EMS: Getting your desired figure via power surges?
fitness & yoga
Getting your ideal figure almost effortlessly and super quick with the help of small surges. This is the promise of electrostimulation training (short EMS), which is gaining more and more prominence. IBS has taken a closer look at this form of strength training and summarizes its benefits and drawbacks.
Wet and under power
EMS is a form of strength training, where you don´t work with heavy weights. Instead you work with electrical impulses to promote targeted muscle building. During training you wear specific functional clothes, which conduct electrical impulses. With the use of cables, these impulses are transmitted to certain muscle groups. At the beginning of training these clothes are wet to enhance its conductivity.
But you don´t have to be afraid of the little surges. EMS only works with low-frequency stimulation current and was originally used for rehab purposes. Here it is used to prevent muscle atrophy of injured people. Professional athletes like mountain climbers also make use of EMS to further build up the corresponding muscles.
Benefits
Joint-gentle exercises
During the EMS session you will do various exercises such as situps or squats. You exert them during the 4-second impulses, which are followed by a 4-second pause. Here you don’t work with weights. The electric stimulation only strengthens the muscle’s own contractions. In comparison to normal strength training, EMS thus leads to a lower joint load.g.
Short Training Sessions
One EMS workout takes just 20 minutes. And this is a complete body workout. With recommended two sessions a week, you can achieve effective muscle growth in just 40 minutes.
Professional Assitance
A professional trainer guides the EMS. He controls the electrical impulses and shows how to conduct the exercises correctly.
This prevents muscle injuries. Moreover, the trainer adapts the workout to your individual goals and needs.
Fast Success
If you train twice a week for 20 minutes, as it is recommended, you can see results after just 4 to 6 weeks. But EMS´s benefits are not limited to muscle development. A strengthening of the trunk and back muscles and fat loss can be achieved as well.
Drawbacks
Price
The special equipment and the personal trainer are costly: Per EMS session you usually pay at least 20 €. If you want to fully rely on EMS and do two trainings a week it is already 160€ per month- an expensive pleasure.
Monotony
In 20 minutes you can do a full body workout with EMS. Thus, each training contains the same exercises. This is effective but a little boring as well.
Statement
It´s all about the right mixture! EMS should not be seen as a quick replacement sport for lazy people. Only those who combine EMS with classical strength training and endurance training will achieve long-lasting effective results and will enjoy sports as much as possible.
Source: YouTube / Karl Ess
