The new method is based on the digital technology thanks to which the different districts are stimulated by electrical impulses modulated ad hoc, which make i work deep muscles, optimizing their work and thus reducing the workout time. The method was born in Germany and is spreading rapidly in France, Spain, Switzerland and now also in Italy. As he explains Frederick Servadioco-founder together with Adrian Silvestri from Urban FitnessItalian leader in the fast training, the technology was imported exclusively by the German Symbiont, already adopted in Europe by over 500 centres. The novelty, compared to many other EMS training technologies, lies in a special suit, similar to a diving suit, in which the electrodes are contained, without external cables and therefore more comfortable to wear and able to guarantee better freedom of movement. The suit works in symbiosis with the athlete’s body in a bidirectional way: on the one hand it sends electrical stimulation to the muscles, on the other it is able to measure and record a series of vital parameters in real time, monitoring at the same time the work effectiveness.
The method has been certified by a study carried out in collaboration with theUniversity of Rome Tor Vergata and directed by Prof. Stefano d’Ottavio, which validated the efficacy and total safety of the method. So it is a fitness suitable for all adults in good health, even overweight. It is only recommended for those with pacemakers or heart disease, those undergoing cancer therapy, suffering from kidney disease and pregnant women. Before accessing the training sessions, a certificate of fitness for non-competitive sporting activity and a resting electrocardiogram are required.
The electrical stimuli are administered during the different phases of training: after a short warm-up without stimulation, the personal trainer who works face-to-face with the athlete proposes a series of exercises, in isometrics or in a more dynamic way, depending on the characteristics and aptitudes of the single. The exercises can also be very traditional, such as the classic plank, squat, jump, or abdominal, with free body or with the use of simple tools. The different muscle districts, for each of which the optimal electrical stimulation was individualized at the beginning of the workout, work following the rhythm dictated by the cadence of the impulses, also personalized by the trainer. The impulses are not painful: you only feel a tingling that gets worse during work: however, you never reach the threshold of discomfort, unless the athlete decides it, in search of more intense work, always with the trainer supervision.
How much does all this cost? Depending on the workout package you choose, EMS workouts are comparable in cost to traditional workouts with a personal trainer.
This type of training is perfect if:
1 – We have little time to go to the gym: twenty minutes of workout correspond to approximately two of traditional training, an interval compatible with the lunch break or before going to work. The recommended frequency is once or twice a week, possibly also to be associated with a traditional fitness session.
2 – We want to lose weight: in addition to a significant expenditure of calories, the improved muscle efficiency stimulates the metabolism and has a positive effect on weight loss and the amount of fat.
3 – We want to tone the muscles and increase muscle power: the training sculpts the body and works, thanks to special programs, on increasing muscle strength, constantly monitored by a team of experts. The study by the University of Rome Tor Vergata certified that subjects who trained with Urban Fitness sessions obtained an average increase in muscle power of more than 20% in the lower limbs and 30% in the upper limbs compared to those who performed a strength in the gym for longer duration.
4 – We are often affected by back pain – The electrical stimulation reaches and strengthens the muscles, including postural muscles, and decreases contractures, with beneficial effects for those suffering from back pain.
5 – We have to recover after a stop: workouts can be modulated according to specific needs, with tailor-made courses for joint mobility, muscle toning and with soft workouts for those over 65. Low voltage electrostimulation is also able to act on the process of decrease in bone density triggered by osteoporosis.
6 – We need to recharge and fill up on a good mood: one of the effects of physical activity is to release endorphins, the good mood hormones: in this case, at the end of the EMS workout, we’ll really feel like a thousand.