EMS Fitness in the Media
Every now and then a major news outlet reports on EMS fitness. I’m really grateful for any media coverage that informs the public about electrical muscle stimulation. The more people know about it, the more people try it, the more people get stronger and healthier. As demand for EMS workouts increases, supply increases as well, which means better-educated trainers, better technology, lower costs, and so on.
The most recent article from The Wall Street Journal about EMS reads like a review of Katalyst but also evaluates the niche EMS industry as a whole. There have been some other articles, like this other one from the WSJ and also this one from the BBC. All of these articles tend to focus a lot on the time-saving benefit and effectiveness. This is like comparing a car to a horse and reporting only on the speed advantage. What about the lack of cup holders on a horse?
The saying goes “There’s no such thing as bad press”, but can there be better press?
In this article, I want to highlight some key benefits that these articles are missing about EMS technology and what it brings to the fitness industry.
Equipment
- EMS Fitness allows you to get a full-body workout without needing additional equipment. You can use some light weights or resistance bands, but they are mostly used as props to help guide the movement. This means you don’t need to sacrifice part of your garage or home office to have a small gym.
Mobility
- If you have a hard time bending forward against gravity, lying on your back, getting up and down from the floor, holding yourself up on your wrists, and so on, you are going to have to avoid many exercises. WB-EMS uses a suit with electrodes placed on all the major muscle groups, so it circumvents the requirement of lifting against gravity or needing to be in certain positions to exercise the correct muscle.
Injuries
- If you’ve ever suffered from an orthopedic injury such as a torn rotator cuff, torn meniscus, ACL tear, lower back pain, sprained ankle, and so on, you know how hard it can be to work out to stay in shape and how much it can set you back. Electrical muscle stimulation has some therapeutic properties which is why it was originally used in physical therapy settings. However, I consider this just a bonus. The real benefit is the fact that you can continue to progress your strength even if you can’t move that joint. The only limitation here is being able to put on the suit, not the exercise, the movement, or how much weight you can use.
Muscle Fibers
- This point is a lot more technical and requires some understanding of muscle physiology, you can read more about muscle fiber types here. The benefit here is that you can target fast-twitch muscle fibers from day 1, instead of working up to it over a period of weeks. If you’re sedentary and starting a resistance training program, you would start with light weights and high repetitions. This builds muscle endurance. It would take you a few weeks before really focusing on strength training. WB-EMS will start making you stronger right away.
All these less-talked-about benefits are what make EMS unique in the fitness industry. It provides an effective option to people that lack time, don’t have access to equipment, have limited mobility, and need to get stronger faster. There is nothing else in the fitness industry that can accomplish all of these things together.
PS: you can read a rebuttal of the BBC article here.
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.