EMS Protocol for Weightlifting/Powerlifting

Expert Discussion Advanced Sports Sciences
1

How would you guys organize EMS protocol for muscle mass/relative strength/explosive strength when it comes to weightlifting/powerlifting?

  • EMS protocol used
  • Muscles stimulated
  • Number of sessions
  • Organization of sessions
  • Muscles stimulated
  • Duration of the EMS ‘cycle’
  • etc

Thanks

2

Duxx

I hope all is well with you!

I’m around weighlifters alot; both on the regional and national level here in the USA. (of course, we’re not very good yet at weightlifting, but that’s another post:)

I’ve never seen or heard of any weightlifters who use EMS - but I can’t vouch for the powerlifters…

I’m always curious to see what’s out there. Are you seeing a use of EMS by european weightlifters?

3

All is well, thanks! To be honest, and don’t involve a lot with WLs so I can’t tell. Hopefully, I will try to find WLs club in Istanbul, Turkey (I should go there for 3 months) and train with them a little. Maybe they know something…

I was planning to use CF protocol for sprinters, but little changed… Maybe add some triceps and pecs stimulation… I should have Compex there in Istanbul, so I wanted to experiment on myself first. Will post my protocol in due course hopefully

4

I know of people routinely doing weights in Italy who add an EMS session on alternate days. My guess is that they would use Explosive Strength protocols (square wave, also known as biphasic rectangular symmetric).

As you suggested for triceps and pecs, the pulse width would be respectively 200 and 300 microseconds. Frequency would progressively increase from 105 to 120 Hz during the course of 4 weeks, and then maintained at the 120 Hz level for another 4 weeks. The Globus protocol for explosive strength is 6 sec.on/21 sec.off (it’s actually a little longer because of ramps), for 10 minutes.

According to a couple of studies, one needs a minimum of 6 weeks to induce significant hypertrophy, and significant conversion from slow-twitch to fast-twitch fibers. But as opposed to what I reported in the first paragraph, these studies stimulated the subject 7 days a week for 15 minutes.

My recommendation to you would also be to use every day the active recovery program within the first couple of hours from any training (voluntary or EMS), to enhance the benefits from training.

5

Thanks for your input gciriani! I will have Compex unit, so frequency/wave form/work/rest is not modifiable… I guess explosive strength program will do itr?
I would rather put both EMS and ‘voluntary’ training on the same day to have more ‘fluctuated’ training and thus greater recovery, at least CF recommends this type of protocol.
Pulse mode can be used after the EMS to ‘flush’ the muscles, etc…

6

Duxx,
The Compex and Globus Protocols on-off times are similar for Explosive Strength. The only difference is that the Compex may have pulse width only 200 and 400 microseconds. Therefore for the pecs select on the body part selection button first arms, then legs and see how what you prefer.