Quick Overview
This 2019 peer-reviewed trial asked whether a full body EMS system plus strength training grows muscle faster than lifting alone.
Fifty-eight active adults who had not lifted for six months were randomized to no training, lifting, or lifting in a full body EMS system (80–85 Hz).
For eight weeks they did curls, squats and triceps extensions twice weekly. Scientists tracked 1RM strength and ultrasound muscle thickness of biceps, triceps and vastus lateralis.
Both trained groups beat controls; the EMS group posted bigger raw gains (43% squat, 22% biceps thickness).
High reliability scores, ethics approval and supervised sessions support the claim that a full body EMS system can amplify early strength and size.
Dive into the full post for exact settings, limits and gym takeaways.
We always provide direct links to the original research at the end of every article so you can review the evidence yourself.
A Full Body EMS System Helped Lifters Pack On Strength in 8 Weeks, Says a 2019 Peer-Reviewed Study From Brazilian Universities in Clinics
Picture this. You already move. You play sport. You run. You just have not touched a barbell in months.
A research team in Brazil asked a simple question. Could a full body EMS system lift your results when you start strength training again?
They did not guess. They measured.
Who ran the study
The lead work came from universities in São Paulo and Espírito Santo. A co-author also worked at the University of Tampa in the United States. The paper appeared in Clinics in 2019. That journal is linked to the Faculty of Medicine at the University of São Paulo. It is a long-running, peer-reviewed medical journal. An ethics committee approved the protocol before anyone trained.
That is why this write-up sits on a real paper. Not a rumour. Not a sales pitch dressed as science.
Who took part
Sixty-six healthy, active adults volunteered. Fifty-eight finished. They were not current gym lifters. None had done resistance training for at least six months. They still played sport or did endurance work.
Researchers split them at random. One group did no lifting. One group only lifted. One group lifted in a full body EMS system.
What they actually did
Both training groups worked twice a week for eight weeks. Each session lasted about 20 minutes. They used three lifts. A biceps curl. A back squat. A high-pulley triceps extension.
They did three sets of eight to 12 hard reps. Rest was 90 seconds. Coaches watched every session.
The EMS group wore a full body EMS system during those same lifts. Current ran at 80 Hz in weeks one and two. It rose to 85 Hz from week three. Pulse width stayed at 350 microseconds. Effort on the Borg scale started at 5–6. It later sat at 7–8.
How scientists measured change
They tested one-repetition maximum strength. That is the heaviest clean lift you can do once. They tested the curl, the squat, and the triceps extension.
They also used ultrasound. That scan measured muscle thickness. Sites were the biceps, the triceps, and the vastus lateralis on the thigh. The same blinded tester took the images. Reliability scores were very high. That means the measurements held up when repeated.
Tests happened before week one. They happened again after week eight. Scans waited 48 to 72 hours after the last session. That avoided short-term pump from training.
What the numbers showed
The idle group barely moved. Their squat even dipped a little.
The lifting group improved. Curl strength rose about 15%. Squat strength rose about 21%. Triceps strength rose about 22%. Biceps thickness rose about 12%. Triceps thickness rose about 9%. Thigh thickness rose about 13%.
The group using a full body EMS system posted larger percentage jumps on several measures. Curl strength rose about 24%. Squat strength rose about 43%. Biceps thickness rose about 22%. Triceps thickness rose about 17%. Thigh thickness rose about 13%, similar to lifting alone.
Effect sizes for the EMS group were moderate to large. The squat change was especially striking. Mean squat load went from 93 kg to 133 kg.
Both trained groups beat the idle group. That part was clear.
What that suggests
In this study, adding a full body EMS system to strength training did not blunt progress. Several percentage gains looked brighter with EMS in the mix. Squat strength and upper-arm thickness stood out.
Researchers think extra electrical drive may recruit more muscle fibres during the same lifts. More fibres working can mean more mechanical tension. That is one proposed path to size and strength in beginners.
This was fitness research in healthy adults. It was not a medical treatment trial. It does not claim to treat disease. It does not promise a result for every body.
The honest edges
Eight weeks is short. The sample was modest. Diet was not tightly logged. There was no EMS-only group. Statistics did not prove a clean gap between lifting and lifting plus EMS on every test. The authors said a longer trial may be needed.
Those limits matter. They also keep this summary honest.
This is fitness research, not medical treatment.
Why the bright side still matters
If you are active and new to the bar, this paper is useful. A supervised strength training plan already built strength and muscle thickness. Pairing that plan with a full body EMS system tracked with some of the biggest percentage changes in the room.
That is the story the data support. Real labs. Real lifts. Real ultrasound. A peer-reviewed Brazilian medical journal. A multi-university team.
Want the sets, the frequencies, and the fine print? Keep reading the full breakdown and see how the protocol was built.
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Research Summary
| Detail | What the paper reports |
|---|---|
| Study title | Does whole-body electrical muscle stimulation combined with strength training promote morphofunctional alterations? |
| Source | Peer-reviewed original article in Clinics (São Paulo), 2019, volume 74, article e1334. DOI: 10.6061/clinics/2019/e1334. Open access under CC BY 4.0. |
| Research team | Multi-university group led by Alexandre Lopes Evangelista, with co-authors from Universidade Nove de Julho, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo, Universidade Metodista de Piracicaba, Universidade Estácio de Sá, Tecfit in Brazil, and the University of Tampa in the United States. |
| Ethics and design | Ethics approval protocol 2.313.847/2018. Randomized, parallel-group, repeated-measures trial with an untrained control arm. |
| Who took part | Healthy, physically active adults. None had done resistance training for at least six months. They still did sport or endurance work. Sixty-six started. Fifty-eight finished after eight dropouts. |
| Groups | Untrained control, n=16. Strength training only, n=21. Strength training plus a full body EMS system, n=21. |
| Lifting plan | Two sessions a week for eight weeks. About 20 minutes each. Three lifts: biceps curl, back squat, high-pulley triceps extension. Three sets of 8–12 hard reps. 90 seconds rest. Load adjusted if reps fell short or ran long. |
| Full body EMS system settings | Worn during the same lifts. 80 Hz in weeks 1–2, then 85 Hz. Pulse width 350 µs. Continuous bipolar current. Perceived intensity 5–6, then 7–8 on Borg’s CR-10 scale. Brand used in the lab: XBody. |
| How progress was measured | 1RM strength on the curl, squat and triceps extension. Ultrasound muscle thickness of biceps, triceps and vastus lateralis. Same-day timing. Scans 48–72 hours after the last session. |
| Measurement quality | Strength test-retest ICCs were 0.988–0.990. Ultrasound ICCs were 0.996–0.999. Sessions were supervised. |
| Strength change | Control barely moved. Lifting-only squat rose about 20.5%. The full body EMS system group squat rose about 43.2% (93 kg to 133 kg; ES=1.64). Curl rose about 24.3% with EMS versus 15.1% with lifting alone. Triceps strength rose a similar amount in both trained groups. |
| Muscle thickness change | Biceps thickness rose about 21.6% with EMS versus 11.9% with lifting alone. Triceps thickness rose about 16.8% versus 9.1%. Thigh thickness rose about 13% in both trained groups. |
| Statistics in plain terms | Both trained groups beat the idle group (p<0.05). ANOVA did not find a significant gap between lifting and lifting plus EMS. Percentage changes and effect sizes still favoured the EMS group on squat and upper-arm size. |
| Authors’ conclusion | The combination of strength training and EMS may promote changes in muscle strength and muscle thickness in healthy active people. The paper does not claim a medical treatment effect. |
| Read the original study | Full text: https://doi.org/10.6061/clinics/2019/e1334 · PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31721936/ · Free PMC version: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6820510/ |
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