Electrifying muscles? The EMS suit on trial
Electrical muscle stimulation, or EMS, promises rapid success in a short space of time: more muscle, less fat, better performance. Is it really true? We have two guinea pigs at our disposal, and they're going to help us find out more.
When you look, you find. I came across Simon and Yannick, two brothers from Küttigen, near Aarau, who answered my call. They want to take up this electrifying challenge by testing the EMS suit in a professional setting.
Simon and Yannick are monozygotic twins and therefore the ideal people to answer this question: is it true that a few minutes of training in an EMS suit can replace hours of sweating in the gym? For the next three months, Yannick will be training with the Fortis suit, while Simon will be doing conventional strength training.
The Höferlin Institute
There is still a lack of a partner to accompany this test in a professional manner. Here too, I finally found one; it will be the Institut Höferlin in Basel. As well as physiotherapy and personal training, this family-run business also specialises in medical training using electrical muscle stimulation.
Judith and Andreas Höferlin give Simon and Yannick a thorough check-up including a bioelectrical impedance analysis, which determines body composition, a spinal column measurement and a physiotherapeutic analysis.
lectric impedance analysis for Yannick
Starting situation
There is plenty of data relevant to Simon and Yannick. We will focus on two parameters: body fat and active cell mass, or body cell mass in English. Body cell mass covers all metabolically active areas of the body, including skeletal muscle. Overall, Yannick is just ahead of his brother:
- Yannick: 15.7% body fat / 33.2kg cell mass;
- Simon: 17.2% body fat / 32 kg cell mass.
Grosso modo, Yannick has more muscle and less fat than Simon. He is more flexible, has more stable coordination in his legs and more rebounds.
The challenge
The training plan for the next three months is still missing and the challenge will be complete. Simon and Yannick will record their workouts using the Mywellness app, available on Apple Store and on Google Play. Judith Höferlin set up two programmes - one focused on function, the other on strength, featuring the same exercises, on the same days, with identical sets and repetitions - which the two brothers would follow. During three training sessions, however, Yannick will train with his suit for 20 minutes.
As they live under the same roof and have virtually identical daily routines, they also eat very similarly. As a result, we don't have to take any special measures on this aspect.
The two of them are very similar in terms of their diet.
After six weeks, we'll draw up an interim assessment, and after twelve weeks, we'll see who has risen to the challenge. Who will have gained more cell mass and reduced their body fat? Yannick with his Fortis EMS suit or Simon training without an electrical impulse?
Actual twins, muscles gained on impulse and an electrifying challenge: click here to follow my author profile and be kept up to date!
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Patrick Bardelli
Senior Editor
Patrick.Bardelli@digitecgalaxus.chFrom radio journalist to product tester and storyteller, jogger to gravel bike novice and fitness enthusiast with barbells and dumbbells. I'm excited to see where the journey'll take me next.
