Electronic Muscle Stimulator (Tens Unit)

[ForumFiend4]

Do they work for muscle growth? Anyone use them for training?

I got one prescribed for my lower back injury and it has been helping me these past few weeks. Since I have been out of the gym and curious/bored I have been messing around with putting the pads on different muscle groups. I did not notice a single thing in till I put them on my biceps. I have never had a sicker pump, and it took four days for my arms to fully recover. I did it again yesterday and had to write this post because I am sore as hell again.
I know this can not replace lifting, but I swear I feel like had the best bicep workout ever.

Anyone involve EMS in their routine? Am I sore from fast contractions/twitching or just wasting batteries?

[jfindon]

I hear that's all Ronnie Coleman used to get to his current size. We're all losers for busting our asses when you can have muscular growth from an electrocuting device.

[IEatPowerRacks]

Do they work for muscle growth? Anyone use them for training?

I got one prescribed for my lower back injury and it has been helping me these past few weeks. Since I have been out of the gym and curious/bored I have been messing around with putting the pads on different muscle groups. I did not notice a single thing in till I put them on my biceps. I have never had a sicker pump, and it took four days for my arms to fully recover. I did it again yesterday and had to write this post because I am sore as hell again.
I know this can not replace lifting, but I swear I feel like had the best bicep workout ever.

Anyone involve EMS in their routine? Am I sore from fast contractions/twitching or just wasting batteries?

Well, studies have shown that the important thing is that the muscle is fatigued, and if it feels like the best bicep workout ever, maybe it is... though I've always believed that EMS was a piece of junk that didn't do anything.

[jfindon]

Well, studies have shown that the important thing is that the muscle is fatigued, and if it feels like the best bicep workout ever, maybe it is... though I've always believed that EMS was a piece of junk that didn't do anything.

Yeah, I know my legs benefit much more from doing hundreds of bodyweight squats vs squats with 400+ pounds. I feel more tired doing 500 bodyweight squats, they must be working.

I honestly don't even see a reason to lift actual weights, I mean we can all just throw our arms and legs around to fatigue and get better results.

[thousand]

Yeah, I know my legs benefit much more from doing hundreds of bodyweight squats vs squats with 400+ pounds. I feel more tired doing 500 bodyweight squats, they must be working.

I honestly don't even see a reason to lift actual weights, I mean we can all just throw our arms and legs around to fatigue and get better results.

yup, that's right

[desslok]

Yeah, I know my legs benefit much more from doing hundreds of bodyweight squats vs squats with 400+ pounds. I feel more tired doing 500 bodyweight squats, they must be working.

I honestly don't even see a reason to lift actual weights, I mean we can all just throw our arms and legs around to fatigue and get better results.

Actually, just don't sleep, then your whole body will be fatigued.

[jfindon]

Actually, just don't sleep, then your whole body will be fatigued.

I never thought of that. Hopefully by the weekend I'll put on 50lbs of LBM from not sleeping and being in a constant state of fatigue.

[desslok]

I never thought of that. Hopefully by the weekend I'll put on 50lbs of LBM from not sleeping and being in a constant state of fatigue.

LMAO, repped. Laghing at the name of the site that picture cam from too, haha..

[yitmy]

Electric stimulation is several things but not what you think...A tens unit is used to block pain at the nerve level. If you place it on a motor point(where the muscle activity center is) you can get a contraction but the cycle of a tens unit is that it stays pretty constant. So you will fatigue the muscle but this will not be the stimulus to get it to become larger. A muscle stimulator which I do not believe you have for your back has more ability to cycle the contractility of the muscle and it does work at the muscle level is good at awakening a muscle that has not been firing, think spinal cord injury folks- the late Christopher Reeve and how he was able to walk when paralyzed from the neck down. I have not seen any studies done on regular people to build muscle with the unit. Again I have used it when people say injure their knee. Not for pain control but to improve a muscular balance. If you think it helps then use it, it may just be the placebo you are looking for!

[ForumFiend4]

Electric stimulation is several things but not what you think...A tens unit is used to block pain at the nerve level. If you place it on a motor point(where the muscle activity center is) you can get a contraction but the cycle of a tens unit is that it stays pretty constant. So you will fatigue the muscle but this will not be the stimulus to get it to become larger. A muscle stimulator which I do not believe you have for your back has more ability to cycle the contractility of the muscle and it does work at the muscle level is good at awakening a muscle that has not been firing, think spinal cord injury folks- the late Christopher Reeve and how he was able to walk when paralyzed from the neck down. I have not seen any studies done on regular people to build muscle with the unit. Again I have used it when people say injure their knee. Not for pain control but to improve a muscular balance. If you think it helps then use it, it may just be the placebo you are looking for!

thanks