The Principle and Applications of EMS Training

Not “electronic messaging services” but “electro-muscular stimulation”, EMS training offers a fast and efficient means with which to develop one’s body. It produces results that are equal to and often better than those obtained using conventional exercise, but without the excessive stresses and strain. While, to many, that may sound like a miracle, it is simply a relatively new application of a scientific observation first made more than two centuries ago.

Normally, the contraction of a muscle, where this is a voluntary activity, is a natural response to an electrical impulse that originates in the brain. A similar effect may result in rapid involuntary contractions when exposure to the cold leads to the phenomenon we call shivering. It is also possible to induce these rapid involuntary muscle contractions deliberately. The process of electro-muscular stimulation that forms the basis of EMS training utilises the application of a pulsed, externally-generated, electric current to the surface of the skin which, in turn, causes repeated contractions in the muscles beneath it.

The physical exercises that are practiced at most gyms tend to focus on the voluntary contraction of one’s muscles in response to some form of mechanical load. This may, for instance, involve lifting a succession of progressively heavier weights or attempts to overcome the adjustable resistance generated by some other form of exercise equipment. Push-ups, sit-ups and pull-ups are all exercises that provide an alternative means with which to produce such contractions under loads, without the assistance of weights or machines.

One of the most compelling reasons for choosing a course of EMS training, rather than one of these more conventional options, is that it can produce the desired results in markedly less time and without the accompanying risk of injury that can often be the result of an exercise regimen that has proved to be far too strenuous.

Whether of the voluntary or involuntary variety, in time, these muscular contractions result in one of two main effects – either improved muscle toning or an increase in its bulk. The former is best achieved by numerous quick repetitions of the same exercise performed under the same load, punctuated by periods of rest in which to recover. In complete contrast, the bulking effect sought after by bodybuilders is induced by employing resistance exercises with fewer reps, but that instead involve a stepwise increase in the load.

Interestingly, EMS training offers its users the means to pursue either of these two goals – the difference only being determined by the power and the frequency of the electrical charges applied. Although results vary with individual fitness levels, a mere 20 minutes weekly at a Body20 studio could prove to be life-changing.