Hello, friends! In today's article we will talk about electrical muscle stimulation, or rather about the newfangled EMS (EMS) training or EMS (EMS) fitness that uses this method. I have already talked in more detail about electrical stimulation as part of the rehabilitation process in this article. There you can find out what it is and what the principles of operation are.
EMS training or EMS fitness is a new method of training, and it is increasingly becoming widespread and popular as it works and works in terms of strengthening and developing muscles.
No, nothing new has been invented. Nobody invented the bicycle. The muscle and its contraction, and therefore work, are stimulated by electrical impulses. This method was invented a long time ago and was originally used to restore and work the muscles of astronauts - one of the ways to make muscles work in conditions of weightlessness. Later, this method moved into sports, into restorative medicine and is used for rehabilitation and muscle recovery after operations and injuries to this day.
A new trend today is the use of electrical stimulation during sports to increase efficiency, or to overcome all-consuming human laziness - the engine of progress.
Now more and more fitness centers are opening that use this technology in a more convenient version for training. Let's see what this can be useful for, how to use it and whether it is necessary, isn't it a hoax?
What is EMS training?
This type of exercise is a completely new approach to sports due to the fact that the muscles contract forcibly. The workout uses a much larger number of muscle fibers than when performing regular approaches in the gym.
According to research, up to 90% of the muscles of the human body are additionally involved in performing the exercise. Due to this, the result is achieved in such a short time. Everything happens thanks to a small but constant electrical stimulation combined with a set of exercises. The person needs to perform cardio exercises and strength-based approaches while wearing a special suit that has electrodes built into it.
The training consists of three main stages:
- Warm up. Exercises aimed at stimulating the cardio system. Most often, they warm up on a stepper while simultaneously performing a simple set of muscle stretching exercises. The duration of this period should not exceed 7 minutes.
- Strength training sets. The training includes a constant change of approaches and rests, which have a very small execution interval - 5 seconds each. The duration of the process is about 20 minutes.
- General massage and lymphatic drainage procedures performed within 15 minutes after training. Here you just need to relax and have fun.
Are the Rules broken in the situations depicted?
Correct 6. Requirements for cyclists
6.6. A cyclist is prohibited from:
d) while driving, hold on to another vehicle;
f) tow bicycles;
Wrong 6. Requirements for cyclists
6.6. A cyclist is prohibited from:
d) while driving, hold on to another vehicle;
f) tow bicycles;
2.
Efficiency
Training is effective due to additional stimulation of muscle function with small discharges of electricity generated by a specialized computer program. There is simultaneous heating of muscle tissue, as during standard training, and additional contraction due to the systematic supply of an electrical impulse.
Thus, the body receives a much more effective load in a relatively short time. A standard workout can last up to 20-30 minutes, while the degree of muscle and fat mass development is comparable to a regular workout in the gym for 2 hours.
Trying on a suit
The weight of the suit for EMS training is about 3 kg. It must be put on very tightly, leaving only room to breathe. There are plates with electrodes along the suit. A current is supplied from the simulator and an impulse appears, which stimulates the muscles.
The first sensations are similar to vibration and shock from small needles. The level of tingling depends on the strength and frequency of the impulse throughout the EMS training. Reviews indicate that the level of impulses can be varied based on the goals and preparation of the student.
The student performs basic exercises, generating the maximum possible tension. The secret is that you won’t be able to “free ride”. Training on an EMS simulator is highly efficient work.
Is EMS training safe?
EMS training is, in general, a fairly safe sport. Like any other type of activity, it has a number of contraindications, failure to comply with which can lead to serious injuries.
The human body produces the enzyme creatine kinase. It is required in cases where muscle tissue is injured. Myoglobin also exists in the body. This is the protein that makes up all muscle tissue. For some people, additional electrical stimulation significantly increases levels of these two elements.
Undesirable effects can lead to kidney failure and intoxication. That is why holding such sporting events is impossible without the continuous supervision of a coach.
A mandatory condition for fulfillment is the constant presence of a personal teacher. Some countries have introduced mandatory medical control for such training in fitness clubs.
What loads is a cyclist allowed to carry?
Correct 6. Requirements for cyclists
6.4. A cyclist may only carry such loads that do not interfere with the operation of the bicycle and do not create obstacles for other road users.
22. Cargo transportation
22.3. Transportation of cargo is permitted provided that it:
b) does not interfere with the stability of the vehicle and does not complicate its control;
Wrong 6. Requirements for cyclists
6.4. A cyclist may only carry such loads that do not interfere with the operation of the bicycle and do not create obstacles for other road users.
22. Cargo transportation
22.3. Transportation of cargo is permitted provided that it:
b) does not interfere with the stability of the vehicle and does not complicate its control;
5.
Feelings during and after EMS training
The deep layers of muscles are involved in the work. For beginners, the sensations received during the process may seem very strange - the muscles will seem to live their own life. This condition occurs because there is an increase in tissue activity without a direct order from the brain.
Even after a short workout, soreness occurs and the muscles become very tired.
This happens because during training the tissues were stimulated not only by the method of applying sports approaches, but also performed double work, since they received an electrical impulse.
Advantages and disadvantages
Any type of sports activity is selected based on the personal characteristics of each athlete’s body. But at the same time, a set of exercises always has a base of positive and negative characteristics.
EMS training is no exception. The main qualities of EMC are:
| Advantages | Flaws |
| Achieve results quickly. The EMS technique, thanks to a completely new approach to performing exercises, was able to reduce the time required to achieve ideal muscle development by several times. | High price. The equipment used is designed according to the latest standards of technical art, and the price is appropriate. You will also have to fork out for the services of a professional trainer. |
| The time of such a workout is half as much as a person would need to spend in the gym doing classic strength and cardio exercises. Large time savings are very beneficial for people whose busy work schedule does not allow them to spend several hours training every day. | Inaccessibility to the outback. Such technologies are just beginning to be introduced into the eastern market and have not yet fully occupied the niche intended for them. In addition, not every fitness center can afford such expensive equipment, so most of them prefer to opt for providing standard services to work on their body. |
| There is no need to carry a tracksuit with you. All items needed to complete the exercises will be provided on site. | Very rapid fatigue of the body. Such sports are definitely not for the faint of heart, since the load on the muscles will be double and sometimes triple. |
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What is this procedure
Myostimulation, what kind of procedure is this? Myostimulation (or electromyostimulation, EMS fitness) is the stimulation of neuromuscular structures using weak electrical impulses that imitate natural electrical signals of the nervous system.
Simply put, imagine how electrodes were connected to an innocently killed frog, or rather to its muscle, and, under the influence of an electric current, the muscle began to contract. About the same thing, only more humanely, happens with myostimulation.
Myostimulation (neurostimulation, physiostimulation, myolifting, electromyostimulation, electrical stimulation) is, in its original, studied version, the use of pulsed currents only for therapeutic purposes . But for reference, classically similar procedures are aimed at restoring the functioning of muscles, nerves, tissues, and internal organs after injuries, serious illnesses, and long-term forced immobility .
This technique has been used in physiotherapy for more than 30 years. This is an excellent passive gymnastics for bedridden patients who do not have the opportunity to receive physical activity in traditional ways.
So, take a look at yourself: are your arms and legs working? If yes, then take a contrast shower and get this brilliant idea about myostimulation out of your head.
Cunning businessmen who make millions from us, naive and lazy people who want to lose weight, began to use myostimulation to correct the figure, facial contours, treat cellulite, build muscle mass, strengthen muscles, relieve pain from cramps, and turn into fairies.
In addition, myostimulation began to be used for facial rejuvenation, stimulating the skin of the eyelids, for various gynecological purposes and to combat absolutely any aesthetic problem.
Indications for cosmetic stimulation are severe sagging skin and muscles, excess weight, cellulite, circulatory disorders, venous-lymphatic insufficiency - in short, the classic “starter pack” of a modern person, and especially women.
So, electrodes are connected to you, current is applied (some kind of concentration camp, by God) - and electrical impulses travel along our nerves to the brain. There is a feeling that you are being pinched. The brain is puzzled and asks the question “who is that pinching us there?” through the same nerves it sends a command to pull back (i.e., contract) the “pinched” muscle.
It’s like you’re on your four-legged friend’s couch, and your muscles are contracting. This method is also called “gymnastics for the lazy” or “passive fitness”.
Without a doubt, such muscle work is similar to our natural movements, but the fact is that it is only similar and nothing more . A manifestation of a cargo cult, nothing less, worship of form and denial of content.
You see how someone has something that you want to have, you see how he behaves and what he does, you come up with a cause-and-effect relationship (he has it because he does such and such), you copy him behavior and everything, you wait.
That's what advertising works on. This is why various fitness perversions: from bodybuilding to crossfit have gained such popularity. What happens is this: you see on TV/Instagram/whatever someone who has the body of your dreams, no more, no less.
You see this strong-willed, tense face of an ancient Greek god/goddess, bulging veins, a sweaty T-shirt, tight leggings. At the same time, your object of adoration may perform some strange movements: tossing a medicine ball, tugging at ropes, hitting a tire with a hammer (an exercise a la “total show off”), and again being wrapped in wires.
In the depths of your subconscious, you make a connection between their appearance and their actions: “yeah, they look so cool, have such beautiful figures, because they: 1) feel very bad during training, 2) sweat, 3) hit tires with hammers, 4) they scream and bare their teeth.” Conclusion: to look like them, you need to do the same!
Of course, in fact, we have no idea why these people actually look so cool, have such developed muscles and pumped up abs . Read the article “Why you shouldn’t drool over instadiv or motivation for sports” , it will help you get rid of this type of thinking.
This may be a result of:
- the person has been or is involved in some other sport since childhood,
- has gel/implants in the butt,
- uses photoshop photoshopovich,
- uses pharmacological drugs.
These reasons for a beautiful figure are much more likely than being struck by an electric current or a hammer on a tire (no, really, who came up with this anyway, maybe the person identified himself with Thor or Perun, or at worst the blacksmith Vakula?) and constant self-improvement to exhaustion by any means.
In any case, we don’t know how exactly the model achieved a beautiful figure, what method she used to train before, before she started dangling ropes like a crazed cabin boy . We only see an advertising video or picture on the Internet.
And then the average person looks: there is a girl with a very beautiful figure, wrapped in some kind of wires. The effect is subconsciously triggered: “if I do this too, I will become the same.” All advertising is based on this.
This is not always a consequence of conscious thinking, it is our subconscious that makes such a cool conclusion (read how to rein it in in the article Mindfulness: fighting habits ).
Of course, any physical work can be useful . If you don’t overdo it, there will be some benefit for the muscles, joints, and blood vessels. The muscles will grow to some extent (compared to the time when the person did not move at all), mobility will improve, and the mood will improve. In any case, it is better to move at least somehow than not to move at all.
The only thing that won't happen is that by copying an athlete, you will look like an athlete. Treat pictures and videos on the Internet more critically, select a methodology based on an accurate and specific understanding of your goals.
And remember, when setting goals, you will have to determine priorities and take into account that often a technique that solves some problems well harms others. And vice versa. As it’s fashionable to say now, use your brain more often :)
How to take the right selfie or how to become a fit girl in 5 seconds?
Efficiency
For cellulite
In order to understand whether this wonderful procedure will help you get rid of cellulite, you need to learn and accept the disgusting fact that cellulite is simply the structure of our adipose tissue. It consists of cells - adipocytes, which contain a large drop of fat surrounded by a ring of cytoplasm.
These adipocytes are collected in “bags” that contain thousands of cells. These bags are in turn combined into larger structures. Therefore, human adipose tissue is often loose, heterogeneous and consists of round, elongated lobules. If you schematically imagine the structure of subcutaneous fat, it looks something like this:
Each individual adipocyte is programmed to accumulate fat, and as much as it wants - thanks to the ability to stretch, adipocytes can increase in volume hundreds and even thousands of times! It turns out that each of them increases in size in no way consistent with the others (i.e., some swell more from accumulated fat, while others swell less).
In turn, adipocyte conglomerates also increase unevenly, followed by larger structures. Each visible lobule of adipose tissue has its own size! That is, if all fat cells worked equally, then the adipose tissue would have a smooth surface. But they don't
