Electronic Fitness?

[Alan Armstrong]

Electronic fitness, is it the way of the future or is it a gimmick?

Do you or anyone you know condone this method of fitness or is it a hazard to a person's health?

I personally looked in to trying it out but was declined because due to having stents.

A traditional gym owner told me in a conversation about the subject of electronic fitness is the lazy way to train. Obviously his opinion was biased and not based on reality.

Another person, a friend told me that a relative of his, that was an elite military soldier used the electronic fitness method. That the person using this method needs to be in top shape first and not the route to take starting off out of shape first.

Bruce Lee in the 1970's used electronic muscle stimulation techniques in his training; I have heard it said that Lee was pound for pound the strongest man in the world.

Perhaps Bruce Lee was on to something (with electronic fitness) that most martial artists have overlooked.

[Nidan Melbourne]

Often these are best for those who are Semi-Professional or Professional in their selected sport.

As they should have the knowledge of how hard to push themselves and also the knowledge of how to perform such techniques.

Whereas the everyday person who isn't an athlete may not know how to do certain activities correctly. Therefore could lead to an injury that could have been prevented if they were taught and corrected whilst doing it.

Personally I don't see it as a "Lazy Way to Train" because if you know what your doing then you'll be fine, if not then there is a risk of injury.

Any exercise program should be tailored to the individual and not mass produced for the best results for each person. Like what I may require would be completely different to what you require.

And in saying that I have tried several different apps or electronic training and haven't found that they work well. The most they gave me were different exercise ideas to do with my own clients (i'm in the Health Industry).

[sensei8]

I've not ever done any electronic fitness training because I don't believe in its value; a gimmick I can do without. It's just not my cup of tea.

[JR 137]

Do you mean electric rather than electronic, i.e. electric muscle stimulation? Like when the guy playing Bruce Lee in Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story had the machine attached to his pecs while typing and said "it's like doing 500 push-ups."

If that's what you had in mind, or a modern day version, the answer is yes they work and no they don't.

Yes - I've used it in the rehab setting (specifically pulsed DC and Russian stimulation) to help reduce disuse atrophy. It helps, but it's no miracle by any means. It reduced the atrophy, but didn't eliminate it.

No - It's not going to build up muscle on its own. Doing 10 push-ups everyday will build far more muscle mass and strength than having one on for an hour. It doesn't recruit enough muscle fibers and motor nerves to really be truly effective. The contraction may feel stronger and may actually be stronger, but stronger in a significantly smaller area.

There's no such thing as a free lunch. And there's no substitute for hard work.

[Alan Armstrong]

Thanks to all those that have commented here.

Never really liked the feling of electricity flowing through my body.

I have been electrocuted on a few occasions, luckily enough the shock threw me than the other fatal way of being stuck to the shock, as being cooked alive.

Electric shock treatment for mentally challenged people had its day, such as Jack Nicholas in "One flew over the cuckoos nest"

Want it earn it, but don't electrocute youself to get it!

Just to leave it at that is good enough.