What if you could accomplish six hours of strength and conditioning training in just 15 minutes? Before you write this statement off as something that is too good to be true, know this: It requires an electrical current.

Specifically, electrical muscle stimulation, otherwise known as EMS, which essentially makes muscles contract via impulses sent through electrodes placed on the skin. The muscles respond to electricity the way they would a neuron, except… well, more: When your brain sends an impulse, only about 60 to 65 percent of your muscle fiber responds. But when an electric impulse penetrates deep muscle tissue, it activates nearly all of the fiber.

It’s a science used frequently in rehabilitative physical therapy, where the technique is commonly referred to as “e-stim,” because it allows for targeted muscle penetration. More recently, though, this application has expanded beyond medicine, with some research suggesting EMS can help athletes both train and recover. And if it can help athletes, it can also help regular, everyday, healthy fitness enthusiats as well.

Manduu, an EMS fitness franchise, agrees. The Nashville-based company operates three locations in the area: Green Hills, Brentwood and Franklin.

“The whole premise is that we basically replace lifting weights with electricity,” said Wiley Robinson, a registered nurse and Chief Operating Officer at Manduu. “We put you in a specially designed, high-tech suit attached to a device with very advanced software, and we apply electricity to your body, and it makes your muscles work really hard.”

A type of high-intensity interval training, Manduu has an ultra-low impact on joints, muscles and tendons while enhancing strength and flexibility.

The trainers at Manduu have a minimum four year degree in exercise science or kinesiology and track progress by taking sophisticated measurements every time you step into the studio.

“When you leave, you’ll have more information about yourself than when you go to the doctor,” Robinson says. “We measure your body composition, fat, where it’s distributed and how healthy your cells are.”

The technology was developed in Europe and has quickly expanded over the past decade; there are 1,700 EMS studios in Germany and Austria alone.

“We like people to start off once a week until they become adapted. After that, clients can come twice per week,” Robinson said.

For contrast, experienced Manduu clients max out at two 15-minute sessions per week; beginners start at just once weekly.

The experience is tough to imagine if you’ve never tried it, but Manduu’s Robinson says our clients can expect to be in and out in less than half an hour.

Unlike traditional gyms where dozens to hundreds of people may be working out, only two people can do a workout at a time.

At Manduu, a trained professional monitors each private session – your first one is always free – which begins with an InBody scan that reports a series of clinical biometrics, from body fat percentage to resting metabolic rate. This is meant to give you a comprehensive picture of your current state so you can monitor your progress (a trainer will analyze your results at the end of the workout). I have been to three sessions, and in my experience, it was more difficult than I had anticipated.

When you arrive, first you suit up in a Manduu-issued workout outfit  – not terribly unlike a Scuba suit – fitted with carbon-fiber electrodes. Don’t be alarmed when your trainer sprays you down with warm water next. Wetting down the suit’s electrodes makes you more conductive.

Next, you’ll be plugged into a battery-operated machine, but don’t worry, it doesn’t actually contain enough electricity to hurt you. The main EMS device is monitored and adjusted by the trainer, who leads you through a series of stretches and basic movements while slowly turning up the electrical current to find your threshold at each body part – biceps, triceps, pecs, abs, glutes, and quads.

Then, the workout begins. It’s low-impact and deceptively easy until the trainer starts upping the electricity. The pulses feel like tingles all over the body. It doesn’t hurt, but it feels like exactly like every fiber of your muscle awakens into action for the first time that day.

The pulses come in intervals, and, as you start to get the hang of it – remembering to never lock your knees, squeezing a stress ball in each hand, and timing your breathing to each contraction – the trainer challenges you to take on more resistance. It feels like you’re doing so much more than simply squatting, lunging, and reaching overhead.

And just like that, it’s over. Fifteen minutes flies by, and it’s time to disrobe and dry off. The trainer warns you that, much like a strength workout, you’ll likely feel pretty sore tomorrow, but you’ll really feel it the day after.

They were right. I worked out (though you’re still not convinced it’s fair to even call it that) on a Monday and by Wedesday, it hurt to sit down. By Thursday, I could barely raise my arms to put a shirt on. Any lingering doubt that this low-level electrical current didn’t really do anything vanishes when I tried to climb some stairs.

Feeling like you did seven million crunches when in reality you did maybe 10 has to mean something very good is happening, right?

Manduu is expanding rapidly and operates studios in Austin, Dallas, Chicago, Florida and California.

by Grady Cash

Summer is a great time to be outdoors, but the heat does pose challenges, specifically sunburn and heat illnesses that can be serious if not treated promptly. Here’s how to recognize these summer problems before it’s too late.

Recognize Heat Illnesses

It’s a good idea to increase fluid intake in hot weather to avoid dehydration, but if you’re constantly drinking water and still feel thirsty, it could be the onset of hyponatremia, an electrolyte imbalance caused by drinking too much water that may lead to organ failure or death. First aid for hyponatremia is to reduce fluid intake, take an electrolyte solution, and seek immediate medical attention.

Excessive heat can also result in heat exhaustion or heatstroke. These common heat-related illnesses are difficult to diagnose because dehydration, hyponatremia, heat exhaustion, and heatstroke have common symptoms: headaches, confusion, and nausea. However, there are some subtle differences. Profuse sweating and clammy skin are signs of heat exhaustion, but when sweating stops and the skin becomes dry, it could be a sign the problem has progressed to potentially life-threatening heatstroke. If symptoms are serious or persist after a half hour, seek medical attention. By recognizing the early signs of these illnesses, you can take preventive steps — get out of the sun into a cool place, wear a cap, use ice packs on your neck, and only drink fluids with an electrolyte solution, like a sports drink.

Here are some strategies to cope with hot weather.

Exercise Indoors

One simple solution is to do your workouts indoors during extremes of hot or cold weather. I’m a member of three different fitness centers: Vanderbilt for its indoor 300-meter track, Boost FitClub for its indoor soccer field, and a third fitness center with equipment not available in the other two.

Of course, sometimes, we don’t have a choice. We might be doing a group run or an outdoor competition where the heat can’t be avoided. Here’s how to beat the heat in those situations.

Microclimates

Microclimates are regions with significantly different temperatures than nearby locations. One microclimate only a few minutes from downtown Nashville is Percy Warner Park, which can be 10° cooler than Vanderbilt. Shaded fields or trails near lakes, rivers, or forests are other examples of microclimates.

Clothing

Wear loose-fitting, light-colored, sleeveless tops that cover the shoulders. If the top is long, get it hemmed to just below the waist so you can leave it untucked to provide more ventilation. This is amazingly effective. I just use scissors to cut off the top to the desired length. Wear a white cap with lots of mesh. Make sure there’s adequate room to allow air to flow between the cap and your hair. Use a nongreasy sunscreen. Oily sunscreens hinder sweating’s cooling effect.

Shave Your Legs

This may sound radical to guys, but hair is just a layer of fur. You don’t need fur in the summer! Many male swimmers and cyclists routinely shave their legs. It’s amazingly cooler. Try it. If you don’t like it, the hair will grow back in a couple of weeks.  A beard trimmer is fast and effective.

Have Summer Socks and Shoes

We wear sandals in summer and boots with thick socks in winter, yet most runners wear the same shoes and socks all year around. After a hot summer run, I weighed my socks. They had soaked up over five ounces of sweat apiece! Gross! Plus, every added ounce of shoe weight slows your pace by one second per mile. The solution is to wear thin socks and shoes with lots of mesh in summer and thicker socks and shoes with very little mesh in the winter.

Competition Tips

As your body gets hotter, blood flow diverts to capillaries near the surface of the skin to help you stay cool, but that adversely affects performance. Last year, at the National Senior Games in Alabama in July, I knew heat would take a toll over the three-day competition, so I stayed in the shade while my competitors stood in the sun. I wore a long sleeve, white compression top and put ice cubes on the inside of my elbow and wrists. I also periodically held ice cubes against the side of my neck where the blood vessels are closest to the skin. I wore a white cap until immediately before my events started. Then, I poured ice water over my hair and neck. Not only is this cooling, but the wet hair also acts as a wick to evaporate water and keep the head cool.  If your hair is going to be wet with sweat by the end of the workout anyway, it doesn’t matter if it’s wet at the start!

These steps, plus drinking fluids with electrolytes, can help you beat the summer heat!