I got naked, suited up, and shocked my muscles: How SpeedFit’s 20-Minute EMS workout saved my busy-girl fitness routine
Posted on
Stripping down to squeeze into an EMS suit to smash a 20-minute workout isn’t exactly how I imagined spending my lunch break on a Wednesday, but a girl’s got to do what a girl’s got to do.
Especially when I barely have time to breathe, let alone look after my physical health.
Anyone who knows me knows that I’m a Pilates and hot girl walk devotee through and through, but with endless work and social events filling my calendar over the last few weeks, fitting in a decent workout has felt like a pipe dream.
So, when the chance to try SpeedFit came up, I figured why not? After all, with the promise of a killer workout in only 20 minutes – meaning I’d still have time to eat lunch before another round of back-to-back meetings – it sounded almost too good to be true.
Spoiler alert: it wasn’t.
First opening in Kingston in 2021, SpeedFit is home a combination of personal training with the science of Electro Muscle Stimulation (EMS), creating a unique workout that makes your muscles work harder without having to break a (big) sweat.
Founded by Slovakian-born, Perth-based entrepreneur Matej Varhalik in 2013, the concept of SpeedFit is to remove the excuse of ‘not having enough time’ – and with everything from your workout clothes to a delicious electrolyte pre-workout and protein packed post-workout drink supplied during your session, the best part is all you need to do is show up and strap into your suit.
I’ll admit that I wasn’t completely sold on the concept of an EMS workout at first, but when I arrived for my session, SpeedFit Studio Owner Tiani Estrella ran through the science: a full-body workout that boosts your body’s voluntary muscle contraction, extending the muscles’ time under tension.
SpeedFit Studio Owner Tiani Estrella.
Activating deep muscle tissues and allowing you to build your muscle strength and improve your fitness level in a short duration, she also explained that a SpeedFit workout also can help improve blood circulation, improve posture and increase muscle tone.
I’ll try anything at least once.
It’s worth noting something here that you might not expect when it comes to a gym session: you do have to be completely nude under the suit. And I mean as naked as the day you were born – no form of underwear can be left on the body. Was I naked and afraid at first? A little bit. But while the concept is a little…confronting, at first…it does make sense.
Designed to target multiple muscle groups at once, the suit tracks bio-data like heart rate and calories burned – and the less clothes you have, the more effective the electrodes will be because the closer they are to your skin.
Besides, I can confidentially say once you start moving, you soon forget about the fact you’re commando.
The EMS suits.
Once I was suited up and ready to go, Tiani explained that the workout would be specifically tailored to my needs and fitness level.
Taking me through a minimal impact and weight-free session that included exercises like squats, lunges, crunches and bicep curls, throughout the 20 minutes, Tiani would increase or decrease the intensity of the EMS waves, matching the movements with the pulses.
So, what does it actually feel like?
The best way I can explain it is it’s kind of like being in a shopping centre massage chair that covers your whole body…and the tingle tightens as you get going. It’s not painful or uncomfortable, just a little odd. And while you might think the exercises are easy, it’s not long before you find your muscles fatiguing.
The 20-minute session flew by, and at the end – I won’t lie – I was a little sore, especially around my abs and backside. A few hours later, walking up stairs was a little difficult and any time I laughed, my whole stomach would hurt.
It turns out it was a killer workout. And it didn’t even feel like it at the time. I’d call that a win.
According to Tiani, one session at SpeedFit a week is enough to maintain a healthy and fit lifestyle, but for those looking for a little bit more, you can train twice a week.
And with little bonuses like a Dyson Airwrap in the bathroom and even a kids’ play area, it’s easy to see the appeal of booking in a session. In good news for those who are curious (like I was) and don’t want to commit, SpeedFit currently has a new offer so you can try two classes for $59.95 – the price of their Lifestyle Weekly Membership.
While I’ll admit I would like to try it a few more times to see the full effect, if this perpetually busy girl can find 20 minutes to squeeze into an EMS suit to get shocked into shape, anyone can. And hey, once you’ve committed to stripping down completely for a workout, suddenly those back-to-back meetings don’t seem so daunting anymore.
For more information, visit speedfit.com.au
