Product test
Can electrical muscle stimulation make me look like G.I. Joe?
by Patrick Bardelli
Wired up for a six-pack # Week 1
28.8.2018
Translation: Jessica Johnson-Ferguson
I’m on a mission: To get a six-pack in six weeks. Can it be done and what role does the Compex «SP 8.0 WOD Edition» play in all of this? Everything’s documented in my six-pack diary you can read here.
Allegedly, there are several studies out there that prove the effectiveness of electric muscle stimulation (EMS). So far so good. I want to dig deeper and am conducting my own study, so to speak. Obviously, this does not qualify as a scientific paper, but it’s an honest self-experiment.
Why am I doing this?
Starting point
Sure, sitting in front of the TV, stuffing your face with chocolate and beefing up those muscles at the same time isn’t going to happen. You know the deal – no pain, no gain. That’s why I started to exercise regularly a few years ago. Currently, my weekly workout routine is as follows:
- Strength training: 2 to 3 times = approx. 3 hours
- Endurance: 2 to 3 times = approx. 30 kilometres
- Diet: balanced, relaxed low-carb, no soft drinks, little to no alcohol, few sweets
Body stats:
- Height: 180 cm
- Weight: 77 kg
- Body fat: 17%
As at: 20 August 2018
The plan
To really get things going in the six-pack department, I plan to stimulate my abs with an electric muscle stimulator. I’ll be hooking my belly up to the SP 8.0 WOD Edition by Compex three to four times a week. If the manufacturer is speaking the truth, this baby is the ruler of electro stimulation devices.
Here we go…
Power on!
Daddy, what are you doing?
All of a sudden, my eight-year old daughter bursts into the bedroom. She freezes, looks at me with wide eyes. Her jaw drops. Silence. Then she says: «Daddy, what are you doing?». Well, what can I say? Somehow, I always thought my daughter would walk in on me doing something else than using an EMS. «I... I... I’m working,» I reply sheepishly. That’s all I can come up with. And in a way it’s true. Half an hour later, the magic is over and my belly looks pretty battered. This is mainly down to the self-adhesive electrodes that have irritated my skin. It looks worse than it is and my skin recovers relatively quickly.
Conclusion after week 1
There’s a good reason we tell kids to stay away from electricity. My EMS session came with a lot of twitching and vibrating. Not what I’d call pleasant. I wonder if it works? It’s still too early to tell. Will I continue? Definitely. After all, it’s no pain, no gain, right?
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Patrick Bardelli
Senior Editor
Patrick.Bardelli@digitecgalaxus.chFrom radio journalist to product tester and storyteller, jogger to gravel bike novice and fitness enthusiast with barbells and dumbbells. I'm excited to see where the journey'll take me next.
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