Fitness Stimulator

Sweat-free body sculpting has long been a dream. Muscle stimulation can indeed help make shaping and toning muscles easier and faster. Without claiming to be exhaustive, I will introduce the body-shaping programs available in the electrostimulation devices by Globus. I’ll also explain what you need to do to make it truly effective.

Body Shaping and Muscle Stimulator

When stimulated by the muscle stimulation programs’ impulses, muscles respond by contracting. The contractions triggered by the stimulator can even be stronger than voluntary movements, such as when you exercise.

For the muscle, it doesn’t matter whether the signal activating the contraction comes from your brain or from the stimulator. In both cases, exactly the same process takes place in the muscle. And if the contraction is the same, its effect is also the same.

If you stimulate your muscles regularly and persistently with muscle stimulation, the result will be the same as if you trained at the gym.

That is—to some exaggeration—you can shape your figure while sitting in an armchair: muscle mass increases, the biceps thicken, and your abs and glutes take shape. This is absolutely certain.

However, there is a difference! And here lies the “catch”… During muscle stimulation performed in an armchair

• you are not “working” with your body weight, meaning you are not carrying your own weight. Therefore, your energy expenditure is significantly lower than with traditional exercise. Don’t expect meaningful weight loss from muscle stimulation alone.
• your heart function, breathing, and oxygen‐transport capacity do not improve at all, so your general endurance does not improve either.

What is body-shaping muscle stimulation good for?

The muscle stimulator is primarily a complementary tool and does not replace a workout!

Traditional workouts are time-consuming. Traveling to and from the gym takes time. With workouts shorter than 50–60 minutes, you need half a year to a year to see visible results.

The muscle stimulator helps you reduce the time spent on workouts. Combined with traditional exercise, it provides more efficient training, allowing you to achieve results in less time.

If you can’t make it to the gym, it serves you well. At home, in 20–30 minutes instead of an hour and a half, you can make up for the missed workout. You can even fit this into your schedule after putting the kids to bed.

If you are dieting, it accelerates muscle development, and a larger muscle mass consumes more energy, so fat deposits can decrease faster.

However, remember that muscle stimulation also takes time. For significant effects, you need to use it for at least 40–50 minutes daily. It must fit into your daily schedule. You can even do this while sitting at the office. The stimulator device fits in your pocket, and the electrodes attached to your muscles are not visible under clothing. If your job allows, this also saves time.

Since stimulation does not help improve cardiovascular or respiratory fitness, you should also include at least 1–2 cardio workouts per week.

Body-Shaping Programs

… before/instead of traditional training:

• Toning: Recommended mainly for those with sedentary jobs. If you haven’t exercised or used a stimulator before, use this program for the first 2–3 weeks! The program tones the muscles and prepares them for more intensive stimulation treatments.
• Jogging: Contractions applied to the leg muscles “replace” jogging. It increases muscle capacity and aerobic endurance by improving microcirculation.
• Anaerobic Training: A long and intense stimulation that accustoms muscles to longer efforts. Use it if you have mostly lifted weights (or done nothing) so far but want to start endurance workouts like running longer distances.

… alongside traditional training:

• Sculpting: After preparing your muscles with the Toning program for 2–3 weeks, you can gradually switch to the Sculpting program. This more intense stimulation focuses on refining muscle shape. If time allows, do a Sculpting session after the Toning program to speed up your progress.
• Revitalization: Recommended for those who already have sufficient muscle mass. Prevents atrophy of less-used muscle fibers and improves muscle tone quality.
• Mass Gain: Recommended for regular trainers who want to further increase their existing muscle mass. The program combines intense contractions with short rest periods.
• Body Shaping: Specifically supports the mass-building results of gym workouts. It stimulates the muscles for extremely intense work, so it’s important to use it only on well-conditioned muscles. For example, it’s excellent on days when you can’t go to the gym (you can use it at home or in the office).
• Detailing: Enhances muscle tone while avoiding mass reduction. Specialized for further development of already toned muscles.
• Aerobic Training: Improves muscles’ oxygen utilization capacity. Primarily recommended for regular cardio enthusiasts for the most frequently used muscle groups. For runners and cyclists, on the thigh muscles; for swimmers, on the shoulder and upper arm muscles, as well as the latissimus dorsi.
• Cramp Prevention: Improves muscle circulation and regeneration. Relaxes, reduces neuro-muscular activity, thereby decreasing the occurrence of cramps.

Other beauty care programs

• Swelling Reduction: Performs deep lymphatic massage, stimulates fluid drainage, toxin removal, and lymph circulation. Recommended for swollen limbs and significant water retention.
• Fat Dissolution: Using low-frequency stimulation, it positively affects local metabolism, resulting in weight loss.
• Tonifying Massage: Dilates blood vessels. Improved circulation activates cellular processes, accelerates tissue regeneration, and enhances muscle circulation.
• Postnatal Programs: Special programs to aid postpartum recovery. Recommended to start three months after childbirth. Revitalizes and strengthens the abdominal muscles.
• Facial Programs: Using low-intensity electrical impulses, it stimulates and improves facial microcirculation.
• Breast Programs: Designed for women to lift sagging breasts. It acts by improving the tone and shape of the pectoral muscles.
• Skin Tone Improvement: Apply to areas where you want to strengthen the skin tissue (for example, after rapid weight loss or pregnancy). Works by improving microcirculation.

*Not every electrostimulation device provides all programs; program lists vary by model. When choosing such a device, be sure to read the program list for the specific unit to ensure it meets your goals.