Background
I am a bodybuilder of 18years and have recently joined CF and have been looking through the posts relating to EMS. I have enclosed a little about myself, my goals, and would like to know how to integrate use of Electro Muscle Stimulation into my training program. I am quite ignorant, so if I am asking things which are silly or so not make sense, please point it out.
My goals
Hypertrophy for bodybuilding
Improve my VO2max (mg.min-1.kg-1)
General improvements in strength (not 1RM but 3RepMax and greater), speed and power
Stats: 5’8" 275lb at aprox 12%BF
My training
Workout split
I currently use a 4day bodypart split. eg
Workout 1 (Chest, delts, tris )
Workout 2 Quad Ham Calves Glutes
Workout 3 Lats Traps Biceps
Workout 4 ( Lower back, Abs glutes, neck )
Then repeat. If I feel like taking a day off, or if I am particularly tired then I do.
Sets, reps, tempo
Usually 3 exercises are performed per bodypart, with 4-6sets per exercise and 8 to 12 reps per set.
Lifting tempo is an controlled explosive concentric phase, 1second pause at the top, then aprox 4 seconds on the eccentric phase and a brief pause at the bottom just to remove momentum.
Exercises are generally compound movements eg(squads, deadlifts, standing military press, dips, chins), and sometimes I do some isolation exercises to bring up lagging muscle groups.
Cardio: Each weights workout is usually with 30 to 90min of cardio (approx 50% of VO2max).
Other: I also swim, throw around a sandbag and do a bit of rolling with some mates too.
Training cycles
I am very unsophisticated and ignorant with training cycles, having tended to rely on progression based on maintaining a given weight, progressing load, until I can get 12reps.set-1 out, before incrementing the weight and dropping the reps back down to 8reps.set.
If possible I would like to improve progress using some training cycles / periodisation.
EMS
I have also recently bought myself a globus elite 4 EMS device following the posts of one of the experts ( gciriani ) here.
EMS Goals
I have 3 objectives here:
1 Increase capillarisation - increase VO2max (ml.min-1.kg-1) and increased nutrient delivery
2 Increased nutrient delivery in the hours following a workout - ie scoffing whey, maltodex and caffeine using massage protocols for several hours.
3 Increased maximum stimulus - Increased muscle stimulus whilst reducing risk of CNS overtraining.
EMS experience
So far I have only used the capillarisation protocol (Globus program#1) for 3 repeat sessions ie 1hr total on 2 muscle groups, then alter the site for a further 1hr. I do not know if this is ok. I have been using this protocol about 1hr after my weights workout, and by that time I have a high intake of amino acids and carbs in my bloodstream too. I am hoping that this same protocol is increasing nutrient delivery to the skeletal muscles. Is this OK, or would I be better off using a massage protocol following workout and leave capillarisation protocols to a separate workout. Also, is 1hr on each muscle group too much at a time? I do not want to move my fibre properties away from fast twitch.
Any other advice or thoughts would be gratefully received.
Other recovery modalities deployed.
I also use Jacuzzi and vibration plate post workout ( each modality used twice a week ).
Thanks a lot,
J