Showing off athlete’s legs is, for many sports lovers, their best purpose. It is also a goal for those who regularly go to the gym and train to define and firm their quadriceps.
However, sometimes traditional training methods are not enough to achieve the goals, since they must spend long hours training in order to see the muscles a little stronger or more defined.
Fortunately, science has made incredible progress, giving athletes and sports fans the opportunity to train for long periods of time without breaking a sweat while lifting weights. One of these alternative methods is electrical stimulation
Quadriceps Muscle
It is the main engine of the extension of the knee joint, it is actually made up of a set of four muscles: vastus medialis, vastus lateralis, femoris and rectus femoris.
This set of four muscles forms one of the muscle masses capable of developing more force in the human body. It is a muscle of great importance for both dynamics and statics, it is responsible for the legs not bending when we are standing. At the same time, when we perform a rapid extension of the knees, it is the one that guarantees that we can walk, run and jump.
It is worth noting the importance of this muscle for sports performance. We can also add that it is a necessary muscle in all areas of our lives, because it is the stabilizer of the knee joint. Any injury to it will cause help.
The loss of muscle mass affects the joints. The muscles protect the entire knee joint with their elasticity. Its weakening will lead to atrophy. As far as we know, the atrophy will affect the outer muscle tissue.
Along with the abdominal muscles, it is a muscle that must be trained regularly. In any exercise, be it jumping or running, periodic or non-periodic, endurance or speed, improving your performance is essential in practice.
Does electrostimulation work for the quadriceps?
Electrical stimulation is a technique that involves the application of an electrical shock to a specific muscle (in this case, the quadriceps).
Although it is believed that this technology began as a method of torture during World War II, it has now become an excellent option to improve sports training due to technological advances.
Currently, electrical stimulation is performed with absolutely safe equipment. The coefficient of current used by the equipment will not cause any type of damage to the person who uses it, but it will produce many benefits for the development of these muscles.
How can we place the electrodes in EMS therapy?
Generally, all electrical stimulation devices come with a built-in guide that explains the best way to place the electrodes on the quadriceps.
However, some general guidelines should be considered when placing the electrode on the thigh. The most important thing is to be clear that electrostimulation is applied with positive and negative electrodes.
Experts in electrical stimulation recommend that, for those anti-pain training programs (the most common are Tens or Endorphinic), the electrodes should be placed around the painful area and always follow specific instructions that indicate the type of electrode that has been selected.
Electrostimulation elastic suits
Electrostimulation suits are a new product whose use, in recent years, has increased in all types of therapies.
They are made up of easy-to-place elastic electrodes that can deliver electrical current to the muscles. For the specific case of the quadriceps, there are different ways of applying electrical stimulation. Both the suits and the electrostimulation tapes work by applying shocks to the entire leg.
The use of elastic electrical stimulation tapes is very simple, because it is an electrode. When using or placing electrostimulation strips, a very important detail is that they must be moistened to activate them. If they don’t get wet, the electrical stimulation process can be uncomfortable and itchy.
Advantages of using elastic bands
One of the main advantages of electrical stimulation tapes is that it is easy for everyone to use.
For example, for the elderly who need to increase the tone of the legs and relieve pain. They are also ideal for people who are always looking for new aesthetic options. The use of elastic bands helps eliminate intermuscular fluid and increase blood return, eliminate cellulite and improve skin firmness.
Definitely for athletes, electrical stimulation belts are a good resource for strength training, since in one treatment, the quads, hamstrings and calves can be exercised with electrodes.
Tips for training the quadriceps with electrostimulation
As with any technique, electrical stimulation is contraindicated for people with certain diseases or special conditions:
- People who use pacemakers.
- People suffering from epilepsy.
- People who have a superficial wound/injury.
- If you have a tumor or metastasis, etc.
It is very important not to use or place electrodes in the path of the carotid artery.
Electrostimulation is also contraindicated for people suffering from a hernia or eventration. Unless a special procedure for the facial area is absolutely necessary, electrodes should not be applied to the head area.
Other recommendations and precautions that should be taken when using electrical stimulation is that the electrodes should not be placed in the area of the body with skin lesions.
Conclusions
As you have seen, the quadriceps is a very important muscle group. Yes, it is true that you do not have a specific form of training with EMS systems, but you can follow our recommendations for the placement of the suit and the electrodes, as well as the types of exercises you can perform.
We hope this information has been useful to you and do not hesitate to ask about any question that interests you.
