Straight answers about EMS training

EMS stands for electrical muscle stimulation. You wear a miha bodytec suit with electrode pads over your main muscle groups. While you do simple movements such as squats and lunges, the suit sends low-frequency impulses that make those muscles contract harder than they would on their own. Your trainer controls every muscle group separately.

Yes, because nearly every major muscle group is working at the same time, and deep muscle fibres that are hard to reach in a normal workout are switched on too. The work is intense enough that your muscles then need at least 48 hours of rest to recover, which is why most clients train once a week.

No. It feels like a strong tingling and tightening, a bit like someone squeezing the muscle for you. Your trainer starts low and raises each muscle group only as far as you are comfortable. You will probably feel it the next day, as you would after any good workout.

No. The impulse works in a rhythm: a few seconds of work, then a four-second rest, over and over. As you get used to it, your trainer gradually shortens the rest so the session keeps challenging you.

No. They look similar but do different jobs. A TENS machine sends a mild signal to your nerves to dull pain, and it does not train anything. EMS sends a stronger signal to the muscle itself so that it contracts and works. Total Body TEC is EMS training: exercise, with a trainer, for your whole body.

Same principle, different job. A home unit works one or two muscles at a time while you sit still, which is useful for recovery or for rebuilding a single muscle after injury. We use a whole-body suit that works eight muscle groups together while you exercise, with a trainer setting every level and watching your form.

Your first visit is free when you join, and there is no obligation. If you decide not to join, it’s €20 for the session. We talk through your goals and health history, take an InBody 270 body composition scan, fit you into the suit and take you through a 12-minute trial session so you can feel what EMS is like.

For your free session, just yourself and a bottle of water. After that, you wear your own miha bodytec base layer under the suit (€60, yours to keep). We provide the suit. Arrive well hydrated, and have eaten something light a couple of hours beforehand.

No. Sessions are one-to-one and set to your level, so complete beginners, people returning after a long break and regular gym-goers can all train effectively. The movements are simple and there are no heavy weights.

Once a week suits most people. You only need 20 minutes of impulse training, and then your muscles need at least 48 hours of rest, because the rest is when they rebuild. Clients who want faster progress can train twice a week, always with that 48-hour gap.

Yes. Sessions are one-to-one or for two people together. Two is the maximum, so you always have your trainer’s full attention.

We measure it. The InBody 270 scan shows your muscle mass, body fat, visceral fat and water balance, so we can track real change over time instead of guessing from the bathroom scales.

Whole-body EMS with certified equipment and a trained supervisor is a well-established training method. miha bodytec is a German-made system used in professional studios worldwide, and our miha bodytec m.ove is medically certified, the only one of its kind in Ireland. Every session here is supervised from start to finish.

EMS is not suitable if you have a pacemaker or other implanted electrical device, if you are pregnant, or if you have epilepsy, an acute illness or fever, a recent operation, thrombosis or a serious heart or circulation condition. If you have any medical condition or are unsure, check with your GP first and tell us before your trial. We go through a health questionnaire with every new client.

Many clients come to us for exactly that reason. EMS strengthens the deep core and back muscles that support the spine without loading it with heavy weights. It is exercise, not medical treatment, so if your pain is severe, new or unexplained, see your GP or physiotherapist first.