ELECTRO-STIMULATION; TRAINING ORGANISATION

 Electro-stimulation allows us to organise the training in various ways. We are going to present some of the possibilities, though there are various other combinations. The organisation of the physical preparation with an electro-stimulator is essential; it is not feasible to obtains results with random training. It is always better to have a programme which encompasses personal factors, the current physical condition, the time available and the objectives, than sporadic training which involves going from one programme to the other as pleased.
With clear objectives, we will organise our plan on the basis of:

1.-Muscular groups: agonist-antagonist.

2.-By muscle groups: selection of groups by area.

3.-Intensity on a muscular group or groups on which different types of muscle fibres are worked successively; one day of strength, another of speed, and another of stamina.

1.-By muscle groups: agonist-antagonist.

Muscular electro-stimulation allows us analytic pairing possibilities with the training of contractile tissue. We can work muscle groups at the same time its respective nerve root, which forms part of the same circulatory branch. As we will see, the possibilities are immense. However, one of the most interesting and commonly used ways is to combine electro-stimulation of an agonist group with its antagonist; using the electro-stimulator on the biceps at the same time as the triceps.

This option is also very common in therapeutic physiotherapy treatments; it allows a pair of muscle groups to be worked intensely, so that they recover, with a comfortable and balanced distribution of the electrodes, carrying out passive but active training in a very short amount of time. In physical preparation this type of application is very energetic at the same time as effective. The discharge and contractions are perceived in a specific and defined area of the body. We will see a series of intense contractions in the treated areas and a large training load in a brief space of time. It is an effective way of training which is advisable to include in our physical preparation routines.

If we also have the good fortune to be able to depend on good muscular stimulation equipment and can alternate between training agonist and antagonist muscles, we will see that the contractions of the antagonist alternate in a rhythmic and perfectly compensated way. It is a more physiological way of training, as the body doesn’t normally require the contracting of antagonist muscle pairs in its day to day movements. Normally the opposite happens; when one muscle contracts, its antagonist relaxes and vice versa. If an electro-stimulator is available, this type of agonist-antagonist training is advisable.

2.-By muscle group: selection of groups by body parts.

In the passive gym as in the active gym, this is one of the most used methods. When weight training it is very common to dedicate alternate days to the training of the upper body and the lower body. Sometimes abdominal training would be included in the upper body training, for example, and the lower back could be trained with the lower body. This allows us to work with heavy loads and, at the same time, allow different muscle groups to rest alternately, which permits recuperation with almost no risk of injury.

It is also possible to train in a more defined way, including groups of muscles in the training, such as a.- abdominals, pectorals, and shoulders, b.- the lumbar vertebrae, the dorsal muscles, and the trapezius muscle, c.- quadriceps, femoral biceps and the gastrocnemius muscle. There are multiple ways in which you can train; the most important thing is to understand the necessity of a training plan, to follow it and, afterwards, verify results, and make appropriate modifications.

3.-Intensive training on a muscle group or groups, working successively with different types of muscle fibre; strength work one day, speed on anther day, and stamina on another.

The different way of training with electro-stimulation can give the appearance that is a more complex method than how it appears at first glance. In reality, the different ways of using an electro-stimulator involve the possibility to adapt to a more specific way depending on the sport and athlete, as well as the current training period.

Doing EMS training sessions focusing on muscular strength, adjusting it at our specific interest, allows us to train intensely on the muscle group which we particularly want to develop, with the most efficiency and speed possible. One day we can do stamina training of the quadriceps, strength another day, and speed strength on the third day, repeating the cycle after the third day. This way we can train the preferred type of muscle fibre each day, the second day another, and the third day yet another. The quadriceps will improve their vasularisation as well as the calibre of its red muscle fibres, in the following session the work is mainly on the white fibres. In short, using this system of application of electro-stimulation we can intensely train a muscle group like the quadriceps with the least risk possible of an injury, as in each training session we are stressing work on a different type of fibre and, therefore, in a way, relieving the type of fibre which had been submitted to heavy training the day before.

Eventually, even taking great care, overworking can be experienced, for example in the previous example of using electro-stimulation on quadriceps. In this instance, we can use the various massage and rest programmes, along with the drainage programmes, in order to recover more quickly. An added advantage is that we can do so in practically any circumstance, with the sole exclusion of moments in which it could be dangerous; driving or using machinery. It is advisable to use them when we are at home, reading or watching television.