

Hayley Hollander
Intl. Strength Coach, Educator & Consultant
Hi, Melanie. I actually use targeted vibration products, or massage guns, for both preparation and recovery. Here are some examples of how I use them for either one. When using it for prepare, I like to move in and out of a dynamic range of motion. So there's different length tension relationships to the targeted muscle that I'm massaging. So here are some examples of my anterior hip, or hip flexor, posterior hip, and hamstring. As you can see, I'm moving in and out of different ranges of motion and I'm going the length of the muscle. Another example would be the chest and adding rotation. Now when I use it for recovery, I like to be in a more static position and pick a muscle with a big muscle belly. Focus on breathing, pick a vibration level or intensity level that feels good for you. You can hold it in one particular spot for as long as you'd like. Here, I'm doing the calves. I'm going to transition to my perenials, or the outer part of my lower leg. If there are any areas that you want to massage that are a little more bony and not a big muscle belly like the forearm, the wrist, or hand, because you've been doing a lot of, for example, racquet sports or grip work, turn the tool sideways so you still get the benefit of vibration and the benefits of recovery, but without the reverb.