Using a Hydragun massage gun on your quads? How? It’s been said that well-developed quads form the centerpiece of the legs. Athletes spend hour upon hour in the gym doing squats, lunges, leg presses and other high-rep training exercises just to get strong and muscular thighs. Powerful thighs are not only beneficial to athletes, though. Even if you’re not quite as active, you’ll still benefit from healthy quads. Especially since these muscles play a big part in common movements like running and jumping.
Fortunately for everyone, quadriceps injuries arising from pulls and tears are not very common. Pulled quads are also often treatable with ice, medication, and rest. That’s where your Hydragun comes in. Massage guns are one of the best tools you can use to aid in rest and recovery. Along with helping reduce the effects of delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS), massage guns make use of percussion therapy to help improve blood flow and increase flexibility.
In this blog post, we talk about how to use a massage gun on quads, or specifically, using your Hydragun to help maintain quad health and decrease soreness and pain from intense workouts. So make sure you get a Hydragun right now and let’s begin your recovery.
The Massage Gun Attachment Heads
Your Hydragun comes with 7 attachment heads – 4 regular and 3 stainless steel.
The ball attachment is recommended for large muscle groups. The fork has dual-point targeting and is great for deeper penetration of medium muscle groups. The bullet head is recommended for pinpoint targeting of tight knots. The flat heads (1 regular, 3 stainless steel) are suggested for larger surface areas.
You can use your HYDRAGUN massage gun all over the body, from the neck, shoulders, torso, legs, and feet.
Using a Massage Gun on Quad Muscles
The quads, or quadriceps femoris, is the biggest muscle of the human body by volume. It’s both a hip flexor and a knee extensor. Four individual muscles make it up:
· Three vastus muscles – lateralis, medialis, intermedius
· One rectus femoris
Together, these form one of the most powerful muscles in the human body. They work collectively to extend the knee joint and stabilize the patella. The rectus femoris also helps flex the hips.
Recommended Massage Gun Attachment Head to Use:
- For warm-ups, cool-downs, between sets and for recovery – ball
- For deep, tight knots – fork or bullet head
How to:
1. Choose the attachment.
2. Turn the HYDRAGUN on and choose the speed setting.
3. Apply HYDRAGUN to the body.
For warm-ups and between sets:
1. Start by letting the HYDRAGUN float back and forth across the origin of the muscle for 15 seconds.
2. Then move the HYDRAGUN to the muscle insertion, moving down and up in a gliding motion for another 15 seconds.
3. Finally, take another 15 seconds and run the massage gun along all muscle fibers.
4. Do this on each side.
For cool-downs and recovery:
1. Float the HYDRAGUN across all the muscle fibers.
2. Move the gun from side to side and then back and forth.
3. Do this for a minimum of 120 seconds (2 minutes).
For deep and tight knots:
The quads are frequently used and thus can develop a lot of tension and tightness. For deep knots, use a fork or bullet head attachment. Let the HYDRAGUN rest on the area for no more than a few seconds.
Tip: Recommended attachment heads are just that – suggestions. HYDRAGUN can easily be customized depending on your needs so feel free to choose which attachment head and speed works best for you. (See more usage and safety tips here.)
The quads are actively used in daily life – from simple walking to running and jumping. It’s also extraordinarily important for athletic and sporting activities. Because of this, the quads are always on the receiving end of major stress and are prone to trauma. Know how to properly care for your quads to limit your injury risk and save yourself from stiffness, soreness and debilitating pain.
Suffering from pain in other areas? Check out the rest of our muscle recovery series. No HYDRAGUN yet? Don’t miss out on the Future of Recovery. Get HYDRAGUN here.
