When you arrive for your first session, your trainer will provide you with a functional undergarment that is yours to keep and bring with you for each session thereafter. We recommend bringing a bag to put the undergarment in as it does get damp from the water that is used on the electrodes. As for footwear, we recommend bare feet (but any kind of athletic shoes are also OK). The trainer will provide you with a hand towel. There is water available, and it is recommended to bring your own personal re-usable water bottle.
As with any fitness regimen, a balanced diet goes a long way. We recommend a diet that consist of all 3 macronutrients (carbohydrates, fats, and protein) so that your metabolic health isn’t operating on any kind of energy deficit. Hydration is also a very important factor, but water isn’t the only ingredient required here: this is where electrolytes play an important role. Electrolytes not only aid in driving hydrogen into the cells, they are also responsible for muscle contractions. Therefore, we highly recommend taking a well-balanced electrolyte supplement with water within an hour of a session and a light meal within 2 hours.
The onset of muscle fatigue happens much faster in whole body EMS training than it does in conventional weight training. There are 2 main reasons for this: first, because of the simultaneous activation of both fast-twitch and slow-twitch muscle fibres. Slow-twitch muscle fibres are our larger endurance muscles that are activated in everyday use and in weight training. Fast-twitch fibres are our explosive muscle fibres with greater contraction forces and much less stamina. These are much more difficult to activate in conventional strength training methods. Second, in our whole body EMS sessions we are activating around 90% of muscle fibres in the body in a single session, whereas in conventional strength training it ranges from 40-60% of muscle fibre activation.
Yes, the list below outlines certain health conditions (contraindications) that would determine who should NOT be doing WB-EMS training:
We recommend consulting your doctor before taking on any new form of intensive training with an extensive review of your medical history.
Yes, all of our trainers have completed the internationally recognized EMS Fitness Expert certification provided by the Glucker Kolleg out of Kornwetheim, Germany.
We recommend doing EMS sessions once per week for the first 6 weeks. With WB-EMS sessions, there is an acclimatization period that will take place. Every body will respond differently to the new stimulus of EMS and 6 weeks is the minimum allowable time. After this period, talk with your trainer to see if 2 sessions a week will be beneficial to reach your goals.
No, EMS sessions should never be painful. When you arrive for your first session, the trainer will individually calibrate all 8 pairs of electrodes to those specific muscle groups. We aim to make the muscle contract with the client still able to voluntarily control that muscle.
EMS is best described as a vibration sensation from high speed pulses where the muscle feels as though there is some resistance or load being placed on it. The vibration sensation can vary on intensity based on several factors (e.g. skin thickness, fat content, hydration, and muscle mass) the trainer will ensure that during the calibration period that the sensation is evenly distributed amongst all muscle groups.
Yes, EMS is an effective and safe form of training if used correctly and under direct supervision. In fact, from a metabolic and musculoskeletal point of view, EMS is even more safe than conventional strength training with equipment when used appropriately (i.e. when all contraindications are taken into consideration). Since EMS uses low frequency impulses, only the the striated skeletal muscle fibres are being stimulated via the nerves; the smooth muscle in the organs and heart are therefore not affected by low frequency impulses.
WB-EMS clearly falls under the category of strength training. Regarding the overall effectiveness of EMS training compared to conventional strength training methods, a comparison with HIT protocol (i.e. a training session up to the trainee’s maximum muscular load threshold), showed comparable results for an increase in muscle mass, a reduction in body fat, and an increase in the strength of the core muscles. However, in all cases, the time required to achieve these results with EMS was only half as long.
As with any new strength training programs that are carried out correctly, benefits are usually seen in regards to metabolic health, fat loss and strength increases. But WB-EMS training has a list of unique benefits not typically seen in other methods. These include:
You bet. Here are several studies with findings supporting the benefits of WB-EMS training:
Schuhbeck E., Birkenmaier C., Schulte-Göcking H., Pronnet A., Jansson V. and Wegener B. (2019). The Influence of WB-EMS-Training on the Performance of Ice Hockey Players of Different Competitive Status. Frontiers in Physiology.
Kemmler W., Weissenfels A., Bebenek M., Fröhlich M., Kleinöder H., Kohl M. and von Stengel S. (2017). Effects of Whole-Body Electromyostimulation on Low Back Pain in People with Chronic Unspecific Dorsal Pain: A Meta-Analysis of Individual Patient Data from Randomized Controlled WB-EMS Trials. Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine.
Kemmler W., Weissenfels A., Willert S., Shojaa M., von Stengel S., Filipovic A., Kleinöder H., Berger J. and Fröhlich M. (2018). Efficacy and Safety of Low Frequency Whole-Body Electromyostimulation (WB-EMS) to Improve Health-Related Outcomes in Non-athletic Adults. A Systematic Review. Frontiers in Physiology.
Filipovic A., Grau M., Kleinöder H., Zimmer P., Hollmann W. and Bloch W. (2016). Effects of a Whole-Body Electrostimulation Program on Strength, Sprinting, Jumping, and Kicking Capacity in Elite Soccer Players. Journal of Sports Science and Medicine.
Amaro-Gahete F.J., De-la-O A., Sanchez-Delgado G., Robles-Gonzalez L., Jurado-Fasoli L., Ruiz J.R. and Gutierrez A. (2018). Whole-Body Electromyostimulation Improves Performance-Related Parameters in Runners. Frontiers in Physiology.