Implementing EMS Into Your Fitness Program

Electrical muscle stimulation, or EMS, can be a valuable addition to anyone’s exercise routine. EMS training involves electrical impulses stimulating the contraction of your muscles, allowing you to get more results in less time. “A typical 60-minute training session only targets a few muscle groups,” says Dave McGarry, EMS Program Director at Cooper Fitness Center. “While 20-minute EMS training sessions are whole-body workouts stimulating multiple muscle groups at the same time.”

The time-efficient EMS workout also benefits you by:

• Increasing strength, endurance and energy
• Accelerating metabolism
• Being easy on your joints

McGarry explains, “EMS whole-body training is easy to fit into anybody’s routine due to its flexibility and personalization to an individual’s fitness goals and lifestyle.”

So how do you add EMS training into your fitness plan? McGarry shares ways to implement EMS into a variety of fitness plans.

1. Non-exerciser

For someone who doesn’t currently exercise, what do you recommend? What other types of exercises complement EMS training?

EMS sessions are great for beginners, especially those who are not familiar with resistant training. To get started, I suggest doing EMS two times a week for four weeks to develop the base foundation of the training. From there, depending on your goal, you may want to reduce the sessions to once a week in order to add other types of exercise into your routine such as:

• Walking or jogging outdoors or on a treadmill
• Cycling
• Pilates
• Yoga
• Stretching classes

2. For someone who currently takes HIIT classes

How do you recommend adding EMS training for someone who currently does HIIT twice a week? What EMS movements and exercises should they do while training?

Once you begin EMS, I recommend one HIIT workout and one EMS training session a week. That way you’re not putting as much stress on your joints. Your EMS training can include HIIT exercises such as:

• Single leg squats
• Single leg dead lifts
• Jump squats

3. Tennis players

Two tennis player scenarios—one who does traditional strength training two times per week and one who doesn’t strength train. How would you incorporate EMS into their fitness plans? What are some recommended movements and intensities?

For the tennis player who does strength training, EMS once a week is a great addition, especially if focusing on endurance training. For the tennis player who doesn’t strength train, EMS two times a week can help better their endurance and strength. Several movements to try in the EMS suit are:

• Sit-ups, standing crunches or lateral torso rotations
• Overhead press

4. Working mom

For a working mom who runs in the morning, how could she implement EMS into her fitness plan? How can moms benefit from doing EMS?

Obviously working moms are super busy but it’s important they take care of themselves. Ideally, they should try to get two, 20-minute EMS sessions before or after work each week. These sessions are great for:

• Building stronger muscles to help maintain their bone density as they get older
• Maintaining their lean mass which helps later in perimenopause

5. Business professional who enjoys swimming

For a business professional who swims laps in the pool but wants to find a quick and impactful strength training workout for their busy life, how does EMS meet that need?

EMS helps improve muscle development and endurance, which are great for those who are looking for speed, especially for swimming. The shorter duration training allows you to spend less time in the gym while getting an effective whole-body workout. I recommend two EMS sessions per week.

6. Someone who lifts weights

For someone who strength trains regularly, what would you say to encourage them to try EMS? How can EMS enhance their current routine and the strength training results they may already be experiencing? 

Your one hour of strength training is cut to 20 minutes with EMS. This training helps take away the strain on your body when lifting heavy weights. Eventually EMS will help you lift heavier weights as the EMS suit helps activate deeper muscles, where traditional strength training takes longer to activate.

While EMS can be easily added to any workout routine, McGarry explains that EMS training should only be done at most twice per week with 48 hours in between to get the full recovery from the past session. “Like any other workout, you should stretch five to 10 minutes after the session and get plenty of hydration,” says McGarry.

EMS is recommended for anyone who wants to change their traditional weekly training and lower the amount of time spent in the gym. Cooper Fitness Center’s XBODY EMS training is available to members and the general public who are 18+. Customized to your health and fitness goals, one-on-one sessions are offered with a professional fitness trainer. To learn more, visit our EMS web page.