attachments. I use each of them at different times, depending on a few different variables. It depends on what my goal for that session is, how deep into the muscles I’m trying to go, and whether I’m working on muscle groups or a specific muscle. We’ll talk more about how I use each massage head later in the article.
Hypervolt Massage Gun Benefits
The Hypervolt Massage Gun is especially beneficial for athletes for multiple reasons. I use the gun to reduce muscle soreness, improve range of motion, increase blood flow, and speed up muscle recovery. I usually keep it on the lowest intensity, which isn’t painful. It’s an enjoyable experience. It’s like being able to have a massage anytime and anywhere I want.
I’m a big fan of percussion therapy. I’ve been practicing it for 10 years with various devices. I also go to various hands-on healers. But I practice percussive therapy as a self-massage technique that treats the soft tissue, while still having healing benefits in the deeper muscle layers. Percussion therapy is my favorite way to increase blood flow and speed up recovery.
Increase Blood Flow
As I’ve gotten into my mid 40’s, blood doesn’t flow to muscles and tissues as well as it used to. This is especially true for my arms and legs. The farther a muscle is from my heart, the slower the recovery for me. I’m a big fan of anything that will increase blood flow, which essentially speeds up recovery. The Hypervolt’s percussion massage helps me increase blood flow to overworked areas. The rapid bursts of pressure allow for a type of massage that is very different from a foam roller massage.
Improve Range of Motion
Repetitive strain and overuse not only cause muscle soreness, they cause decreased range of motion. I use the Hypervolt to improve range of motion. Anytime I increase blood flow to overworked areas, it helps to slowly improve range of motion for me over time.
The worst range of motion issue I’ve ever had was caused by sitting at a computer desk. My right and my left shoulder both had issues. I’m right-handed, so naturally that shoulder was overworked by typing, clicking a mouse, and writing. Those three tasks made up the majority of my day. My left shoulder was super tight because all my left hand did was rest on the keyboard all day long. Whether I was actively typing or not, my left shoulder muscles were constantly activated to keep my left arm in place throughout most of the day.
My issues have improved a great deal since I’ve started using the Hypervolt all around both of my shoulder girdles, my chest, and into my arms. I’ve also used it with the fork attachment to improve range of motion in my ankle (more on the fork attachment later in this article).
Reduce Muscle Soreness
I used to be proud of muscle soreness that I would get from workouts. I’d talk about it and wear it like a badge of honor. As I’ve gotten older, I don’t want to be sore and stiff at all. It’s not beneficial for me at my age. I don’t want to work, or exercise, so much that I’m sore and stiff the next day. However, sometimes things don’t go as planned.
I want to wake up every day feeling strong, energetic, and pain-free. I can’t have all three of those if muscle soreness is holding me back. My Hypervolt has been a force multiplier to help me reduce muscle soreness.
Speed Up Muscle Recovery
Sitting at a computer desk puts us in a very vulnerable position. I also work a manual labor job that pays by the hour. It’s a heavy lifting job where I’m required to work in different compromised posture positions. The faster my muscle groups can recover, the faster I get back to work and make more money. With that said, my Hypervolt has already paid for itself many times over. It’s also allowed me to increase my volume of workouts per week. I don’t want to lift heavy if it’s going to make me sore for 2 days afterwards. I’d rather get an extra workout session in that week and use the Hypervolt on my soft tissue to speed up muscle recovery.
Improve Mental Clarity
One of the lesser known benefits to using the Hypervolt is one of the most valuable for me. I’m very interested in the connection between physical and mental stress in the human body. I feel like the two are very related in my case. After I use the Hypervolt, my mental clarity is usually at a more elevated level than before. I feel more relaxed, both physically and mentally.
As usual, I want to mention that I only talk about my personal experiences here on my website. When I write about topics related to sitting posture, I don’t pull information from other websites, and I don’t pull info from any studies. My website is about my experiences only. A good friend gave me some advice once, she said see your doctor, but also be the best advocate you can possibly be for your own health.
Improve Sleep Quality
Last but not least, one of the most important benefits I’ve gotten from using the Hypervolt is that it improves my sleep quality. I typically get a much deeper sleep when I use the Hypervolt before I go to sleep. I’ll target the muscle groups that feel the tightest that day. It usually ends up being my shoulders, arms, or legs. I’ll also hit my traps, which hold on to a ton of daily physical stress.
It’s not easy to use the Hypervolt on my back. It’s simply too difficult to reach the gun around my torso, much less get the massage head to hit the back muscles. For my back, I’ll use some other type of vibration massage, which is different from a percussion massage. Vibration massage typically doesn’t get into the soft tissue as deep as the percussion massage, which uses rapid bursts of pressure. The vibration massage is more of a constant pressure, but not as deep.
How To Use Hypervolt Massage Gun
What to do Before and After Using the Hypervolt Massage Gun
I usually get comfortable before using the Hypervolt. I make sure I’m not in sweaty clothes. And I make sure I have some water within arm’s reach. I also make sure I go to the restroom first. This might seem a little obsessive, but the Hypervolt is a super deep, intense type of massage. I want to get the most out of it and recover as best I can.
After I use it, I don’t want to be up walking around, doing chores, or getting stressed with everyday life. This is decompression time for me. I usually don’t like to write or read after using the massage gun. Maybe I’ll have on some music or television, something mindless that doesn’t require a lot of thought. Most of the time, I’ll close my eyes, relax, and fall asleep.
How to Use the Head Attachments Properly
The 5 pictures below show each different massage head. Below each picture, I’ll put a brief description of my experience with each of them. I’ll talk describe how deep and intense each massage head can go during percussion therapy.
Pictured above is the flat massage head attachment.
I’d describe this one as a medium intensity as far as how deep it goes. For how deep of a percussion massage it provides, this is probably the most versatile head. You could go somewhat deep on a specific muscle, or you could use it lightly to increase blood flow throughout the soft tissue. I probably use this flat massage head the most.
Above is the bullet massage head attachment.
This one gives the deepest, most intense percussion massage of all the attachments. I use this one when I have a super tight, specific muscle that has been overused. For example, I’ll carefully use it on my different shoulder muscles when they are causing issues. I’ll also use it briefly on a very tendinous area, like my IT band.
Above is the fork massage head attachment.
As far as intensity, this head could go either way. The fork is split into 2 end points that put pressure on the soft tissue. So, if I use it on a larger muscle like a quad or a forearm, the intensity is somewhat light because the pressure is divided among 2 different points (each node of the fork).
However, another area to use the fork massage head is around the edge of the feet. The intensity for this is extremely high. The foot is an area with a lot of small, tight, tendinous muscles. That said, any of the attachments used on the foot will be more intense than usual. Although it’s very painful, I’ve gotten some great improved range of motion results in my foot and ankle from using the fork massage head on my foot.
Above is the ball massage head attachment.
This would be a very good attachment when using the Hypervolt for the first time. The intensity is very light when I use this one. I don’t use it too often. When I’m reaching for the Hypervolt massage gun, I’m usually looking for at least a medium intensity. In that case, I’ll opt for the flat massage head attachment.
Above is the cushion massage head attachment.
This attachment also provides a very light intensity type of massage. It would also be good when using the Hypervolt for the first time. Like when I use the ball massage head, the same applies here for me. I’m not often looking for a light intensity percussion massage. I’m usually looking for a medium or deep massage, so I’ll opt for either the flat or bullet massage head.
How to Use the Hypervolt Massage Gun if You are New to it
The Hypervolt has 3 speeds and 5 attachments. If you are new to the massage gun, I would definitely only use the lowest level of intensity for a while.
As far as which massage head to use, I would not use the bullet attachment until you’ve gotten a good amount of usage out of it. The bullet massage head is the most intense and it gets deeper than any of the other 4 massage heads.
Finally, you’re going to want to focus on larger muscle groups. Stay away from tendinous and bony areas. The massage gun is going to bounce off of those harder areas. It’s not a pleasant feeling. Not to mention, a percussion massage gun is too powerful to hit areas that aren’t a thick muscle.
How Long to Use The Hypervolt Massage Gun
The length of time I use my Hypervolt varies. Sometimes, I’ll just use it for a couple minutes before bed and it will knock me right out. Others, I’ll use it for 10 minutes or so on various muscle groups. I don’t use it for more than a couple minutes on a specific muscle, before I move on to another muscle.
How to Use The Hypervolt Massage Gun Post Workout
Before bed is my favorite time to use the Hypervolt. My second favorite time to use it is post workout. This is when I like to focus on the muscles that I used the most during that workout. I like to increase blood flow to those areas which avoids the possibility of me being sore and stiff the next day. I also like to lightly go over muscles that I didn’t necessarily focus on during that workout. It gives me an all around feeling of increased blood flow, plus better muscle recovery over the next couple days after the workout.
In closing, I’d like to mention an interesting fact. I’m often loaning out my massaging tools for people to borrow. Nine different people (who have borrowed my Hypervolt percussion massage gun) have gone on to buy a Hypervolt of their own. I, along with these 9 people, found it super valuable in helping to improve quality of life.
As I mentioned at the beginning of this article, I’m not compensated by Hyperice in any way. I’m simply a customer who loves their products, which I paid for with my own money. I don’t sell any products on my website. All of the info on my website is free to consume. Feel free to forward it to a friend or family member who sits at a computer desk for a living.
Thanks for your interest in sitting posture.
If this article was helpful, check out my book titled “45 Ways to Improve Computer Posture.” It’s available in both digital and paperback versions.
>>> Click here to pick up your copy
This book explains how to improve your posture through different variables of health and wellness. These include sitting posture, standing posture, sleep, hydration, and breathing. Poor posture is not just how we sit at a computer. The health habits we practice, 24 hours a day, are directly related to how good (or bad) our computer posture is.
Go to SittingPosture.com/book to learn more.
Take care,
Todd Bowen
P.S. You can sign up for my free computer posture newsletter here.