Electrical muscle stimulation, or EMS, is an emerging personal training trend that has the potential to become a primary modality for many trainers. This technology can be used in the gym as an add-on during strength training or as a stand-alone piece of equipment for cardio-focused sessions.
Read on to learn how you can use electrical muscle stimulation for your training needs and help your clients achieve their goals faster.
What Is Electrical Muscle Stimulation (EMS)?
Electrical muscle stimulation, also known as EMS, is a form of neuromuscular electrical stimulation that delivers electrical impulses to contract the muscles. This technology has existed for decades, but it’s only recently become popular among personal trainers like https://pulseperformancestudio.com/.
Electrical muscle stimulation is used to help achieve fitness and performance goals by enhancing strength and endurance, reducing recovery time, and facilitating mobility issues.
This allows you to provide your clients with a more intense cardio session than what is achievable with standard cardio equipment.
How Does EMS Work?
EMS works by sending an electrical current from an electrode that is placed on the skin of a muscle to stimulate the underlying muscle fibers. This current triggers the neuromuscular system to contract the muscles, which causes the muscles to contract voluntarily.
Electrical muscle stimulation can be used in conjunction with resistance training to increase strength and enhance post-workout recovery.
Benefits Of Using Electrical Muscle Stimulation For Fitness
Electrical muscle stimulation has several benefits that make it a great tool for personal trainers. Here are some of the benefits EMS can be used for in fitness:
- Enhanced Muscle Strength - Electrical muscle stimulation has been shown to increase muscle strength by up to 40% compared to lifting without it.
- Increased Endurance - Electrical muscle stimulation can help improve endurance by increasing the number of contractions a muscle can perform before becoming fatigued.
- Reduced Muscle Fatigue - Electrical muscle stimulation has been shown to reduce muscle fatigue and allow muscles to perform at a higher capacity than they would without stimulation.
- Reduced Recovery Time - Electrical muscle stimulation can speed up the recovery process by enhancing blood flow and increasing the body’s production of growth hormones.
How To Utilize EMS In Your Training Program
Personal trainers can add electrical muscle stimulation to their programs in a variety of ways. Here are some ideas for how electrical muscle stimulation can be used in your gym:
Electrical Muscle Stimulation as an Add-On During Strength Training - EMS can be used as an add-on during strength training to enhance muscle strength and increase the number of reps clients can complete in a given period.
Electrical Muscle Stimulation as a Stand-alone Piece of Equipment for High-Intensity Cardio and Metabolic Training - Electrical muscle stimulation can also be used as a stand-alone piece of equipment for high-intensity cardio and metabolic training.
Electrical Muscle Stimulation with Isometric Exercises - Electrical muscle stimulation can also be used to enhance isometric exercises. Isometric exercises are static exercises where the muscles are contracted without any visible movement of the joint.
Bottom Line
Electrical muscle stimulation has many benefits for fitness and can be used in various ways by personal trainers. This technology can help enhance muscle strength, increase endurance and reduce recovery time between workouts.
It can also be used as a stand-alone piece of equipment for high-intensity cardio and metabolic training. Electrical muscle stimulation is an emerging personal training trend that has the potential to become a primary modality for many trainers.
EMS works by sending an electrical current from an electrode that is placed on the skin of a muscle to stimulate the underlying muscle fibers.