Does EMS fitness really work?
The short answer: It’s everything you would expect from regular exercise, but better!
As with any service, we have several buckets: the service itself and what it can and can’t do, the marketing around it, the expectations of the consumer, the delivery of the service, and the results. If every bucket is on the same page, we have good or great service. The problems arise when one or more buckets are on different pages.
Bucket #1: The EMS technology
In the case of EMS fitness, the only promise the technology makes is that the EMS suit will provide stimulation to the muscles. The stimulation can be high, low, long, short, deep, or superficial. If the electrical pads are in contact with the muscle, it will stimulate it.
There are differences between EMS suits and manufacturers, but unless the suit or battery is defective, they will all provide stimulation to the muscles, which will make them contract.
So does EMS fitness work? In terms of technology, yes it does.
Bucket #2: Marketing
Marketing in general tends to lean more towards aspiration than reality. With EMS fitness, however, I’ve seen numbers thrown around with no logical explanation. Whatever you read or hear, just know that a 20-minute EMS workout is closer to lifting weights for an hour to 90 minutes. This is the equivalence found in research for the most part. EMS workouts can also be effective for cardio. EMS workouts can burn 15% to 30% more calories than a cardio bout of the same length, but it is highly dependent on the activity.
Marketing you can trust:
EMS workouts are 20 minutes long, can be joint-friendly and low-impact, do not require additional equipment or weights, can be done anywhere, and can alleviate aches and pains.
If you’ve clicked around our website you would have seen that we’ve heavily leaned on these undisputed benefits.
So does EMS fitness work? In terms of marketing, yes it does, but be careful with claims of wild numbers.
Bucket #3: Consumer expectations
In my 14 years in the fitness industry, I’ve had many success stories. I’ve had clients who achieved great results and maintained life-long healthy habits long after we stopped working together. However, early on in my career, I had a couple of clients who came in with high expectations and left disappointed. I take responsibility for my lack of communication skills at the time to be able to set clear expectations. I learned very quickly to always fall back on what the research shows.
For the most part, anybody looking for a quick fix is going to be disappointed. Electrical muscle stimulation may provide a faster workout, but if you want to see results, you will still need to watch your diet, get enough sleep, and manage your stress.
I’ve often used the analogy of a road (your health journey) blocked by four big boulders: exercise, diet, sleep, and hormones. You need to take care of all four of them or you won’t be able to continue towards your goal. Spending your time on supplements, trying out a different workout every week, or a different diet is the equivalent of kicking around pebbles on the ground. It makes the road safer, but you’ll still need to focus on the four boulders.
So does EMS fitness work? In terms of meeting expectations, yes it does as long as they are grounded in research.
Bucket #4: Delivery of an EMS workout
Exercise can get complicated very quickly. You can focus on building strength, increasing cardio, becoming more flexible, more agile, more powerful, more stable, more mobile, less injury-prone, and so on. Each of these goals will require very different training modalities, different repetitions, sets, exercise selection, duration, frequency, equipment requirements, and so on.
Notice I didn’t include “becoming leaner, thinner, lose belly fat” or any other variation because weight-related goals can be achieved to a certain degree with all of the above goals. In fact, I wouldn’t call weight loss an actual goal, but rather a consequence of pursuing any of the other goals, coupled with diet, sleep, and managing stress (the 4 boulders).
EMS fitness adds another layer of complexity, as it can be used for all of the goals mentioned with all of their specific parameters, in addition to stimulation protocols.
The more parameters there are, the more room for improvement there is.
That said, if I had to summarize the key components of what makes an exercise program good or great, I would narrow it down to consistency and progression. As long as you are consistent week after week, and make incremental progressions to keep the exercise challenging, you will reach your goal. This is why we recommend two sessions per week, and we have developed a built-in progression for increasing stimulation gradually.
So does EMS fitness work? In terms of delivering an EMS program that works, yes ours works! There are other smart EMS trainers out there so if we can’t service you, we’d be happy to recommend one.
If you are interested in learning more about EMS book a free consultation with me here: https://calendly.com/conradfitness/30min
Conrad
Director of Education and Technology
Bodybuzz
Bodybuzz combines Certified Personal Training with Electrical Muscle Stimulation, giving your body a deeper, safer, and more effective workout. 20 minutes twice a week is all it takes!
Our personal trainers will guide you through a custom EMS workout designed specifically for you. Whether you’re looking to build strength, lose weight, get toned, or recover from an injury or illness, we offer a safe, low-impact solution to help get you there.
EMS has now been FDA-cleared for use in the US and we are proud to be one of the first companies to introduce this technology. This full-body workout uses a special muscle stimulating suit that sends low-level impulses to your major muscle groups to trigger muscle contractions. It’s a unique sensation that is painless and invigorating. EMS workouts are designed to achieve optimal conditioning, burn fat, develop strength, build muscle, tighten skin, combat cellulite, jump-start your metabolism, and restore your body’s natural balance.