“Everyone wants to be healthy and fit, right? And living a healthy lifestyle is very important to me. I have been a bodybuilder, a lifelong athlete, and have always enjoyed pushing myself to be the best that I can be.
However, last year after coming off a diet, I got very sick and dehydrated, and ended up gaining weight. I have since struggled with losing that excess weight. For years, I would do all of my diet and exercise on my own on a very regimented schedule and prepared meal plan, but after falling ill, I took a little break from the strict dieting and hard workouts to focus on getting healthier.
Needless to say, I did gain some weight during that time. This is really normal for bikini competitors. We take seasons of rest and seasons of dedicated work. It was exactly around the same I was ready to move into a season of hard work that Dr. Chasin mentioned EmSculpt to me.
I did a bit of my own research and learned that EmSculpt was a nonsurgical treatment that increases muscle mass and helps to kickstart your metabolism for weight loss in one treatment. I was interested in seeing where a treatment like EmSculpt could take me.
What made me decide to seek out body contouring treatments?
Diets deplete the body, making it hard to maintain muscle when dieting. And for some people that might not be a bad thing, but for a bodybuilder or fitness model, this is a constant challenge and balancing act. You have to make sure you’re eating enough protein to maintain your muscle mass, but not too much, or your body will convert the extra protein calories into fat.
Balancing your intake of food to fuel workouts, especially with heavy weight lifting, and still be in a calorie deficit is really hard. EmSculpt allows you to do the kind of contractions you would with a difficult strength program, in rapid succession (like cardio), without you actually having to put in the effort. That makes it the perfect treatment to do during a weight loss program (sometimes referred to as “cutting” or “shredding”). Overall, Emsculpt would allow me to recover faster, avoid fatigue, and experience more detailed toning. And that sounded pretty good to me!
What’s the first EmSculpt treatment session like?
My treatment session started with the abdomen. Dr. Chasin placed the electromagnetic panel under a comfortable elastic band in order to keep the panel in place during the treatment. He then selected a custom setting on the EmSculpt system touchscreen. For me, it included “female, abdomen, and <30 years of age”. After a few moments, he gradually turned up the intensity, slowly increasing it further for 30 minutes. I ended up doing most of my treatment at the full 100% energy, but because they can adjust the intensity of EmSculpt, it can be just as comfortable and effective for anyone, no matter their current fitness level. During this time, EmSculpt was able to complete 20,000 contractions which are equivalent to doing 20,000 crunches! The treatment wasn’t painful – it kind of reminded me of these special situps that bodybuilders do called “vacuuming” crunches.
The panel intermittently stops to break up lactic acid by shaking back and forth for a few counts to help avoid soreness after treatment. Plus, you still get the same endorphin boost that you would from a good workout, so you can leave feeling a bit happier than when you came in.
After the first session, I moved on to the Buttock treatment. A similar comfort strap was placed around the middle of my buttock to keep the two paddles in place. Once the paddles were adjusted and felt comfortable, the same process that was done on the abdomen was repeated on the buttocks.
As for sensations, I found the buttock area to be far less sensitive than the abdominal area and therefore easier to relax during the session. As a bodybuilder, I know when the different muscle groups are being engaged and I felt that the treatment equally engaged all three of the glute muscles groups, the medius, minimus, and maximus. This one was also far less ticklish- so much so that you could fall asleep! Overall, I felt like I hit the jackpot in comparison to a regular leg day.
I was prescribed 4 treatments spaced across 2 weeks. This is the typical protocol. I know I’ll be able to maintain my muscle growth through workouts in the gym, but I would still consider doing it again because I loved the boost in muscle growth and I’m always trying to make improvements. Others might find they want to make further improvements or have “maintenance” treatments.
My Final Thoughts on EmSculpt
Overall, Emsculpt made a big difference in my fitness routine. I could never target my abs the way Emsculpt did! The way the panels are able to isolate the muscles is like no other exercise or move that I have ever tried.
Plus, I feel that EmSculpt is definitely healthier than just spending extra time in the gym. As bodybuilders, we are always depleting our bodies, and in this way, we would be able to keep our energy levels up, giving our bodies more rather than always depleting.
I noticed small changes in my abs and butt before the 2 weeks were out. I liked how my abs were looking flatter and leaner, but I was pretty amazed when 4 weeks later I had full-on oblique’s and was well on my way to getting my six-pack back. The booty gains were pretty amazing, too!
Want to see Amanda’s results? View them here:
I would definitely recommend it to other bodybuilders and bikini competitors who are looking to have an easier more successful cut before a competition, as well as normal people who just want to look and feel great in their bodies. Overall, I loved the treatment and definitely plan to do it again!
