TriggerPoint Impact Massage Gun – Surfer Review
Surfing is an activity, lifestyle, and sport, that is fueled by the stoke and adrenaline rush that riding a wave provides. That’s why surfers will often spend hours of their surf session paddling, just for a few minutes of actual surfing time (kind of like standing in line for a roller coaster)!
Whether charging over smaller waves (like I do, rodeo bull riding style), duck diving or turtle rolling under avalanches of white wash, or chasing waves down the line, it’s all worth it when you catch that one great wave!
Since we spend so much of our time paddling, and in a prone position on our surfboard, it can take a toll on our shoulders and lower back.
Last summer, after surfing Malibu Point for the first time, I was back at my hotel and seriously considering going to the massage place a block down from my hotel, as my muscles were so strained from a full day of surfing. It wasn’t even a rough day out, it was just a long paddle out to the point, and I paddled in total about 3 miles the one day. I was too tired to even deal with leaving my hotel room, I just thought it would be cool if I could have an on-demand, on-call personal masseuse!
I started a new job after that surf trip, and one of the products my company makes is TriggerPoint (full disclosure and transparency here). They make a wide range of muscle recovery and massage tools that enable mobility. From foam rollers, to vibrating foam rollers/balls, and now their most recently launched item, the TriggerPoint Impact Percussion Massage Gun.
I was somewhat familiar with massage guns, from watching Ben Gravy’s surf vlogs (I also worked with him on a promotion for my app, da Surf Engine). He got a Theragun to recover from surfing all the interesting novelty waves he’s known for finding and had previously recovered from a serious knee injury. However, I never even considered getting that, as it was at a much higher price point than TriggerPoint’s Impact massage gun.
I thought it would be interesting to perform a test with TriggerPoint’s massage gun and see how it really did help recovery after a long surf sesh (as well as get my muscles warmed up before a session).
The Actual Massage Gun Test
I didn’t do any scientific experiment, detailed technical review, or product comparison, just a simple test of the new TriggerPoint Impact massage gun to observe the difference in my performance and recovery after a long surf session.
I used the TriggerPoint massage gun before my surf session to prime my muscles to be ready for a long sesh and after surfing to help my shoulder and lower back muscles recover. I also brought their massage gun to the beach so I could test the TriggerPoint Impact gun through my thick winter wetsuit.
I’m really a sunny afternoon weekend warrior kind of surfer, but I was challenging myself to brace new conditions for this test, as it was in the low 60s & cloudy out. It did kind of feel weird to be bringing it to the beach, as I got some funny looks. However, you see people stretching out on the beach before a surf session a lot, so I think that’s really what’s cool about the product, it’s small and mobile and you can bring it anywhere.
It’s also much quieter than the Theragun, you can barely even hear it the videos I took (no sound editing either)! I’m definitely taking it with me on my next surf trip! I wish I had it when I recently went on a weekend surf trip getaway to Cabo Surf hotel. I caught a ton of waves Saturday and it would have come in handy!
The Results of my TriggerPoint Impact Percussive Massage Gun Test
I believe that using the TP Impact massage gun before my surf sesh really helped my muscles get loose to help me stay out surfing for longer than usual, especially on a colder, winter day. I was hoping it would have been warmer, but I was determined to stay out surfing for over 2 hours anyways (even in the cold) as I really wanted to work my muscles that day to test TriggerPoint’s massage gun for recovery after a long surf sesh with lots of paddling.
TriggerPoint’s percussive massage gun definitely had an impact (pun intended), as I could feel the percussive massage effects and get relief even through a ¾ winter wetsuit. Yep, it passed the wetsuit test indeed! As for overall recovery, well, I used it again when I got home after the sesh, and, usually my body wants to stay on the couch after a long day surfing, but I actually felt ready and able to go out and run a few errands after, and felt super great the next day!
Oh, and I love going to live music concerts as well (surfing & music – they just go together) – and you can be standing on your feet for a long time at those events, so it’s a perfect way to relieve the muscle strain on your feet from a long period of standing and jumping around to fun music! I recently attended the Boomshaka Fest with my fave band Iration headlining that lasted around 5+ hours. I had some happy feet after that show, once I gave them a little TLC with the TriggerPoint Impact.
I also wanted to get other people’s thoughts on the TriggerPoint Impact and thought it would be fun to bring it to my local bar, PB Cantina, and see what people thought. Below is a quick clip of that – even a bigger type of dog could get some benefit from percussive massage, once they get familiar with it – ha. Full Youtube clip of all my footage below!
My Final Thoughts and Review of TriggerPoint’s new Impact percussive massage gun
The TriggerPoint Impact percussive massage gun definitely brought the good vibes and made a positive impact on my long paddle out surf sesh! I really think surfers and snow boarders/snow skiers are people who can definitely benefit from any of TriggerPoint’s products. The first time I even saw a foam roller was when someone was using it on a snowboarding trip I went on.
TriggerPoint is also backed by a company with people that really do live and breathe the active and healthy lifestyle that their products help enhance (I should know as I work there). They are also committed to ensuring top quality and consumer satisfaction – and they’re a local company – with offices here in sunny San Diego county as well as in North Carolina/Durham!
The TriggerPoint Impact’s point of difference is in the design. It’s ergonomically designed to easily reach your back area on your own. In my job as a digital marketer, I’m a big believer in self-serve vs. managed services, so a self-serve massage gun that lets me easily reach all muscle areas at my own convenience vs having to set up an appointment with a massage place and pay every time you go, is definitely the way to go.
It also has a reasonable price point compared to many others, without sacrificing quality, as they just kept it simple and focused on the basics, no clunky attachments that mess the thing up (like a friend of mine had problems with on a cheaper lower quality massage gun with attachments that didn’t work on the product she previously got).
So, my final verdict is – Surfing, Music, and TriggerPoint’s Impact Massage gun – that’s all I need to keep my blood pumping!
So there, this review is legit and true, as I like to keep it real!! Go out and get yourself one today, it’ll pay for itself 10x over vs. trips to the spa and massage places!
Recommend0 recommendationsPublished in Surfing Fitness
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