Electronic Muscle Stimulators??

[NewGuy1980]

Do these work??? In theroy it makes sense, but it just seems to good to be true. Just put a belt on and it sends shock waves to your muscles forcing them to contract. In theroy thats all you need to workout a muscle. I dont think it would burn to many calories though. Your thoughts??

 

[DanielBishop]

I just watched the Abtronics informercial and I was wondering the same thing....

.... if that stuff really works, why do gyms still exist? Why do I still see people on the floor crunching away?

Some bodybuilders endorse them, but the rest of the fitness world doesn't.

 

[gymtime]

I'm talking completely out of my ass here, but I'm gonna venture a guess. It's CRAP!!! I think those little stimulator things do in fact somehow stimulate the muscle. However, if we can assume that the only way to build muscle is with resistance training, where is the resistance. To me, it's almost the same thing as saying, "you can build up your bis by raising your forearm up and down 1000 times, every other day."

 

[Irish BoneZ]

Its not crap, but its not good for you. Those things are for people who are injured and can not work out a muscle group (IE: you can't move your legs). They do very little, but its better than nothing if you can't move at all. In rehab people use them alot so they can regain the strength in their legs so that they can walk again. So, unless you've recently been in a coma or had your spinal cord snapped, stick to weightlifting.

Btw, I heard they are good to break up fat around muscle groups, I dunno if this is true or not. I doubt it, since spot reducing is total bs.

 

[DanielBishop]

I know a little bit about molecular biology, but not in any great depth.... so I know how a muscle contracts, but....

.... what I'm wondering is, will a muscle breakdown the same way as it does with heavy weights, if it's an EXTERNAL source providing the electro-stimulation? I mean, if it's something other than a nerve impulse from the brain, would it still have the same effect? That's what I wanna know.... I guess it would, as once there's calcium molecules released, it's the same process.

The other thing that makes me skeptical, is how it's not a very hard contraction. It's like a very rapid, weak contraction.... not like you're contracting really hard or anything, but more like just.... for example, bending at the elbow without holding any weight, and thinking it will work your biceps.

 

[tableedge]

abtronic

I've hated my abs since birth, and ordered the abtronic about 6 months ago. I didn't feel it nearly as much as a good ab workout. You have to apply some sort of jelly to the area you put the abtronic, so you don't get burned. The belt wore out and started feeling like i was getting stabbed after about a week. I don't feel like paying an additional 30 bucks a week for a new belt for a weak ab workout, so i sent it back. I wouldn't recommend getting one.

 

[new2roids]

Tens Unit

I love it ! it stretches the hell out of my biceps, a little painful at first but worth it. here's who I bought mine from. http://www.empi.com/

 

[nextsean]

I heard from someone that Bruce Lee got so cut up using the electricial shock. He would shock himself with electricity to contract his muscle to get all cut up. I don't know if this is total bs or it has any truth to it. I thought I'd throw this out into the discussion.