In just 20 minutes per week expect the unexpected: EMS-based hybrid training method has arrived in the UK to maximise your clients’ results

What’s it all about?
More than ever, a well-shaped, healthy and athletic body is considered a symbol of success. If you want to keep up, you need to have plenty of capacity in reserve. But training in the different areas of strength and endurance often consumes a huge amount of time and energy. All these training goals can now be achieved with a highly effective, time-saving method: miha bodytec® whole body training.

What’s the concept?
The miha bodytec® training system utilises the latest generation of EMS technology (Electro-Myo-Stimulation) throughout the workout to supercharge the physiological challenge and the corresponding benefits. It was developed by German engineers (miha bodytec GmbH) and has since become widespread, not only in professional sports and rehabilitation, but also within the fitness and active leisure industry.

How does it work?
Participants are connected to an exercise vest containing electrodes in the areas of the upper and lower back, buttocks, lats, stomach and chest. Additionally, the whole length of the arms and legs are trained as well. While the electrical impulses work on the muscles directly, clients are guided through a set of static or dynamic exercises with the help of an avatar, a virtual coach. In this way, muscular development can be stimulated far beyond the level that a standard training session is capable of doing.

The complete range of skeletal muscles can be targeted as a consequence of EMS, and muscles located deeper (eg. pelvic floor muscles), can be reached more efficiently. This particular form of training has also been known to increase metabolic and enzyme activity, thus providing additional physiological benefits such as improved circulation, reduced body fat, and increased collagen production.

The vest is attached to a control panel that enables adjustments to the tension on certain muscle groups to be made, allowing for intensity levels to be carefully controlled and for training to be adapted for a variety of individual requirements. Designed as a modular system, it allows all muscle groups from head to toe to be stimulated individually.

The portable nature of the miha bodytec laptop-sized controller allows it to be used anywhere, including in-house PT, to achieve a whole-body training effect. It comes with a Rimowa suitcase for mobile use, which guarantees the safe and stylish transport of control units, electrodes and accessories.

The science behind the workout
One of the studies (Short- and long-term training effects of mechanical and electrical stimulation on strength diagnostic parameters Speicher, U., Nowak, S., Schmithüsen, J., Kleinöder, H., Mester, J., German Sport University, Cologne) revealed that dynamic whole-body EMS training with miha bodytec compared to various training methods, offers a highly effective training method for enhancing strength and velocity. Only EMS training increased the sport relevant maximal power due to an increase of movement velocity. The great long-term effects of EMS training also offer new possibilities in training periodisation. Whole-body EMS and dynamic exercise movements offers a promising combination for strength and speed training.

The target audience
The miha bodytec® training system is the future of strength and conditioning training, sports rehabilitation and body shaping. Users include Olympic gold medallist sprinter Usain Bolt, tennis hot-shot Rafael Nadal, Premiership soccer players in the UK, and the entire Bayern Munich FC squad.

This method is widely used among people who lead a fast-paced lifestyle, patients suffering from back and waist pain and those who want quick results.

As the fitness industry is trending towards more personalised and customised trainings, boutique fitness chains are popping up all around the world, offering an alternative to conventional gyms. While in Germany, Austria and Switzerland there are nearly 3000 EMS training providers, in the UK this method is still unknown, thus there is great potential in the development of the 'no sport target group' of miha bodytec® services.

This efficient and time-saving training method is appealing to wide audiences, requires low investment while it yields rapid commercial return, and it offers an attractive business opportunity to gyms, personal trainers, physiotherapists or weight-loss consultants.