A massage gun should reach the muscle you are aiming at without sounding like a construction site in the next room.
We used guns with a longer stroke and guns that spin faster, on tired quads, and listened to them in an apartment. Stall force and noise were as important as the number on the box.
Stroke and noise
A longer amplitude moves more tissue and can feel like too much on a shin or a neck. Higher speed on a short stroke feels buzzy and stays on the surface. The motor should not stall the moment you lean in. It also should not announce itself to the neighbors.
- A stroke you can use on large muscles without bracing for it.
- A lighter head for anywhere bony.
- A motor that keeps going when you add pressure.
- A volume you can accept in the place you actually live.
If you have to float the gun to tolerate it, it is not doing the work.
After training
Keep it moving. Parking it on one spot and gritting your teeth is how people bruise. A minute or two on the muscle that is actually tired is enough. More is not more thorough.
Buy the gun you will use at home, at a volume and a force you can stand.
