[John Cooke]

I know the Spanish and the French are big on using these, in particular for recovery, so i reckon it's gotta be worth a try.

Has anyone any experience with these devices for either strength training or recovery? There are tons of different models out there and i'm after knowing which are the gudduns and which are the shit ones. Also any examples of programs would be cool.

[Ru]

You're welcome to pop round and try mine.

[ouch]

Which model have you got?  do you rate it?

[Paul B]

There was a thread on here a while ago (called something like Tens Electro Zappy Things) that has some good knowledge on it. I got one after talking to Ru and Dylan and reckon they're probably very useful for Endurance training but if you can take the pain required to get anywhere near strength your a better man than I. 

[John Cooke]

Thanks for the replies. Do you just use yours for recovery then Paul?

Will have a butchers for the thread now.

Ru, have pm'd you.

J.

[unclesomebody]

I believe this is the "Daddy";

http://www.sweatbandfitness.co.uk/shop/detail.asp?ProductGroupID=15197&c=1879&d=432

[Monolith]

That unit looks and sounds terrifying! Also incredibly Western no? -with regards to using it as a training aid?

[Paul B]

Thanks for the replies. Do you just use yours for recovery then Paul?

I've also got a PM from dylan with a few useful links in it so i'll forward that to you. I've only owned mine since I injured myself and it was a "this has got to be better than doing nothing" approach and until talking about it a couple of weeks ago i'd completely forgotten about it. I've tried it on their suggested programs at a level suggested by Ru (somewhere around the 500 mark was it?) and it was bloody uncomfortable. Having read a bit more stuff on them I am very convinced that these will be really good at helping you gain that extra bit of endurance...

[abarro81]

Are they all as damn expensive as that one linked in?

[Paul B]

you can get crappy slendertone units for a lot less - the compex one's that people recommend for climbing seem to start at aroun £225 and go up from there.

[Ru]

I have this one http://www.sweatbandfitness.co.uk/shop/detail.asp?ProductgroupID=15202

They're sort of good. Like Paul says, I think they're most beneficial for training for 60m euro endurance plods, I'd say next to useless for bouldering. They're good for recovery between sessions, but not compared to a decent meal and a night's sleep. If you were Rich Simpson and trying to work out how to recover faster between your morning and afternoon campus sessions, and how to squeeze in a 3rd training session per day I'd definitely say they were the way forward. Likewise if you are Patxi Usobiaga and you've done your 6 hours of endurance circuits at the wall and would like to get another endurance session in before bedtime, they are unbeatable.

[ouch]

I noticed that the model linked has got a flexibility programme, has anybody used one of these machines for lengthening the muscles and did it work?

[Paul B]

I think they're most beneficial for training for 60m euro endurance plods, I'd say next to useless for bouldering. They're good for recovery between sessions, but not compared to a decent meal and a night's sleep.

A whille back I did a random search on blogspot.com for compex before I bought one and a blog popped up that was written by a super keen cyclist, I dropped him an email and we had a good chat about compex and he really rated the use of them for endurance and recovery. Just thought people might find it interesting to note that these units are being used with a positive effect in other sports.

[Serpico]

Cyclists are well into them, but that's because the big muscles of the legs are easy to stimulate. The problem with climbing is we're really interested in the fingers, and the muscles you want to stimulate (flexors digitorum profundus and superficialis) are not next to the skin and therefore not easily stimulated. You can get a good forearm pump using an e-stim, but it's mainly in the wrist flexors. It feels like it's doing you good but unless your finger tips are actually contracting you're not working the right muscles.
Has anybody who uses one regularly managed to get fingertip contraction, particularly in the index finger? Where did you put the pads? (post a pic).

[Ru]

Has anybody who uses one regularly managed to get fingertip contraction, particularly in the index finger? Where did you put the pads? (post a pic).

Yes. Pads in the normal place, and crank the fucker up. Not fun. I had a wooden rod to bite down on and tears in my eyes. Afterwards it hurt to pick up a coffee cup for 3 days. I have not done this on a regular basis. What current are you using? This smiley is appropriate:  Oof.

[Serpico]

I haven't used mine for some time so I'd be guessing at the voltage. I got mine for capillarity/recovery. I think if I had it cranked up enough to get through the superficial layers of the forearm musculature to the middle and deep layers I'd be in so much discomfort with the wrist flexors it'd offset any recovery in the finger flexors. But I think I should probably give it another go.

[Ru]

Yeah, for recovery you need a low setting, too high and it's not really doing the right job.

[Houdini]

Mascochists, all of ye.