What the heck is ‘electro muscle stimulation’? Is it good for golf fitness training? Our Averee Dovsek gave it a go

You’ve likely heard about electro muscle stimulation — EMS, for short — but you’re probably asking for a little clarification on it, and wondering how, or if, it applies to golf.

Not ready to try it just yet? No problem — I did, and here’s a full breakdown of my experience, the benefits it offers and how it can be used for golf-specific exercises.

I went to see trainer Jeff Drier of One Pulse in North Palm Beach, Florida, to see what all the hype was regarding EMS training. The miha bodytec was invented in Germany and is designed for full-body strength training. Those who back miha claim the electro pulses can activate up to 98% of your muscles simultaneously and can achieve a two-hour full-body workout in just 20 minutes.

Drier designed a workout plan that was specific to the golf swing. I was hesitant because the workout was only supposed to be 20 minutes long and didn’t involve any weights.

My workouts are typically focused on strength training and last an hour or longer, so when Jeff told me the plan I was skeptical how anything could get accomplished in just 20 minutes.

Drier first gave me a pair of shorts and a top to change into. Once I returned, I was given a dripping wet vest, armbands, leg bands and a glute band that were all fastened tight to my body. My first reaction was … “ew!” and “I look like Kim Possible.”

The water activates the electrostimulation when plugged into the machine, and when it was fully on and I started moving, I couldn’t feel it at all. Every exercise was conducted at four seconds on and four seconds off.

We started with some cardio as a warm-up, progressed to the lower body, and worked our way to the top. Some exercises included lunges, lateral raises, explosive movements, Romanian deadlifts and hip mobility movements. The EMS training is great because it challenges the body and contracts the muscles without adding the stress of heavy weights on the joints. The workout was challenging, and the electro pulses definitely had me working hard through the exercises. The main goal for golf-specific goals with the miha bodytec technology is to strengthen and stabilize the body.

Below is a short video of my training session with Drier.

Takeaways: I enjoyed the experience and was shocked — pun intended — how much the workout was done without weights. I think this is great for those going through physical rehabilitation programs that maybe can’t put a ton of weight on their body. The machine works your entire body without being overly strenuous on the muscles and joints. It is a great option if you are tight on time for the week with workouts only being 20 minutes.

If you are interested in learning more or trying the miha bodytec technology out for yourself you can visit www.ems-training.us.