​EMS training works by delivering controlled electrical impulses through special EMS suits or electrodes placed on targeted muscle groups,’ says Eladio. ‘These impulses stimulate deep muscle fibres that are often challenging to engage through traditional exercise alone. This results in more intense muscle contractions and a highly efficient workout. Each session lasts just 20 minutes.

With little (although growing) research, the verdict is out as to whether EMS training is as effective as it claims to be – the official EMS training website states that it is ‘20 times more effective than traditional strength training’ – but there is some supporting evidence.

One study conducted in 2021 compared the results of two groups of women: one did a set of low-intensity resistance exercises three times a week for six weeks wearing a whole-body EMS suit, while the other followed the same routine, without the EMS suit. The results showed significant improvement in body circumference and cardiovascular function in the group that wore an EMS suit.

In another 2016 study, men who did a six-week squat program with EMS had greater strength improvements compared to those who did not use EMS. Perhaps less applicable since we know that there are lots of physiological differences between men and women, but still worth taking into account.

On the contrary, another study on ‘moderately-trained males’ found that EMS incited no significant benefits, bar elbow flexor strength, while another (also conducted on men), found no difference in strength between a group who performed two weekly sessions of high-intensity resistance training – they performed 10-13 exercises under a single-set-to-failure protocol, so durations would vary according to experience and existing strength – for 16 weeks, compared to a group who did three 20-minute sessions of EMS every two weeks, for 16 weeks.

The topic clearly warrants further research, but EMS training was initially used for professional athletes, to allow them to get in extra sessions without running the risk of injury, so it’s certainly not BS.

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