On TV electronic muscle stimulators seem to be all the rage. Dr Ho and others like him along with their products have become the latest craze and a hot fad. As popular as they are can they really deliver on their claims of a new sculpted and strong body?
Before we answer that question, let's start with a little background information on what this equipment was originally designed for.
Electric ab stimulators were, and still are used in medical rehab situations. They are designed to keep muscles from atrophying, wasting away in situations where a limb must be immobilized. For example, if you broke your leg, the doctor could place an electrode on the muscle and use electricity to make it contract. This would provide a minimum level of stimulation, thus keeping the muscle active.
As far as building muscle, such as the ads on TV claim, this is not backed up by research. The level of electrical stimulation necessary to build up the abdominal muscles to what you see on TV would be extremely high, and thus very painful.
Many companies that sell these belts also claim that the belts help burn fat. In reality, the small muscle contractions produced by these belts burn about as many calories as the effort required to take the belt out of the box and put the batteries in.
Take a close at the fine print with threse products. As part of the instructions on proper use include a suggested exercise and nutrition plan. I and others believe that this would be the reason for any results people get from these types of products and equipment.
But what about people you may know who have tried the belts and say that they feel something when they use it?
The belt does provide a small level of stimulation, after all that was what it was ment to do. When a person's abs are totally lacking any form of stimulation, any amount of stimulation has the potential to produce results. It is simply a matter of something is better than nothing in this case, not a whole lot better, though.
A much better solution for working your abdominal muscles effectively is to do the unglamorous crunch exercise. It may not send electric shocks into your guts but it will get the job done. Crunches, even done properly and regularly, won't burn fat but they will definitely tighten up your abs.
Do electric ab stimulators work? In a nutshell, no. These companies are simply preying upon society's desire for results without effort. Don't be fooled by the hype.
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