EMS training – does 20 minutes of this equal 2 hours of exercise?

There’s a new fitness craze in Australia, that could be the answer to saving you time in the gym. EMS training (electronic muscle stimulation) is it’s name, and low impact but high intensity is it’s game. SpeedFit are a boutique fitness studio franchise who have introduced this type of training to the Australian general public. Prior to this, it was utilised primarily for rehabilitation and sports medicine, but EMS studios are booming in Europe and SpeedFit is growing in popularity here in Australia. EMS training is used and loved by Usain Bolt, Karim Benzema, Madonna and Roger Federer to name a few. Despite the scary name, I’ve tried it out to see if a) it was as painful as the name suggests, and b) whether I thought that 20 minutes of this would really equal a couple hours of weights training in the gym. I’ve shared a video of my experience before, during and after to help you decide if it’s worth your time.

So how does SpeedFit EMS training work?

Put simply, you wear a vest and some straps around your glutes, arms and legs that are hooked up to a device that sends out electrical pulses to your body which cause your muscles to contract more than they would in a usual resistance training session.  As the muscles are contracting at a higher rate, there is no need to use weights. Things that look easy like body weight squats, bicep curls and lunges, feel much harder than they actually are.

SpeedFit combine this EMS technology with personal training in an exclusive session that has no more than two people at a time.

I tried EMS training at SpeedFit Sydney CBD, here’s what I thought

Sometimes it’s easier to show you than just write about it so here’s a little video to give you a taste of my experience and my thoughts:

What are the benefits of EMS training?

• Burn fat and tone your muscles
• Build muscle strength
• Reduce cellulite due to boost in blood circulation to the tissues and it’s ability to tone muscles and tighten connective tissue.
• Improve your fitness, mood, sleep, weight and posture.
• Kind to joins and tendons as there is not jumping, running or twisting.

Where is it located?

There are currently 9 SpeedFit locations in Australia, 2 in Sydney and 7 in Western Australia – full location details here.

Who is it ideal for?

I would say busy professionals, time-poor parents, people working through injuries (because it is very low impact and you can control the intensity), or just anyone looking for a effective solution that is also economical in terms of time.

It would also be good for people like me who train fairly regularly but find it hard to target certain areas. I found the rest of my body wasn’t too sore afterwards but my glutes were killing me and that’s because they often switch off and my quads engage instead, so this is why I am going back again – there is no escaping the glute workout!

Are there any downsides of EMS training?

If the EMS technology is not used responsibly under the guidance of a personal trainer who can monitor the muscle stimulation, overstimulation with this technology has been suggested to be dangerous. SpeedFit says this is unlikely as they minimise injury by limiting sessions to 20 minutes, and having a minimum resting period of two days between sessions.

Can you try SpeedFit without signing up?

Yes and I highly encourage you to give it a go! It is a unique experience and you will never know if it is right for you until you try it. If you want to try it, my readers are able to experience the trial pack for just $60 instead of $90, simply enter the code use code ‘EatPraySpeedFit’ (it’s case letter sensitive so it needs to be exactly that way). Want to try it? CLICK HERE.

Want to do your trial sessions with me?

If you’re in Sydney and want to do your trial session with me, send me an email I would be happy to organise a training session with you (the studio allows for two clients at a time) if we can get a time that suits us both. Don’t forget, the discount code for the trial pack is ‘EatPraySpeedFit’ (it’s case letter sensitive so it needs to be exactly that way) and you enter that code HERE. Let’s have some fun training together!