EmSculpt is the latest new-age machine that is being billed as a saving grace for those who want to lose weight while gaining muscle. During a 30-minute professionally-run session with the device, EmSculpt induces 20,000 forced contractions of a patient’s abdomen muscles.
The machine combines radio frequency with electromagnetic impulses to contract the muscles and melt fat. According to Dr. Howard Sobel, a dermatologist located on Park Avenue in New York City, EmSculpt gives patients a level of contractions that they would not be able to achieve at the gym. These contractions trigger lipolysis, the breaking up of fat cells. Studies with the device have shown that it increases muscle mass by 16% and decreases fat by 19%.
This fat reduction is a serious advantage for machine-regulated exercise. In comparison, one mile of hiking burns just 500 calories on average. For those who have been struggling on the trails or at the gym for years, EmSculpt offers an easy solution.
John Malone, a 40-year-old information-technology recruiter, spent years trying to achieve his goal of getting a sculpted stomach. Malone turned to EmSculpt and after just four sessions at plastic surgeon Sharon Giese’s office in New York City, his core is tighter than ever before.
An initial package of EmSculpt treatment typically consists of four sessions. At Giese’s office, this package costs between $3,000 and $5,000. Both Giese and Dr. Sobel recommend that patients return for follow-up treatments every two or three months.
Dr. Richard Goldfarb, of the Center for SmartLipo in Langhorne, PA, participated in the clinical trials for EmSculpt. According to Dr. Goldfarb, the initial improvements that were seen in MRI’s and ultrasounds during the clinical trials of EmSculpt continued for six months after the final treatment. He and his fellow clinical trial doctors will also check patients at nine months, one year, and then to at least 18 months after the treatments to ensure that patients see long-term results.
Body shaping and contouring procedures have been gaining attention as a way to get a tiny waist and large posterior without doing an endless number of squats, but most of the current methods are surgically invasive. According to the team at the Advanced Cosmetic Surgery and Laser Center, EmSculpt is the world’s only noninvasive body shaping procedure. It is also approved by the Food and Drug Administration for use on the abdomen and buttocks.
Experts do maintain that EmSculpt is not a total substitute for regular workouts. While it is a useful starting point or supplement for building muscle, it does not have the associated health benefits of an activity like biking 20 miles a week, which can cut a person’s risk of coronary heart disease in half. Experts also recommend that patients consult with their doctors before starting a regimen of EmSculpt.
