Massage Gun - Upper Back
The Massage Gun - Upper Back is a percussive therapy technique designed to release tension in the trapezius and rhomboid muscles. This recovery exercise improves blood flow and mobility, making it an excellent tool for relieving stiffness after heavy pulling workouts or prolonged sitting.
Your AI coach utilizes data from your specific workout history—such as heavy deadlift or rowing volume—to prescribe this recovery session exactly when your upper back cumulative fatigue is high. By monitoring your HRV and sleep quality via HealthKit, the app can detect systemic stress and suggest this intervention to aid parasympathetic recovery. Additionally, if you consistently log soreness in the traps, the AI adjusts your future training load while prioritizing this mobility work to prevent injury.
Form Cues
- Start on the lowest intensity setting
- Glide the device along the muscle belly of the traps
- Relax your shoulders and breathe deeply
- Avoid direct contact with the spine or shoulder blades
- Hold gently on tight spots for 15-30 seconds
- Don't press the device hard into the muscle
- Don't run the attachment over your vertebrae or neck bones
- Don't tense your shoulders against the percussion
- Don't use on an acute injury or bruise
- Don't hold one spot for more than a minute
Common Mistakes
- Applying excessive manual pressure
- Hitting bony areas like the spine
- Tensing muscles against the gun
- Using max intensity immediately
- Ignoring sharp pain signals
Muscles Worked
This technique primarily targets the upper and middle trapezius, relieving the tension often caused by stress, poor posture, or heavy pulling exercises. It also addresses the rhomboids between the shoulder blades, helping to improve tissue elasticity and restore proper scapular mechanics.
Primary
Secondary
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