EMS FAQs

Electromyostimulation, often referred to as Electrical Muscle Stimulation (EMS), is a training method that delivers electrical impulses that stimulate muscle contractions. EMS amplifies the natural process of muscle stimulation to encourage your muscles to work harder. Depending on the pulse frequency, duration of contraction, duration of rest, and length of training session, we can simulate various types of muscle “work”. At Bodybuzz, we use FDA-cleared EMS equipment and our specially designed SuperSuits that contain electrodes to deliver electrical pulses to the major muscle groups. The stimulation creates stronger, more intense muscle contractions as compared to conventional training, making an EMS Workout much more efficient and effective in reducing fat, developing strength, muscle, and stamina.

Most clients feel a difference after their first EMS Workout. A day or two after your introductory session you may feel some muscle soreness, which is normal and indicative of your body’s recovery process. Within 6-8 sessions you should be noticing real changes with your body. Depending what you are working on with your trainer, that could be increased strength, reduced body fat, additional muscle, better toning, greater stability, or improved endurance. You should also feel more energetic and be sleeping more soundly. Typically after 16 sessions your improvements should be significant in the form of increased lean muscle formation and body composition changes. EMS Workouts should be done regularly to ensure and maintain optimal results.

There is no upper age limit! We have many clients in their 70’s and 80’s that cannot safely participate in traditional exercise but are thriving with EMS Workouts. We train clients dealing with an array of conditions including arthritis, osteopenia, artificial joints, muscle atrophy, stability issues, and even Parkinson’s Disease. It’s low-impact, joint-friendly, and does not require heavy weights or complicated movements and is therefore highly recommended and effective for older clients. People have two general types of skeletal muscle fibers: slow-twitch (Type I) and fast-twitch (Type II). Type I (slow) muscle fibers are predominately used in endurance activities. Long distance runners, swimmers, and cyclists mostly use Type I fibers. Type II (fast) muscle fibers are used in activities such as sprinting, powerlifting, and bodybuilding. Type II muscle fibers naturally experience significant atrophy as we age. With electrical muscle stimulation we activate all muscle fibers, including Type II which can be nearly impossible with traditional exercise.

Yes. In fact this is one of the strengths of a Bodybuzz EMS Workout. We believe calories are burnt in significant amounts only when most of the body is involved in physical activity; during your whole-body EMS Workout, your major muscle groups will be stimulated simultaneously! There is a lot of published research on the effectiveness of EMS Workouts for the reduction of body fat percentage. See our section on the science for more details and to read some of the research.

Yes. EMS technology has been used for decades in medicine and professional sports. The use of low-frequency impulse current is widely used in the fitness industry and in the medical field for rehabilitation therapy. Our FDA-cleared devices meet the highest safety standards. The resulting muscle contractions are similar to the usual movement and the regular contractions of the muscles. An EMS Workout uses this natural principle but can intensify the contraction by applying special stimulation parameters. Furthermore, EMS Workouts are safe, because:

  • During an EMS Workout only skeletal muscles are stimulated. EMS does not have any effects on smooth muscles.
  • The electrical intensity of the current is reduced to a minimal amount before reaching internal organs because of its high resistance, thus EMS does not have any effect on internal organs.
  • The electric current flows directly from one part of the electrode pairs to the second part without going any other way in the body, thus, with EMS, only the superficial skeletal muscle layers are stimulated, and the current does not reach internal organs.
  • Thanks to this biphasic, square impulse, a safer stimulation is reached with a pleasant feeling, without skin irritation or an electrical-shock feeling. Bodybuzz is also a low- to no-impact workout – so it is easy on the joints. We also review contraindications and encourage our clients to update us of changes so we may take necessary precautions.

No. The electrical impulse is low frequency, low amplitude and completely safe. The feeling of the impulse is a unique sensation but non-invasive. Our personal trainers will work with you to set the different muscle-group settings to your individual preference.

An EMS Workout, at its core, imitates the natural process of muscle contraction. Our system emits a low frequency stimulus to activate intense muscle contractions. The secret is our SuperSuit, which stimulates all ten major muscle groups simultaneously, causing them to contract several times each second. With traditional resistance training you’d be lucky to recruit even 60% of the muscle fibers in the muscles being loaded. But with the Bodybuzz SuperSuit more than 90% of the fibers are recruited of all the muscles being loaded simultaneously. Therefore, with just a 20-minute training duration, an EMS Workout will deliver the same results as hours of conventional exercise. There is no other form of exercise that even comes close to being as efficient and effective.

Yes. At Bodybuzz, we schedule each EMS Workout to accommodate up to two people. We call these DUO sessions. It’s often more fun and motivating if you train with someone you know.

Dress comfortably. For your initial session we will provide you with the specially designed Bodybuzz base layer shirt and shorts for your training session. After you sign up for longer-term training, you will purchase your own set. You can train barefoot or wear sneakers.

We provide everything you need to train, so there is no need to bring anything with you other than probably a water bottle and a towel. Just come as you are! For your trial session, please allow a bit of extra time because we will spend a few minutes before the workout taking the necessary personal information and talking through what you want to achieve from training. For every session thereafter, you need only allow 30-40 minutes (ten for changing and having a drink, a short warm up, twenty for your workout and a couple for your cool down).

For best results we recommend having a sustainable meal (carbohydrate and protein-based) 2 to 3 hours prior to your EMS Workout. We also recommend drinking at least 16oz of water an hour before training to ensure proper hydration.

All trainers at Bodybuzz are experienced and certified personal trainers. We provide our trainers further training on our equipment and hands-on training before seeing any clients. Our personal trainers not only have professional background knowledge about fitness training but can also advise on training and certain nutrition-related questions – so we can help our clients achieve their personal goals.

At Bodybuzz, every one of our sessions is expertly guided by one of our certified personal trainers. After discussing your goals, your trainer will fit you into one of our stimulation suits which is fitted with specialty electrodes. The trainer then moistens the suit’s electrodes to make the signal more conductive and more effective. The suit is then coupled with a battery-operated EMS wave generator. The trainer monitors and adjusts the electrical pulses to your level of comfort for each muscle group. Once the levels are set, the trainer will lead you through a quick warmup, and then a short exercise routine which will include a series of basic movements, without using any heavy weights. Throughout the workout, the trainer will adjust the stimulation levels based on your level of comfort and threshold. Your actual workout will be low-impact and deceptively easy. As the electrical impulses continue, you will feel a vibrating sensation across your muscle groups; you will also feel your muscles contracting at the same time. The trainer will direct you to squeeze the muscle group you want to focus on during the exercise. The trainer will also challenge you to take on more resistance. It will feel like you’re doing so much more than simply squatting, lunging, and reaching overhead. Within 20 minutes you will have experienced a total body workout that would have taken hours in a traditional gym.

At Bodybuzz, our EMS Workouts:

  • Strengthen muscles
  • Improve muscle tone
  • Through the use of special settings including pulse width – can stimulate deep muscle fibers
  • Improve body composition
  • Can help increase muscle mass
  • Help burn calories
  • Stimulate major muscle groups simultaneously (instead of sequentially when using conventional methods)

Your Bodybuzz personal trainer will advise you on the best way to use EMS training within your current fitness regime. Depending on your current level of fitness, EMS Workouts can be used alongside other cardio training. However, based on your frequency of visits, additional resistance training may or may not be advised.

Just like conventional exercises, regular long-term EMS training is just as important. The performance capacity of your muscles can only be maintained with regular training. And, just like with conventional power training, if you stop exercising for extended periods of time, your muscles will eventually return to their former (pre-training) state.

EMS has been scientifically proven to be effective for people of different fitness levels and different age groups. An athlete can train next to a physically inactive client and both will receive challenging workouts that fit their level of exercise. Similarly, a younger adult and an older adult can train next to each other and training can be geared with not only intensity-level but also with impact-level. Just like conventional exercises, our EMS training also has certain contraindications. We require our clients be over the age of 18 (16+ with Parental Consent). Also, an EMS Workout is not advisable for certain groups who should not be exposed to physical stress or engage in sports; please refer to the consent forms for the full list. Also, pregnant clients are not able to train with EMS. We always recommend speaking with your General Practitioner if you are unsure.

EMS Workouts may not be performed for the following contraindications:

  • Implanted or external medical device (e.g., cardiac pacemaker, implanted defibrillator)
  • Pregnancy
  • Epilepsy
  • Cancer or undergoing any cancer treatment such as radiation or chemotherapy
  • Severe nephrological disease (e.g., chronic kidney disease)
  • Severe cardiovascular disease
  • Severe neurological or neuromuscular disorder

We recommend you consult with your physician prior to participating in an EMS Workout if you have been diagnosed with any of the following conditions:

  • Circulatory Disorder
  • Any type of hernia (e.g. abdominal or inguinal hernia)
  • Bleeding Disorder or tendency
  • Skin irritation, sensitivity, burns or wounds
  • Diseases that affect muscular metabolism (e.g.Diabetes)
  • Metabolic Syndrome (diabetes, hypertention, & obesity)
  • High levels of uric acid
  • Metabolic pathologies and alterations
  • Inflammatory pathologies
  • Recent surgical procedure, medical intervention or acute trauma
  • Contagious disease or any acute or chronic infections (bacterial or viral)
  • Chronic disease or fever

No. As revolutionary as our technology is, it does not perform miracles. What you put into your body matters regardless of the type or amount of exercise you are doing. If you increase your caloric intake because you are now working out, you may sabotage your progress. Just remember, you cannot outwork a bad diet.

Yes. In the professional sports field, where strength, power, and speed are vital, this unique technology combined with sport-specific workouts leads to a reduction of time needed for improving specific athletic skills and anaerobic power production. Research has shown that even the athletes at their peak performance have noticed increased muscle-mass resulting in significant enhancements in their relevant performance capacities. Professional European soccer players who underwent EMS training reported increased one-leg maximal strength at leg-press machine, improved linear sprinting and sprinting with directional changes, improved vertical jumping and improved kicking velocity. As deduced from the scientific results, it is recommended to integrate EMS Workouts into the specific professional athlete’s training protocol. By this integration diversity and variability can be ensured, which enhances motivation and results in better performance in a shorter time.