Trainers use various types of methods to help with their muscle building and growth. Popular methods that are talked about in this industry pertain to TENS and EMS. Both of these methods are popular and high in demand when it comes to making effective workout practices. However, are both of them effective when it comes to building or growing your muscles? Here, we will take a look at what each of these methods is and how they help you when you are trying to build your muscles. Are they good to use or are they not? Stay tuned to find out everything there is about TENS and EMS for muscle building and growth.
What Is TENS And EMS?
Now, before getting into how these two work, you should know what they stand for. Each of these methods offers a unique methodology which you will soon find out.
- Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS)
When we talk about TENS, it is the use of a device that helps in reducing the pain found in muscles. It uses electrical stimulation to help in finding refuge in terms of pain using different mechanisms. There are two main functionalities present in this system. One is the pain gate mechanism, whereas the other one is the opioid system. The use of either can be done to help elevate the feeling of pain from your body. It is done by exciting the nervous system to be able to rid your body of the pain you’re feeling. You will find these majorly used on athletes, especially when they have been injured or are in some sort of pain. TENS units help in getting rid of the pain effectively.
- Electrical Muscle Stimulation (EMS)
Now, let’s talk about what EMS is. It is the stimulation of your muscles in a way to help contract them effectively. There are many reasons why people make use of EMS in their lives, and one thing that proves to be one of the more prominent reasons is for body toning. It is a rather fast and effective method of meeting your body goals much faster than the regular methodologies. It has proven to be quite effective over the years when it comes to this. Along with muscle stimulation for body training, the method is used to help your body become stronger. For instance, the natural contraction and relaxation patterns of the muscles are followed through this to offer you the best possible result. It also allows you to get some relief from pain and help your muscles grow stronger than before.
Using TENS For Muscle Building And Growth
One thing that many people talk about is making use of TENS for muscle building and growth. The reality is that it cannot be used for muscle building or growth in any way. This has more to do with the fact that it can only stimulate muscles enough to help with pain relief. It doesn’t focus on helping your muscles contract, like EMS training would help. So, you should figure out a different method through which you can help with muscle growth for your body.
While TENS is a major type of e-stim, it proves to be mainly used for pain reduction and not muscle development. The features it possesses do not enable the muscles to make the contractions necessary in getting the entire muscle building process going. Therefore, making use of this for muscle building and growth is not the ideal possibility for you.
Using EMS For Muscle Building And Growth
EMS is another type of e-stim that makes use of stronger electric currents than TENS to help your muscles to contract. You might find these to be highly effective when it comes to feeling your muscles contract and relax like they normally do. It is a more natural rhythm that is similar to when you pick up weights to build mass. Therefore, it proves to highly effective in helping you build muscles effectively.
With your regular workouts, adding EMS can help you elevate the contractions of your muscles. This allows you to multiple the workout your body is doing as it keeps your muscles engaged for a longer time and allows the contraction time to double. With this increased contraction time, you’re able to ensure that you grow your muscles faster than using any other method available.
Typically, athletes and trainers make use of these methods by wearing an EMS device as they train. The electronic pulses through this device enable the production of longer contractions for your body than usual. So, while performing lunges, squats, or any other exercises, these EMS devices prove to be highly effective in improving your muscle growth.
Combining The Use Of Both For Effective Results
When it comes to building muscles, then you should know that making use of EMS is perhaps the most beneficial options for you out there. TENS is not effective when it comes to helping you in growing your muscles mostly because its pulses are not strong enough to mimic contractions. On the other hand, EMS proves to be quite effective because of the higher pulses it has to offer when making your muscles contract for long.
You can also make use of both of these together if you wish to grow muscles. While TENS alone is not effective, pairing it up with EMS might help you work on your body better. This has mostly to do with the fact that while EMS helps contract your muscles, you’re able to reduce your pain with the help of TENS. You can make use of TENS to help improve your workouts since they help reduce pain. But on the whole, EMS should be the only method that you should use to help with training your body to grow muscles.
There is a range of EMS machines available for you to use. Make sure that you pay attention to the pulse it has to offer, and you’re good to go. Always consult with a doctor before making use of any of these devices for your training.
