The Ideal Work Out for the Active Athlete.
The legends of sport and household heroes like Usain Bolt, Cristiano Ronaldo, Rafael Nadal and Tiger Woods have been incorporating EMS workouts into their sports training programs for years.
Having recognized the benefits, they use EMS technology to elevate their performance, increase their strength and most importantly target specific requirements for their sports.
EMS delivers a clean, complete muscle contraction which means it is able to activate 95% of an athlete’s muscle fibers, providing benefits that surpass traditional strength training.
Athletes are usually under huge strain, both physically and psychologically which can result in excessive fatigue. If they rely solely on traditional training methods, not only is progress slow, but recovery time is lengthy as well putting further strain on their bodies, increasing the risk of this excessive fatigue.
THE PROOF
Years of research has proven that training with EMS technology leads to greater increases in isokinetic peak torque, maximal isometric strength, and maximal dynamic strength.
Dr. Y. Kots of the Central Institute of Physical Culture in the USSR, delved deeper into the use of EMS as a method of strength training with many of his studies proving the efficiency of EMS in improving both strength and jumping ability, and in many cases sprinting ability as well.
Various tests, including one conducted on 15 rugby players over a series of weeks used EMS on targeted muscle groups and showed improvements in squat and leg extensions, power in movement and control all of which is valuable when translated to sport performance.
Further studies on tennis players showed a massive improvement in sprint times, jump heights and arm strength. Increased kicking power in soccer players has also been tested and recorded for research purposes.
THE BENEFITS
Due to the shorter time frames required with EMS training, it is important to note that a primary benefit mentioned in this study was the effectiveness of EMS training as a supplementary training method.
For the athlete with a busy competitive schedule it becomes challenging to add too many training elements to their regimes. Adding EMS training over and above their regular schedules, athletes noticed a remarkable improvement in their performances, thus reaping the greatest benefits in the competitive arena.
Strength does not necessarily mean muscle mass, but rather your ability to use extra muscle fibers, generating more powerful movements. World renowned sprinter, Charlie Francis says, “EMS is the single most intense strength building methods and has the briefest improvement period of all training modalities.”
INJURY RECOVERY
Further to elevating and improving athletic performance, EMS plays an integral role in the recovery process after an injury. Everything about EMS therapy, the muscle contractions, the increased blood flow, the portability, helps hasten recovery ensuring that the athlete returns to their sport strong and completely healed.
When used in conjunction with traditional healing methods such as chiropractors and physiotherapists, EMS has been proven to improve atrophied muscles, increase flexibility and mobility and speed up the healing process without putting strain on the injured area.
In some cases, the need to move at all is eliminated and athletes are simply able to rest, allowing the EMS technology to work the muscles for them. Not only is this beneficial to the body, but also to the mind. We unpack the benefits of these sessions in our blog about Body20’s Relax20 Sessions.
In conclusion, as an active athlete EMS technology can give you an extra competitive boost, without increasing the time spent in the gym by too much. The benefits are endless, ensuring that you are fitter, stronger and more prepared for your chosen sport.
To book a Body20 or Relax20 Session, contact your nearest studio and chat to one of our Champs about your sporting needs and what the Body20 EMS workout can do to give you the competitive edge.
