Can being pummeled by what feels like a professional boxer be beneficial for your workout recoveries? We find out…
What we like: Powerful but controlled delivery of percussive hits; Definite improvement in recovery.
What we don’t like: A little ‘industrial’ for our tastes.
When we were approached to review the Pulseroll Pro Massage Gun we didn’t really know what to expect. Post-workout massage for us has always required hands-on contact from a qualified chiropractor or sports masseur/masseuse, and the thought of outsourcing it to a machine which looks like a power drill seems slightly obtuse.
Anyway, we are nothing if not broad-minded and so it was with some interest (and a frisson of trepidation!) that we opened the rather neat case which arrived at the office and examined the contents.
Our in-depth Pulseroll massage gun review in this post covers our key impressions of the Pro model and how it compares in both cost and experience to traditional massage techniques.
Benefits of Massage
First though, let’s talk about why you might wish to buy a massage gun.
Well if you’ve ever come back from a period of inactivity and started training you can quickly get into an awful state. Be it running, weights or any other strenuous activity, you might complete your first session with absolutely no problems, and drop into bed at the end of the day for a sound sleep wondering what the fuss is all about….
The next day arrives and for some strange reason you cannot get out of bed without extreme pain and stiffness – you have what is known as Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness or DOMS for short. Typically it arrives on the day after your training, but we have known cases of it arriving two or even three days after that first exertion! It can be absolute agony, and I distinctly remember an occasion when I had started jogging after a long lay off and literally could not walk down the stairs in the morning without crying in pain.
Massage can be an extremely effective technique for stopping DOMS or at least reducing its intensity. Whilst the obvious choice is to have the massage after a session, it can also be useful beforehand in order to stimulate the muscles and thus act as an effective warmup.
These are not the only benefits of a proper massage though. Circulation can be improved as well as flexibility of the joints and faster recovery from soft-tissue injuries. Not to mention a reduction of lactic acid build-up. And then there’s the relaxation side of it, but typically a sports massage is not a relaxing experience!
The question is, can a mechanical percussive gun provide the same positive impacts that a trained professional can impart on your needy body? Let’s dig in….
The Pulseroll Pro Massage Gun - What's in the briefcase?
I always take alot of interest in the packaging supplied by companies – it can make a sizable impression to the feel and quality of a piece of equipment.
The Pulseroll Pro case is solid and sturdy and capable of being bashed around whilst protecting its contents. It measures 40 x 22cm and weighs around 1.5kg.
There are several pieces of gear inside.
- the main Pulseroll Pro massage gun
- 6 different head attachments (large round, small round, flat, pneumatic, spinal and bullet)
- AC power for battery charger
- Instructions and warranty
Set-up of the Pulseroll Pro
We found that set-up of the Pulseroll was extremely easy – a bit like using an electric toothbrush. Simply grab the head that you want and snap it onto the main body of the massage gun.
The six heads each have a different function:
- Large round – General full body muscle massage – a good starter attachment with the massage spread over a large area.
- Small round – the smaller size gives greater intensity for deeper muscle impact.
- Flat – different feel to the small round with even greater intensity.
- Pneumatic – Massage for sensitive muscles – particularly good for post-training attention.
- Spinal – specifically for work on the spine – must be used with caution
- Bullet – Trigger point therapy. For advanced localised deep muscle massage.
The Pulseroll is easily charged using a standard wallplug adaptor, and will last around 4-5 hours on a single charge. We got it fully charged within 2 hours but that may have been because it already had some charge on board.
There are four power levels which can be used with each of the heads ranging from 1300RPM up to a colossal 3300RPM ‘ultra high power’ mode which feels like you’re being hit by Tyson Fury!
In Use
The massage gun has a very similar look to others on the market, but the quality of the materials on offer coupled with the range of heads and the portability from the battery power make it a definite leader in our opinion.
I took it to the gym for a pre and post workout massage, but got a bit self-conscious initially in the men’s changing room. When you fire up the Pro it does sound quite loud, even on the lowest power level – I made sure some of the other gym-goers had left the room before I fired it up.
Pre workout
I opted for the large round head before my workout and concentrated on my chest, thighs and calves at the lowest frequency of 1300RPM – these muscles are the areas which I find can seriously ache after pushing some of the heavier weights.
The sensation of the Pulseroll Pro is quite unnerving – it at once feels like you’re being accosted, but in a friendly kind of way! The high frequency ‘punches’ definitely send vibrations through your muscle and you can feel that they are essentially getting flexed and warmed up effectively.
At 1.1kg, the weight of the massage gun is not a serious issue to contend with, but if you’re handling it on your own as I was, you may get tired after several minutes of it – changing hands helps when you switch to concentrate on the other side of your body.
Of course when you’re ‘self-massaging’, there’s no way of applying the massage to your back, and it’s arguably your back where you get the best response. That’s where your partner comes in – either gym or life partner! A great way to use the massage gun is to use it on another person!
Post workout
During the workout I can’t say I noticed too much different in my actual performance, but I could definitely feel that I had been through an ‘experience’. I felt like my body was ‘pulsing’ when I walked into the weights room and felt ready for action – this may have been due to increased blood flow caused by the Pulseroll. It felt good.
After the chest and legs workout I made sure to deliver some further punishment to my poor muscles using the Pulseroll. Because I was trying to avoid DOMS, I tried the small round head this time and jacked the frequency up to 1800 RPM.
Next Day
After a 2 week absence from the gym due to my summer holidays, I was expecting some serious pain to follow on the day following my big workout. However, I was sincerely impressed to find that nothing at all materialized. Yes I was slightly lethargic – I had pushed myself quite hard, but there was no sign of the dreaded DOMS. Obviously this is not a scientific study, but I definitely felt like I would have normally been aching quite badly, but wasn’t. However, I’m not the type of person to normally bother with warm-ups and warm-downs, and perhaps the Pulseroll Pro was filling in for this lack of care I normally show to my body.
Conclusions
Let’s get one thing out of the way – the Pulseroll Pro or in fact any massage gun on the market will not ever replace a human for hands-on sports massaging. It lacks the empathy and the feel to effectively target problem areas. Where the massage gun excels is by allowing the user to be able to direct considerable percussive action to any problem spots on the front of their body.
We found that the Pulseroll Pro was definitely at the leading edge of massage guns available on the market today. You cannot argue with the quality of materials and attachments on offer, and we really appreciated being able to carry it in our sports bag to the gym without worrying about plugging it in.
Would we use one ourselves? Well actually yes I think so. It definitely has a place in your equipment list if you have issues with post training aches, or just want to loosen up in general. For medical treatment of soft tissue injuries or back problems then we have less data to report on – we would urge caution if you’ve got a bad back and want to try a massage gun for example. For sure, start on the biggest head and lowest RPM for the motor, and then work up.
Overall, we were impressed with the Pulseroll Pro Massage Gun and would encourage you to seek one out to try if you’re in the market for this kind of post-workout tool.
