Last Updated on December 2, 2012 by Jimson Lee
This is Part 5 of the series on Electrical Muscle Stimulation (EMS).
Part 1 was Electrical Muscle Stimulation Benefits with Derek Hansen writing Part 2 with a Electrical Muscle Stimulation (EMS) Research Review.
Part 3 is How to Use Electrical Muscle Stimulation (EMS) with Training with uncut, unedited “reality TV” videos and Part 4 was guest posted by James Smith titled Other Uses of the Globus SpeedCoach EMS
Part of what makes this blog popular are the real time examples of what athletes are using to improve themselves. There are a lot (and I mean a lot) of websites that come from a purely theoretical standpoint, and not enough “in the trenches” stories. We need to see testing labs. Real people. Real results.
I like to write and share results, based on scientific research, and sometimes a little bit of art for a personal touch. You cannot teach the latter.
I’ve endorsed the Globus SpeedCoach EMS units because of the flexibility and reliability of the product. The training programs were tested on real athletes before it went to market. The fact that I live in Rome and Globus is an Italian company is purely a coincidence.
EMS for Rugby and Sprinters
I had a chance to sit down with Cedric Unholz, an Australian-born Rugby player who played professional rugby in Scotland. He currently continues to do sprint workouts and weight training with Olympic lifts. Part 3 of this series goes more into detail on how he uses the EMS device with his training.
So here is my one-on-one Q&A with Cedric and I tried to ask all the questions I received by private email over the past 4 months. One day we’ll do a live webinar, but for now, you’ll find this 10 minute interview quite helpful. We referred to the training plan on the whiteboard, so I added the image below in case it isn’t clear.
In this interview, I focused a lot on training, and lightly touched the recovery and rehabilitation portions of EMS since most people outside of Eastern Europe and Italy think EMS is only for rehab and pain relief.
Hi Jim,
Did you post that in order to unchain passions? :)
I’ll comment a little bit everyone of this article points:
a) As you know I’m from Eastern Europe and apparently it is true what you are saying about people in Eastern Europe… But, it is always a but, less Russians and Polish. I know from reliable sources that Polish Sprint Coaches – and they are not bad, extended or integrated the EMS on regular bases in their coaching programs… Actually the only differences between “eastern” and “western” coaches is the fact that the first ones (with few exceptions) never share their “knowledge”, methodology and the worst, they are never doing what they are saying that they are doing. Is true, the majority of them are considering EMS a recovery “tool”. That’s a kind of inertial prejudge due to the fact that the most muscular rehabilitation and functional reeducation processes are using suck king of instruments and programs. Also they do not like to explore new possibilities. Here I’m talking about Romanian ones. And if they are doing it, it will remain “secret”. Actually, is quit funny all that.
… On the other hand, I’m not sure Italians are so innocent about EMS training integration in athletic preparation… You probably know better, you live there, but I’ve heard of cycling teams using it pretty much. Still, I do not have any evidence to sustain this affirmation.
b) As you say, I confirm the force of you blog is because you try to offer real-life examples… so here is one: I belong to the category of people who used EMS for performance optimization purposes – as competitor (I was at the very and of my “career” at the age of 37) and also as coach… and I can say that IT definitely works. It is even a quite spectacular and achievements are durable in time…. if no “secondary effects”…. so big big big care about muscular injuries especially after “pushy” strength cycles. I have to admit that happened 12 years ago, so studies, knowledges and wide spread know how about using EMS was quit “recent” on the market… I know were I did wrong on me, so I knew what I had to avoid in order not to repeat the same mistakes with my athletes.
c) Concerning rugby, because this is my specialty, it is one of sports which really justifies the EMS use. Actually I think the only thing where the statement of the article goes somewhere, I do not agree (talking only for me) is just a matter of shade. But this is a long long talk.
OKtav,
Very interesting on your take of EMS. Do you know which countries use it the most by any chance for strength/power/speed training purposes? Also do you have any idea what the protocols are? (4sec ON/25 OFF, etc)
I’m afraid I can not answer to your questions. I know in France was used frequently enough. It was also the period of the new generation equipment – software controlled, easy to be used, with many new functions. It was almost a trend. At the period I’ve coached in Canada (only one season) didn’t meet somebody using it… But rugby in Quebec was mostly at amateur levels.
About the protocol also is not easy to offer you an accurate answer for the simply reason that I used to work with predefined/pre-designed programs…But lucky you :) I’ve been curios once and I’ve measured duration of all the phases. First of all, in the specific case of strength, power and speed training…there are always 3 phases and not only 2 (ON and OFF)… I don not remember exactly the times, and I didn’t keep my notes…But for sure the device I was using had at least one program for each of the 3 mentioned purposes. The one you are mentioning (4″/25″) was rather 2″+2″/15″ or 20″and is closer to the speed program logic.
I hope my answer was useful…
Oktav,
I do not understand what you mean with three phases 2?+2?/15? or 20?
Could you please clarify?
:))) Should I send you an invoice guys… Compex group used to pay me for that..:) Well exceptionally this time just because you are Jimson’s friends…
Speed, power and strength are using high intensity electric impulses ..
So the muscle may be too close to it’s tolerance… never maximal, but still it needs to be prepared for quick and “violent” contractions… So specific programs should have a preparation phase with lower intensities in order to prepare the muscle – it’s about the fibers recruitment in order to avoid injuries and to obtain the participation of the maximum number of fibers… So first 2″ was the preparation phase – non linear – variable intensities but definitely lighter than next (last) 2″ which are are at the highest intensity of the program….
The previous comment was mentioning 4″ON – 25″ OFF…Well is true 4″ are ON, but in this 4″ are 2 distinct phases – 2″ preparation (activation) + 2″ maximal specific contraction (workout) . The differences between the intensities of the 2 phases can be triple or even more.
Hope it was useful…
OKtav,
Thanks for your response. From what I’ve seen in an ideal power speed program, there is no 2 second preparation/activation (or commonly called “Ramp”) time before an absolute maximal tetanic contraction. Most programs have the ramp time in .5seconds or less before the tetanic contraction. Charlie Francis always had his athletes do light calesthenics and 5-10min of light pulsing before starting EMS Max Strength work in order to avoid injury. I’m not saying that you’re wrong by any means, I’m just curious to hear more of your reasoning behind this.
It would be awesome if you could write an article or blog post with your experiences on EMS max strength training.
Kyle Uptmore
Hi Kyle…
I do not know the terminology in English (I’ve been educated in Romania and France) – so the RAMP is the preparation phase. Thanks!
I’m not saying I’m right. I’ve just answered (the best I could) to your question. My informations are 10 years old. At that period I was collaborating with a “trade mark” mobile devices. Actually I was working in program/convention created to deliver field observation and data in order tot optimize their devices. I’m telling you all that to help you understand how much you should trust in informations I’m delivering on that subject.
I’ve stayed moderately informed since, but didn’t use it anymore and I’ve explained my point of view in my article… I think I’m not may be the best guy in the world to put questions concerning last protocols elaborated by manufacturers and researchers.
My article was explaining some conclusions I’ve came too after using it 3 years at least. From my information things didn’t changed too much in the world of small mobile devices – even the pro ones. I never worked with lab devices. I’ve been only their patient :) but never been at the other end of the machine :)… So I do not have a clue about how many programming options do they offer today.
I’ve mentioned in my first answer that I’ve didn’t keep my notes so times I’ve announced are cited from “souvenirs”…. So I’m not sure about. What you are saying looks being much closer to the real physiological process. For a speed program a 2″ ramp looks to be definitely too long, but I’m 100% that this phase (the ramp) was lasting more than 1″ at the device I’m talking about… And for strength programs it wast lasting even more than 2″ – probably 3 or 4″…Intensity was not linear during the ramp phase.
All the programs included the 6′-10′”warm-up” period you are talking about. So in case of doing a specific strength EMS session, the device’s program would take care about the “warm-up” period too… Usually 6 to 10 minutes – it wouldn’t require/need 2 distinct manipulations or settings – on for the “warm-up” and one for the “work-out session”. …Of course most of the times were necessary more than two in order to modify intensities, etc. So the preparation phase I’m talking about is the ramp… is no confusion from my behalf between the ramp and the “warm-up”.
Hi Kyle and Jimson… sorry Kyle I’d like to give a better documented answer but I’ve worked 1 h at it after clicking post I had an internal error message and all the work got lost… Is not the first time it happens and this is so frustrating…. so I really I can not start writing it back again.
In few words:
1) I’ve been educated in Romanian and French… I don not know terminology in English. Thanks for mentioning term – RAMP
2) Is no confusion form my behalf between RAMP and “warm-up”… The 5-10′ period you are talking about.
3) I’m not saying that I’m right. I’ve even mentioned that I’m quoting from souvenirs, but I’m 100% sure that the ramp period was lasting much more than 1”. For strength programs it was even longer. I’ve just answered the best I could to your question… The protocol I talking about was not mine, it was a predefined mobile device program.
4) My informations are 10 years old. I do not know how things evolved since and also I do not know what programming possibilities offers today devices or lab instruments… So I’m not the right question to be asked about protocols and last programs elaborated by manufacturers or researchers.
5) My article was about some (“practical”) conclusions I’ve came to after using EMS at least 3 years in my players preparations, on myself and on my – how should I call them – clients, students, patients??? I was working in a gym. But… also I hadn’t any connection with EMS since (there are almost 10 years) … So maybe you should consider carefully my informations because definitely I’m not the most updated person on that subject.
6) … Still… I’ve worked as director of the internal training department for the biggest French fitness franchise at those times…Gymnasium… today disappeared because of tremendous/huge commercial frauds and litigations. The franchise had an agreement with the an EMS manufacturer (probably world leader at that period… today too, I think ) … I’m talking about the period1998 – 2003… I was the responsible of this program from the behalf of my employer. So I’m the one who gathered, centralized, classified (and preprocessed) field data and observations from 100 coaches – (franchise’s employees) who took part in manufacturers program.
My memories are not very accurate because some reasons that can not be explained here.
In conclusion – What are you saying looks much more closer to the physiologic processes. A 2″ ramp look being to long/or much for a specific speed program… I actually do not “believe” in EMS speed programs. I believe in strength in different regimes of intensities programs which is lightly different… so… back to our topic – I don’t know may be the ramp was was lasting 1′.25 – 1′.5 or 2″…but sure not only a half of a second… and for pure strength programs (maximal force included) it was even the double.
Correction at point 4) So I’m not the right person (instead of question) to be asked about protocols and last programs elaborated by manufacturers or researchers.
The two previous answers are the same because of internal message error.
……………………
I’ve forgot to mention that the tetanic contraction phase (as you named it) wasn’t lasting 4″ for speed program but only 2″.