EMS training (Electrical Muscle Stimulation) is the impact on muscles of a device that sends electrical signals through electrodes attached to the surface of the skin. In this way, impulses are formed, similar to muscle contractions during strength training. There are several types of electrical stimulation machines, here are the most common: Miha Bodytec (Germany) and X-body (Hungary). The difference between them lies in the depth and strength of the impulses produced, but for fitness purposes it is not fundamental.
Electrical muscle stimulation began to be used back in the 1960s by Soviet scientists to rehabilitate cosmonauts whose muscles atrophied during space flights. In the 1970s, Germany used this method in physical therapy and accelerated recovery of athletes.
What is EMS training
These are workouts that involve applying weak current to the muscles. “During movement or fixing a position during EMS training, electrical stimulation of muscle fibers occurs,” says Ruslan Panov, expert methodologist at X-Fit in Russia. — Current pulses are supplied to the skin by soft electrodes (either directly with suction cups, or through a special fabric suit) and output to a common controller.
The controller is programmed by the trainer via the application. They are also given a simple strength or cardio workout. Thanks to the impulses, the muscle contracts with additional force and expends more energy.” “In such training, a stimulating device is used, which delivers electrical impulses through electrodes attached to the body, thereby causing muscle contraction,” explains Emilia Savelyeva, a massage therapist-rehabilitator with a medical education, author of the “Online Anatomy” course for body specialists. - Plus, you perform exercises and thus the force of muscle contraction increases. The impulses cause 90% of muscle tissue to contract, including hard-to-reach areas.”
Initially, EMS training was used only for rehabilitation purposes - to strengthen muscles and restore patients with serious injuries to the musculoskeletal system, etc. Later, myostimulation technology “migrated” to the field of fitness, but there is still a health aspect in EMS training.
How EMS training works
EMS fitness classes are usually held using special suits. “You put on a wetted suit with built-in electrodes,” explains Irina Mantrova, personal trainer, founder of the EMC fitness studio Gymruhs . “A medium-frequency current is supplied through a special wire, which causes irritation of the working organ or muscle group, contraction and response of the body.”
If you “came” to classes for a beautiful figure and toned muscles (and not for the improvement of internal organs or massage, which is also possible with EMS devices), you will have to perform cardio or strength exercises in the suit. Ideally, the first classes should be simple, so that the body adapts to this type of impact on the muscles, and you master the technique of performing the exercises. “Some trainers on a guest visit, in order to win over a client, put a suit on a newcomer and force him to do push-ups and squats without first setting up the technique. This can lead to overtraining and injury,” warns Irina Mantrova. If you notice this, ask your trainer to reduce the load.
The average training duration is 30 minutes.
Is EMS training safe?
“Won’t it give me an electric shock?” — a common question from clients during their first ems fitness sessions. We answer with the experts: no. Firstly, this excludes the design of the suit. Secondly, ems fitness classes are always supervised by a trainer, who, as a rule, clearly controls the number and strength of impulses.
However, if you have a pacemaker, these activities are contraindicated.
There are no special restrictions on ems fitness for teenagers. “I would recommend EMS only as a way to establish high-quality exercise technique and use low impulse intensity,” notes Ruslan Panov. “From a safety point of view: in adolescence it is already possible to use the technology (in medicine it is even used in working with children with cerebral palsy), but without a general effect, but locally on the muscles involved in the exercises.”
Grand total
I didn’t feel pain or such heaviness as when running 10 km, but the internal vibrations in the body with the awareness of muscle work in the complete absence of work on my part somehow lead to confusion. This is comical and very strange, so it was even difficult for me to talk, and while the trainer was increasing the impulses on the buttocks and getting them into the hematoma, I just started screaming obscenities.
Cardio was followed by deep muscle work for 10 minutes. I lay down on the floor, rounded my arms in a ballet pose, holding a ring made of wood. Although I made no movements, the electric current, delivered in the form of short impulses with very short breaks, forced the buttocks to rise, the muscles in the perineum to contract, and the spine to stretch. I got tired at the 5th minute, even starting to sweat, after which the back muscles that were tight during boxing training relaxed, as if after finishing a massage.
Efficiency
With a properly designed training program and regular training, ems fitness is quite effective. “If you correctly select programs for the client’s specific tasks, you can work out the whole body in 20-30 minutes,” explains Irina Mantrova.
Depending on the type of device (at what frequencies it operates: low, medium, high), EMS training can affect only the muscular corset or also the internal organs. “With high- and medium-frequency devices, it is also possible to influence the endocrine system (establish hormonal levels), stop pathological processes of the thyroid gland, pancreas, genitourinary system (prostatitis), block fibroids, endometriosis - these are all indications for EMS training,” - adds Irina Mantrova.
EMS training also helps to achieve some fitness goals - lose weight, tighten your silhouette. “The results from EMC will be rapid and more lasting compared to regular fitness. The quality of the muscle fiber, the relief is more obvious, the skin turgor is better. The skin is smoothed out,” says Irina Mantrova.
But EMS training will not help in the fight against cellulite.
“Electrical impulses will improve blood and lymph circulation, but will not solve the problem with skin lumpyness,” adds Emilia Savelyeva.
EMS training: advantages and disadvantages
The main advantage of EMS training is that it is available even to those who have serious health problems and are prohibited from classical sports. “EMS fitness allows for rehabilitation and recovery in post-operative processes. If there are hernias, protrusions, then with these trainings we relieve radicular syndrome, pain in the back, buttocks, legs, etc., notes Irina Mantrova. - We also exclude various types of injuries - sprains, microtraumas of muscles. We not only work on the muscular corset, but also improve the overall health and well-being of a person.”
How effective are EMS trainings in terms of developing strength, endurance and muscle definition? There is no consensus here. “In the medical field, myostimulation works wonders even in almost hopeless cases; in the fitness industry, the method is a niche offshoot of technologically innovative training. You shouldn’t consider them as a full-fledged opportunity to improve your body, although after the first ems training the results can be simply stunning. This is due to stress in the body from unusual activity,” says Ruslan Panov.
Some experts believe that building muscle will also be more difficult with EMS training than with classic strength training. “For development, a muscle must work fully, throughout the entire length of movement. And myostimulation gives an impulse only to the area to which the electrode is connected, notes Ruslan Panov. “In addition, electromyostimulation has a local effect, and modern science suggests that it is necessary to create chains of balanced movements that involve as many body segments as possible.”
There are also some situations when ems fitness classes are completely powerless.
Why it's worth a try
Save time
Nowadays, free time is sorely lacking, and sometimes it’s simply not possible to devote 2-3 hours to regular workouts in fitness centers. With EMS stimulation, training time is reduced to 20 minutes. This is enough to achieve success in working on your figure.
EMS training activates 90% of all muscles in the body simultaneously throughout the entire workout, targeting even the most difficult to reach areas. Unlike conventional training, muscles are strengthened from the inside.
Professional athletes resort to such training to get the maximum effect by increasing speed and strength. Personal trainers in fitness centers include EMS in the program to speed up metabolism, promote rapid weight loss and muscle development.
According to a study published in the journal Sports Science {amp}amp; Medicine, after 3-6 weeks of EMS training, athletes experienced significant gains in strength, speed, and power. The development of these parameters made it possible to increase the vertical height of the jump by 25% and reduce the sprint time by almost 5%.
Testing of adolescents showed that using high-frequency electrical stimulation in a training program two days a week for two months also significantly improved high jump performance.
EMS technology is widely used in medicine and professional sports. Therapists use gentle stimulation to help patients recover from injuries. During electrical stimulation there is no load on the joints, only the muscles work.
In what cases EMS training will not help you?
If you don't follow your diet
Here the situation is the same as with any other training. If you do ems fitness to lose weight, but eat without denying yourself anything, you shouldn’t expect a miracle. “If you attend EMC training and eat for three, eat fatty, sweet, fried foods, you don’t need to expect any results,” says Irina Mantrova.
If you ignore all other activities
For the health of the musculoskeletal system and the harmonious development of the silhouette, it is important not to focus on just one type of fitness. This is especially true for those who would like to lose weight. “You can lose weight well with ems training if you supplement it with strength and functional fitness classes,” says Ruslan Panov. — As a method that gives the body the necessary shake-up and boosts metabolism, EMS fitness is wonderful. As the main type of exercise, it is still not very effective, except for the first two to three months, when the body is not yet accustomed to it and spends more energy. To burn fat you need different types of fitness.”
It is optimal to do EMS training twice a week and add cardio and interval training 1-2 times a week.
For medical contraindications
Although EMS fitness is generally safe, some diagnoses still rule out “electrical training.” “EMS is not suitable for people with problems of the cardiovascular system, since the passing current can disrupt the rhythm of heart contractions, causing damage to the general blood flow and heart muscle tissue,” notes Ruslan Panov. “Also, people with diabetes should not attend ems training; due to incorrectly functioning receptors, their sensations are dulled, and training can put a lot of stress on the body, for which the body is not yet ready.”
Ems fitness is also prohibited for pregnant women. “Pregnant women should never attend EMC training. Electrical impulses create additional muscle tension in the pelvic area and abdominal cavity, which can lead to an increase in the tone of the uterus,” adds Emilia Savelyeva.
It is better for them to choose bodyweight classes and simple yoga.
Experts advise seeing a doctor before starting such classes. “Before you sign up for EMC, undergo a medical examination to make sure you are healthy,” reminds Irina Mantrova. “There are known cases where, after a few months of training, an unexamined client developed serious health problems.”
But if there are definitely no contraindications, these problems should not arise.
If you need serious muscle growth
Do you dream of biceps like Schwarzenegger? Alas, ems training alone cannot “sculpt” an athlete’s figure. “With the help of electromyostimulation, it will not be possible to gain muscle mass, since for this there is no main condition - overcoming gravity with increased muscle effort. This requires critical weights, since the muscle fiber must be injured to increase volume, resulting in the growth of new, strengthening muscle tissue. Loading the muscles with electrical impulses is not enough to solve this problem,” warns Ruslan Panov.
Follow these guidelines to achieve the best results with EMS training.
Can a cyclist turn left?
Correct 11. Location of vehicles on the road
11.14. Movement on the roadway on bicycles, mopeds, horse-drawn carriages (sleighs) and horseback riders is permitted only in one row in the rightmost lane as far to the right as possible, except for cases when a detour is in progress. Left turns and U-turns are permitted on roads with one lane in each direction and no tram tracks in the middle. Driving on the side of the road is permitted if this does not create obstacles for pedestrians.
Wrong 11. Location of vehicles on the road
11.14. Movement on the roadway on bicycles, mopeds, horse-drawn carriages (sleighs) and horseback riders is permitted only in one row in the rightmost lane as far to the right as possible, except for cases when a detour is in progress. Left turns and U-turns are permitted on roads with one lane in each direction and no tram tracks in the middle. Driving on the side of the road is permitted if this does not create obstacles for pedestrians.
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