EMS Theory Comments

[Charlie_Francis]

@kbm

Charlie, with EMS, how would the taper change? I think you have mentioned that adding in EMS would make you peak later, or at least have to have a longer tapering period. Why exactly is this? With EMS, there is more muscular work being done, but no CNS involvement, and I was under the impression that muscles recover much quicker than CNS does, so how come the taper needs to be longer?

Two answers really:
1: Anytime you increase the workload, you lengthen the time it takes to peak.
2: EMS can work in two different ways;
A: A few EMS sessions can actually change the tone of muscles in a heavy training phase by recruiting above the voluntary capacity, thus shifting the on/off fibre proportion cycling back towards what you would see closer to the competition phase.
B: A longer EMS phase will lead to higher training loads in the muscles involved. I now feel that this type of EMS is best reserved for areas that require specific strengthening/attention.