Shocking new Exercise routine
There is no short or quick road to weight loss or increasing strength. Only through hard work, dedication, proper diet, & exercise plan will help you obtain your goal. You want it? You have to work for it. There is no pill or serum that will give it to you. Certain products may assist, but it’s not going to do it for you. I was talking to a member in the gym I work at, and he told me he doesn’t have the time to exercise, and was thinking about trying this new thing where in 20 minutes once a week you get a full workout that helps you lose weight and increase muscle. I told him something is better than nothing, & I could write a total body workout program for 10-15 minutes.
After hearing about this new exercise workout that lasts only 20 minutes once a week,I as a fitness professional and personal trainer, had to experience it. When you first come to a EMS studio you have to drink a cup of water so the electricity flows better through the muscle, remove your clothes and put on the special shirt & shorts that are sprayed with water for 2 reasons.
- For safety, because other clothing may have metal zippers, rings, or snaps that would cause you to get shocked
- Different material may act as a barrier and not conduct preventing your muscles from receiving a charge.
Next they connect a wet vest, belt, arm, & leg bands to your body followed by electrodes, and a parallel cable. Once this is set up a trainer comes & adjusts the amount of voltage until you feel it in every muscle; which he/she will continue to increase as the session proceeds for stronger contractions.
The session starts, there is no warm up, you’re placed in positions like a bicep curl, and an electric shock is delivered while the muscle would be in a concentric movement. I found that the electrical stimulation made the muscle contractions so hard that they were painful. I also found that it was difficult to perform certain movements that I could normally do, like a lateral leg raise, but couldn’t due to the muscle being contracted and not releasing. There were times that I couldn’t balance on a single leg. The session finishes with no cool down, and no stretching, which should be performed to promote flexibility.
Aside from the pain, I barely broke a sweat, or even had to breath heavy. Even with traditional anaerobic training you still end up breathing heavy because of the weight being moved your body demands it from you. Not to mention the only reason I was wet, was because of the wet vest, belt, and bands they put prior to the session to allow for better conductivity (of electrical current).
Another point I’d like to make it only takes .15 amperes to cause muscle paralysis. Why is this important? The main muscle we’re concerned about here is the heart. If it gets the wrong electrical pulse & it stops pumping blood you’re in a world of trouble. That’s why a smart electrician will use his right hand near electricity instead of his left.
However, there is a place for electrical stimulation, it’s just not in the fitness realm, and more in the rehabilitation/physical therapy sector of health and fitness.
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