Hello all, I have a question about the electronic muscle stimulators (EMS) that are advertised on TV and elsewhere (i.e. Dr. Ho’s infomercial shit). Now before you write me off as a joker looking for the easy way out, I’ve been training really hard for 5 years and have put on around 45 lbs. of muscle in that time. I’m really curious about these things, and here are my thoughts:
From what I understand, EMS gadgets aren’t a viable muscle-builder because they don’t provide anywhere NEAR the amount of stimulation that you get from lifting, but might they have recovery-aiding benefits?
Two reasons I ask this: first off, I’ve always found that the day after a heavy workout (biceps for example) when I’m feeling really sore, if I do a light set or two of biceps (maybe just 15 to 20 reps) it aids my recovery significantly (and I have heard others say this aswell).
Secondly, almost everyone knows that getting deep-tissue massages post-training (perhaps even just once or twice a month) significantly aids recovery abilities. Since these Dr. Ho contraptions were originally made for soothing massage properties, might they provide low levels of stimulation that might aid recovery?
I’d love to hear from everyone on this topic, especially those who have tried EMS gadgets!
-Dan