20 Oct EMS Workout Explained: 8 Benefits and Dangers | How Does It Work?
On today’s list of Sunday motivation for your next week’s workout routine, we have the EMS training!
That might sound scientific to newcomers, and a wave of excitement for all those who already are aware of the basics.
Well, EMS or electrical muscle stimulation does a pack a lot of excitement, curiosity, and some bundle of confusion.
After all, it’s the all-new trend for all the Instagram influencers hyping up their workout followers to finally gain that recovery with this hot technique.
So what are we waiting for? let’s get ready to get a little advanced in the world of fitness with the new and powerful EMS training.
What is Electrical Muscle Stimulation (EMS)?
While the EMS workout results have created a ripple around the world, a fraction of the population has not even heard of the word.
For all those new explorers of the technique, here is what exactly EMS training is.
Electrical muscle stimulation is a process that helps in the faster recovery of muscles by relaxing them.
The technique uses certain devices that stimulate nerves for initializing contraction of the muscles that ultimately relax.
This relaxation and contractions help the tight spots of the muscles to loosen up.
In the medical industry, conduction pads targeting specific areas are used for the same process. But that’s not the case with the EMS workout.
How is EMS Workout Different from Medical EMS and Regular Workouts?
Unlike therapeutic electrical muscle stimulation that targets specific areas of the body, an EMS workout involves the whole body.
Devices like electrical belts, body suites, and vests that can target large areas of the body are used.
As you exercise, the electrical impulses are transmitted from these belts, which stimulate more contractions and relaxations of the muscles than in regular workouts.
Also, any mandu, or electrical muscle stimulation workout, is not as long as your regular workouts.
They normally are designed short, lasting only for 15 minutes, even if it’s a cardio workout or regular strength training.
Despite, the electro fitness training sounding pretty exciting, there is much debate among newcomers, on does EMS workout work!
To clear off all such doubts, and give you a better break than you thought of here is why and does mandu work.
Does EMS Muscle Training Work?
The answer to does EMS workout work comes from its functioning and working mechanism.
The EMS technique can be used for varying purposes, ranging from therapeutic uses to sports and aesthetics.
During the process, small electric impulses are directed towards the nerves that supply the muscle to be trained. Once the signal reaches the target muscles they get activated to contract and relax.
Its results depend on the frequency of the electrical impulses, for example:
- Low electrical frequencies are used for relaxing muscles – at low frequencies ranging between 1 to 10 Hz, endorphins are produced which causes vasodilation and relaxes the muscles.
- Moderate electrical frequencies stabilize muscle structure – the frequencies ranging between 10 to 20 Hertz help in improving the oxygen transportation to the muscles and hence improve the tone of the muscles.
- Moderately high frequencies improve the strength – of the frequencies lie between 20 to 50 hertz, mixed fibers show contractions and relaxations which help in toning the muscles and improving strength.
- High frequencies for strength and power – 50 to 100 hertz of electrical frequencies work on muscles in phases. For example, 40-80 hertz of frequencies work in favor of strength and hypertrophy of muscles, 80 – 100 hertz improve strength, and above 100 improves the power.
Hence, the frequency of the electro-stimulation helps define its working efficiency.
But are all these functions of EMS helpful in building abs and enhancing the new synthesis of muscles, for a better build at the end of the workout?
Do Muscle Stimulators Work for Abs?
Muscle stimulators targeting abs are devices that send electrical signals to the abdominal messages for the abs to appear toned and firm.
Research conducted in 2005 with a team of 24 participants focused on the does abs workout work for abs.
One group of these participants used an ab stimulator for five days, for 8 weeks, and the other didn’t use the stimulators.
According to results, people using ab stimulator showed:
- 58% higher strength in the abdomen
- Boost 100% in the endurance
- Decrease of 3.5 centimeters at the waist
Though the study proves that muscle stimulators do work for abs, yet, it could only help you in developing abs, if it’s able to build muscles.
Can EMS Build Muscle?
There is an advanced usage of EMS in therapies targeting muscle building and improving muscle weight.
Many studies conducted in experimental models and even humans suggest that it can actively increase muscle mass by 1% in just 5-6 weeks of treatment.
Studies also suggest that EMS is a better alternative for muscle building as compared to conventional training.
One such study was conducted on senior people who followed a regular lifestyle. They were grouped and had to practice leg press or electrical stimulation for 9 weeks.
Before and after the period of study, muscle biopsies and other assessments were done. According to the results, EMS showed better functioning of muscles as compared to the group performing leg press.
Thus, looking at both its ability to build muscles and tone ab muscles, we are sure that EMS workout does work!
But is that the limit of the results?
Well, no, there are many more benefits and EMS training benefits that we are yet to discuss!
EMS Workout Before/After Transformation – Benefits and Results
The electrical muscle stimulation workout program is not just limited to improving your muscle mass and building up abs!
There is a lot more to discover before picking it up as your core workout guide.
8 EMS Training Benefits
The EMS training packs many benefits for the field of fitness and delivers them smoothly.
Some of the great athletic boosters that you are guaranteed with healthy EMS training are:
#1. Performance
A study from 2012 highlighted the power of EMS for athletics as it reviewed 89 studies focusing on EMS and physical performance.
According to this report, it helps in improving:
- Speed
- Force
- Strength
- Power
Together all these benefits uplift your athletic performance and even daily performance.
#2. Improves Range of Motion
You won’t be facing any more stiffness around your muscles, and hurdles around the gym, as EMS, also improves your range of motion.
The relevance came from research that studied 940 stroke patients, and the results showed a positive increase in the range of motion.
#3. Aerobic Power
The electrical stimulation for different parts of your body can support a healthy aerobic capacity in your body as it stimulates cardiac exercise without exerting much pressure.
This result was noted in a study (published in the Journal of Applied Physiology) conducted on fifteen adults with healthy parameters. The participants went through 29 sessions of EMS.
On assessment, the results showed that while walking for 6 minutes on a treadmill, the participants showed faster movement than before EMS sessions.
#4. Weight Loss
Weight loss is all about the calorie balance, and what else but EMS is just the best for burning some extra pounds.
A report from an open-access study conducted in 2011 shows that electrical muscle stimulation can increase the amount of energy you burn daily.
However, this energy expenditure depends on the intensity of the training, and it was reported that the higher the intensity higher was the energy spent.
Another investigation also claimed that EMS was able to reduce abdominal fat in women.
#5. Better Muscle Recovery
The reason why conventional training programs are super tiring and often result in you missing a session is the poor recovery rate of muscles.
But with EMS you can fasten the muscle recovery by speeding up your muscle tissue repair.
However, this result comes from an experimental study conducted on 24 rabbits which suggested that EMS could regenerate muscle fibers.
#6. Preserves Muscle Mass
Often people with goals of bodybuilding follow two phases, bulking and cutting.
While bulking is easy, cutting often results in loss of muscle mass bringing down all the efforts you invested during the bulking phase.
But this can be prevented if you follow the EMS.
Research from Greece focusing on the effects of EMS on muscle mass preservation brought great results.
In this study forty-nine, critically ill patients were studied in the ICU by giving them the electrical muscle stimulation treatment for the lower body.
According to the results, the muscle mass loss decreased comparatively as compared to before starting the sessions.
#7. Strengthens the Pelvic Floor
Often pregnancy, obesity, and other situations can lead to pelvic floor weakening among women affecting their regular exercises and activities.
EMS tends to work on the pelvic floor muscles and strengthen them along with some core muscles.
#8. Builds Stronger Mental Abilities
Along with physiological recovery, EMS also builds a stronger you mentally. This enhances your focus, concentration, and dedication towards your goals, along with keeping you free for the coming sessions of workout.
To throw more light on these benefits we also have with us one of the EMS training reviews before and after a journey that takes us through what the training feels like in one month.
One Month of EMS Workout – What Can You Expect?
The results of EMS workout are often visible within the first few weeks.
1. First and Second Week
The session starts with you being introduced to your training gear which could be a short, belt, or any such thing.
You won’t need any special outfit like in the conventional programs for the EMS training.
It generally makes you feel as if small needles are pricking you up but that isn’t painful. Once the impulses set in, you start with your general workout session.
Post the workout: You just feel ached because of all that contracting and relaxing.
2. Third and Fourth Week
Your trainer might suggest some strengthening exercises and cardio exercises. You will feel a different frequency based on the type of exercise.
3. Fifth Week
You start noticing results by the fifth week as you notice:
- Defined stomach
- Outline of abs
- Less back pain
- Strong core muscles
However, these results can vary from person to person, as the time that the workout takes to show results isn’t the same for every genetic composition.
How Long Does It Take to See Results from EMS Training?
Electrical muscle stimulation promises to show you results of 90 minutes of conventional workout in just twenty minutes.
Though just 1 to 2 sessions a week can help you achieve visible results in just one month, that could vary from person to person.
This is because not everyone has the same muscle mass and composition. But maximum results are seen among people in just three months.
After all the results and benefits speaking too well of the EMS training, there also has to be some attention towards safety.
It isn’t always safe for everyone to try out EMS training.
Dangers of EMS Training
There are a few disadvantages of EMS training as noted by many doctors and health professionals:
#1. It can Damage Kidney
Not following the correct technique of EMS, can damage muscles and cause them to break into small particles.
These particles can move through the bloodstream and damage the kidney.
Hence it is not suggested for people to follow EMS workouts at home as that could cause severe muscle cramps and pain.
#2. Not Suitable for Everyone
The electrical muscle stimulation procedure is not advisable in many conditions like:
- Electrical implants – pacemakers can fail during EMS training.
- Pregnancy – EMS can cause muscular tension around the pelvic floor, abdomen, and hips which is harmful to the fetus. It can also reduce blood flow to the abdomen.
- Open skin wounds – bacteria can transfer from the patches used in EMS training.
- Recent operations – the EMS can cause breakage of the clot and the opening can move through the blood causing embolism and further death.
- High blood pressure – too much EMS can cause an uncontrollable increase in good pressure.
Except these conditions, you can use EMS and add much more potential to your workout efforts.
Conclusion
Electrical muscle stimulation exists for quite a long time.
Initially, it was just therapeutic with many medical conditions seeing it as a vital part of treatment.
But because of its astonishing benefits, people are now using it even as a workout and it packs a strong punch.
Some of the great results that EMS shows fitness freaks are related to strength and power.
But astonishment comes from the fact that electrical muscle stimulation can also help you work up your abs!
So what are you waiting for? Get ready to pack on some real good muscles as your Monday motivation is now complete.
ALSO READ: At-Home Ways to Reverse Muscle Atrophy
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