Although the ‘healthy living’ movement has made its way into the lives of most young professionals and students, a strict daily workout regiment isn’t always possible for the busy, highly motivated, hardworking twenty-something. In our fast paced, overbooked lives, efficiency is key, especially when it comes to working out. Voila: a solution! Electrical muscle stimulation training offered at Studio X Gym enables its trainees to strength train and work all major groups in just two 20 minute-sessions per week.
Electrical muscle stimulation is a European training concept that uses electrical impulses to elicit deep muscle contractions while performing simple low resistance movements. A typical session lasts 20 minutes and targets almost all major muscle groups. Electrical muscle stimulation has been used in the medical field for decades to help activate muscles prone to atrophy (or deterioration) in patients with neuromuscular diseases and to retrain muscle groups in people who suffer from different forms of paralysis. In more recent years, professional athletes have used this Health Canada approved treatment to improve their performance and build muscular endurance.
Studio X is one of the first fitness facilities in all of North America to provide this form of training, already hugely popular in Europe. Before you go, you should know that workout gear is provided, so all you need to bring is a smile and a towel if you’d like to shower off after. Once the suit is on (containing electrodes that deliver electrical impulses to your muscles), you may be mistaken for a Tomb Raider character! You’ll definitely feel like one.
Training sessions are always one-on-one with a highly trained instructor who leads you for the entire session. You typically perform 4 seconds of simple exercises, such as lunges and squats, with 4 seconds of active rest (standing in a demi-squat position). Throughout the movements, pulsatile electrical impulses are delivered to deep muscles (these are not painful; don’t worry!). The instructor controls the intensity of the pulse being delivered based on your ability to tolerate the different levels of stimulation. The impulses replace the resistance you would feel from weight training, with the added benefit of being very easy on your joints. Amidst sweat pouring out of your skin, an almost soothing zen-like mind body connection can be achieved where you literally ‘feel the burn’ as your muscle fibers are activated while you perform each movement.
Whether you are an individual experimenting with exercise for the first time or you are a veteran of the weight room, this unique exercise concept offers an efficient and safe muscle training session for everyone over the age of 18. This is the perfect workout for those of us that can’t seem to find the time to make it to the gym.
A first time trial session is $20. Monthly, annual, and class packages exist as well. Students can buy 10 classes that work out to $25 a session.
SPECIAL DEAL FOR MONTREALL.COM READERS: get your 1st session FREE before August 1st by mentioning this article. You’re welcome.
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4937 Rue Levy, Montréal, QC H4R 2N9
(438) 384-4434
