Kelly Meharg tries out EMS training – here’s her comprehensive review! (*Yes, I am aware that I’m not actually getting electrocuted but when you’re soaking wet and electrodes stuck to your body… how else do you describe that!?)
“What the f*ck am I doing?’ – the thought running constantly through my head as I bend, squat, lunge and hold decked out in a saturated bodysuit and a lifejackety kind of vest with electrical wires galore attached.
My brain – ‘Girl, I know we weren’t great at science at school but even we know that water and electricity do NOT mix’.
My muscles – ‘WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO US WHAT DID WE EVER DO TO YOU’
My trainer, in a disconcertingly lovely Scottish accent – ‘You can do it! One more squat! Yessss!’
Welcome to EMS training.
I’ve done a few sessions now with Fu/nis EMS training, and on the box it almost sounds too good to be true – a full body workout in just 20 minutes. How? Why? And mostly, what?
What is EMS training?
Look great question. EMS – Electrical Muscle Stimulation – training stems from rehabilitation research where electrical impulses stimulate muscles to contract without heavy external loads. The studio claims their system (they use a certified device) targets deep muscle fibres and therefore gives greater activation per unit time, meaning less overall volume is needed.
You’re hooked up to the machine via the vest and cables and intentionally wet which, I admit, took my brain a bit to get my head around due to my aforementioned science understanding – but the vest contains elecrodes that send the electrical impulses to your muscles, and of course, water is a great conductor of electricity. So, are you getting (minorly) electrocuted? Yes and no?
During the session, I was doing body weight moves and the trainer varied intensities of the impulses as my form changed, so you’re still moving, not just lying there getting zapped. The theoretical benefit: activate more muscle groups concurrently, increase metabolic demand, and improve strength/tone while sparing joints (since you’re not lifting heavy weights). The day-after soreness confirmed something real was happening. If you’re short on time, want something efficient, and are fine with a novelty element (electric impulses!) it’s an interesting alternative.
My experience with EMS training
I squeezed in four sessions over the past couple of weeks, and yes, I looked utterly ridiculous in that suit, but you just have to get over that.
First off: the convenience. Each session is only 20-30 minutes, which means I could slot one in between work meetings without destroying the rest of the day. According to their pitch, 20 minutes of EMS training is “equivalent” to a much longer gym session because the technology activates up to 90% of your muscles at once and look, I’m always looking an exercise shortcut, so fab.
Session one: I walked in, got fitted into the spandex-type black outfit plus the vest connected to electrodes. Clare, my lovely trainer, explained that the vest delivers low-level electrical impulses to major muscle groups while I performed body-weight movements under their guidance. It’s also great because you need literally no gear – they even provide disposable undies for under their black workout outfit, and you don’t have to wear shoes.
But let’s talk about how weird it feels because I am not going to lie, it takes some getting used to. It’s a kind of buzzing-vibration sensation: muscles contracting and releasing with the electricity overlaid. It’s not painful in itself – well, it can be but your trainer gradually builds up your impulse level, so you’ll be fine – but unfamiliar. AND you’re soaking wet with both water and sweat.
It’s like your muscles are doing extra work you didn’t ask them to – almost like you’ve been possessed by a fit person!? It’s weird, but also very satisfying. And then, you do a movement. Jeeeeeeeesus, we are on.
On a basic squat I felt deep quiver in my quads and glutes in a way I’ve rarely experienced on a regular gym day.
Then, the weirdest part: I locked my elbow accidentally during a movement (I straightened too far which they tell you, very clearly, not to do) and the impulse plus leverage combined to give a very sharp twinge, and my arm literally got stuck. It was so weird, but you get used to not hyper-extending very quickly.
Let’s talk pain (or mild pain): I wouldn’t call it agony, but after sessions three and four I definitely felt something the next day. Deep-muscle soreness in areas I rarely train – inner thighs, lower back, upper arms – showed me the EMS was targeting muscles I tend to skip. And the day after each session I found myself more fatigued overall (in a good way) but not wiped out. Because the session is short, I could still go about my day (though by the afternoon I wanted a nap). So again: easy to fit in, but effective enough you actually feel it.
So would I recommend it? Yeah, I would. You do get the promised full-body workout because I felt it, especially the next day. For someone who is busy, wants to try something different, and doesn’t mind looking a bit odd, it’s perfect. After four visits I feel slightly leaner, slightly stronger, and pleasantly surprised at how my body responded.