FAQ

What is EMS?

EMS (Electrical Muscle Stimulation) is a training method that uses low-level electrical impulses to stimulate muscle contractions. Popular for its efficiency in delivering strength and endurance gains through shorter sessions (typically 20–30 minutes), EMS is used in fitness, rehabilitation, and performance training. However, careful application is required to avoid risks like rhabdomyolysis.

EMS and reformer Pilates, which uses a sliding carriage with springs for resistance-based exercises, complement each other to enhance strength, flexibility, and overall fitness.
Benefits include:

  • Enhanced Muscle Activation
  • Improved Core Strength and Stability
  • Time Efficiency
  • Customisable Intensity
  • Complementary Recovery
  • Fat Burn: Designed for those who want to lose weight
  • Strength: Suitable for building muscle
  • Cardio: Engineered to improve cardiopulmonary capacity
  • Relax: Developed for stress reduction and promotion of blood circulation in tissues
  • Professional: More conductive to professional training by adding up ramp-up and ramp-down system
  • VIP: All training parameters can be modified for customisation, including frequency, pulse width, ramp-up and ramp-down

Each mode comes with distinct settings (i.e. frequency, intensity) for specific goals, but effectiveness varies with lifestyle.

Burn Fat Mode
EMS burn fat mode uses low to medium frequencies, muscle develop zone (e.g. 30~65 Hz) to stimulate slow-twitch muscle fibers, mimicking aerobic exercise. This increases metabolism and calorie burn, targeting fat loss (especially in the abdominal area).

Strength Mode
Strength mode uses medium to high frequencies, muscle develop zone (e.g. 70~95 Hz) with high intensity, targeting fast-twitch fibers for muscle growth and strength. It mimics resistance training and boosts muscle mass, which can aid long-term fat loss by increasing resting metabolism.

Cardio Mode
Cardio mode uses the lowest frequencies, endurance zone (e.g. 7~25 Hz) for rhythmic contractions, enhancing cardiovascular endurance and circulation. Similar to steady-state cardio like cycling, it’s ideal for those avoiding high- impact exercise.

Relax Mode
Relax mode uses the highest frequencies, relaxation zone(e.g. 100~120 Hz) with gentle pulses for post-workout muscle recovery, reducing soreness and tension like a massage would.

  1. Safety for EMS Training
    • Unique Risks: EMS uses electrical impulses to stimulate muscles, which can pose risks (e.g. skin irritation, muscle overuse, or cardiac issues) if not used correctly. Clients with contraindications (e.g. pacemakers, epilepsy, pregnancy) identified in the bilingual screening questionnaire (previously provided) need guidance to avoid harm.
    • Equipment Familiarity: The introductory class teaches clients how to wear EMS suits, adjust electrode placement, and respond to stimulation intensity, reducing risks like burns or discomfort.
    • Hong Kong Compliance: The Consumer Goods and Services Ordinance and health regulations require ensuring client safety. A mandatory class demonstrates due diligence, especially for novel technologies like EMS.
  2. Safety for Pilates Equipment
    • Complex Equipment: Pilates reformers and Cadillac involve springs, straps, and moving parts, which can cause injuries if misused. The introductory class ensures clients understand proper form and equipment handling.
    • Client Variability: Central’s clientele may have varying fitness levels. The class assesses baseline ability (e.g., core strength, balance) to prevent overexertion.
  3. Maximizing Effectiveness
    • EMS Optimization: Clients learn how to engage their muscles during EMS to maximize benefits (e.g. strength gains in 20 minutes), ensuring they get value from sessions.
    • Pilates Technique: Proper alignment and breathing are critical for Pilates. The class teaches fundamentals, enhancing results and client satisfaction.
  1. High Intensity of EMS
    • Efficient Muscle Activation: Compared to 30-40% in traditional workouts, EMS stimulates up to 90% of muscle fibers simultaneously. This allows a 20-minute EMS session to deliver the equivalent of a 2 hour conventional gym workout, making it highly effective for strength, toning, and endurance.
    • Central’s Demographic: Central’s busy professionals value time-efficient workouts. A 20-minute session fits their schedules (e.g., lunch breaks or after work), increasing appeal and retention.
  2. Safety and Fatigue Prevention
    • Muscle Fatigue: EMS is intense, and prolonged exposure beyond 20-25 minutes can lead to excessive muscle fatigue, soreness, or rare risks like rhabdomyolysis. The 20-minute cap, as recommended by EMS device manufacturers, ensures safety.
    • Hong Kong Compliance: The Consumer Goods and Services Ordinance requires ensuring of client safety. Limiting sessions to 20 minutes, combined with the mandatory introductory class and screening questionnaire (previously provided), minimizes health risks.
  3. Optimal Client Experience
    • Focused Sessions: A 20-minute session allows trainers to maintain high-quality, personalized instruction, which is critical for Central’s clientele who expect premium, small-group experiences.
    • Recovery Time: EMS requires 48-72 hours between sessions for muscle recovery. Short sessions prevent overtraining and allow for more regular bookings.
  4. Industry Standard
    • Global Practice: Most EMS studios worldwide (including in Hong Kong) standardize 20-minute sessions based on research and equipment protocols, balancing efficacy and safety. This aligns with client expectations for quick, results-driven workouts.

EMS training is typically limited to 1–3 sessions per week due to its high intensity and physiological impact. This cap takes into consideration factors such as muscle recovery time, Central Nervous System (CNS) fatigue, risk of Rhabdomyolysis, electrolyte and hydration strain, and industry standards and safety.

If the 3-session limit is ignored, the following risks may arise:

  • Severe Muscle Damage
  • Rhabdomyolysis
  • Chronic Fatigue and Burnout
  • Injury from Poor Form

Rhabdomyolysis (rhabdo) is a serious condition where muscle tissue breaks down rapidly, releasing a protein called myoglobin into the bloodstream. This can harm your kidneys and, in rare cases, lead to kidney failure. It can be caused by intense exercise, like EMS training, if done too frequently (more than 2–3 times per week) or without enough rest.

If you experience severe muscle pain, dark urine, or extreme weakness after a workout, stop exercising and seek medical help immediately. Early treatment with IV fluids can prevent serious complications. Contact your doctor or visit an emergency room.

We offer tailored programs designed to meet a variety of goals, with small class sizes providing more individualised attention. Additionally, we provide personalised training to ensure clients achieve their specific fitness objectives and injury rehabilitation.

Our programs primarily focus on Pilates in our specialised reformer combined with the EMS drysuit to fulfil a range of purposes: burning fat, building muscle, improving cardiopulmonary function, reducing stress, and promoting blood circulation.

Clients can also engage in exercises or sound baths on our DetoxMat to help eliminate the body’s toxic and unhealthy substances. This innovative approach enhances athletic performance and muscle recovery.

  1. Enhanced Workout Efficiency
    • Synergistic Benefits: EMS stimulates up to 90% of muscle fibers simultaneously, amplifying the reformer’s resistance-based exercises. This combination delivers faster strength, toning, and endurance results in a single session, ideal for Central’s time-pressed professionals who seek maximum impact in minimal time
    • 20-Minute Appeal: Integrating EMS allows a 20-30 minute hybrid class to rival longer traditional workouts, aligning with EMS’s time-efficient nature and reformer’s focus on controlled movements
  2. Targeted Muscle Engagement
    • Deep Muscle Activation: EMS targets deep stabilising muscles (e.g. transverse abdomens) that complement
      Pilates’ core focus, enhancing alignment and posture — key concerns for Central’s desk-bound office workers
    • Customisable Intensity: EMS settings can be adjusted to suit reformer movements, catering to beginners and advanced clients alike
  3. Market Differentiation
    • Unique Offering: No studios in Hong Kong combine EMS with reformer Pilates, giving GM pilateshape a competitive edge for innovative workouts
    • Premium Perception: The hybrid class positions our studio as refined and premium, resonating with the willingness of Central’s demographic to invest in high-quality fitness experiences

A sound bath, where participants relax and immerse in soothing sounds from instruments like singing bowls or gongs, complements Pilates by enhancing its physical, mental, and emotional benefits. Combining the two creates a holistic wellness experience.
Benefits include:

  • Enhanced Relaxation and Stress Relief
  • Improved Mind-Body Connection
  • Better Recovery and Flexibility
  • Emotional Balance
  • Enhanced Breath Control
  • Increased Mindfulness and Focus
  • Boosted Immune Function

We offer a unique blend of Pilates and EMS training, providing clients with a comprehensive workout that targets strength, flexibility, and muscle toning in a single session.

A 20-minute workout using the EMS drysuit is equivalent to a 5-hour traditional workout, significantly reducing exercise time while increasing effectiveness by 5 times.

Studio highlights include:

  • Cutting-Edge Technology
  • Time-Efficient Workouts
  • Personalised Training
  • Emphasis on Recovery and Rehabilitation

Recognizing the deep connection between inner health, outer beauty, and overall well-being, our mission is to nurture beauty and wellness from the inside out. Together with our sister brand, be still*, we promote positivity and affirmation through our daily wear.

We believe inner beauty profoundly shapes the outer, influencing how people present themselves and interact with the world. We have psychiatrists and counselors for mental health support, alongside professionals in Physiotherapy, Osteopathy, and Registered Chinese medicine (Acupuncture and Cupping) to provide a range of physical health treatments.

By integrating cutting-edge technology with our customised Pilates programmes, we’re redefining fitness standards — ensuring that everyone leaves feeling rejuvenated, empowered, and cared for.

Our DetoxMat is made from luxury natural black green jade and medical tourmaline with four technologies combined, namely 

  1. Pulsed electromagnetic field therapy (PEMF) (magnetic therapy), 
  2. Low Frequency Therapy (TENS), 
  3. Negative ions release, and 
  4. Near Infrared Radiation Technology (NIR photon light) 

to create advanced, naturally powered heating mats. Providing a full-body experience, our DetoxMat helps our body recover from daily tension and lower stress, as well as reducing anxiety and rejuvenating cells more intensely.

Enjoy the benefits of 5 therapies in 1 mat:

  • PEMF therapy (Magnetic Therapy)
  • TENS therapy: Low Frequency Therapy or Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulator (TENS)
  • Combined Negative ions /NIR with Hot stone (Black green jade/Tourmaline) therapy
  • NIR therapy (w/ 850nm Photon Light)
Our DetoxMat’s combination of black green jade/tourmaline, PEMF, TENS, negative ion release, and NIR technology offers comprehensive benefits: pain relief, improved circulation, detoxification, stress reduction, better sleep, enhanced muscle recovery, and improved mood and focus. These make it an excellent tool for holistic wellness, particularly for clients in a Pilates and EMS studio seeking recovery and relaxation.

Pilates offers a multitude of benefits, specifically for the physical and mental well-being of mothers during and after pregnancy.

Key advantages include:

  • Core Strengthening
  • Pelvic Floor Health
  • Increased Flexibility
  • Stress Relief and Emotional Well-being
  • Enhanced Physical Fitness
  • Better Body Awareness
  • Time Efficiency
  • Community and Support
  • Role Modelling for Children

For mothers, Pilates provides a holistic approach to fitness that addresses physical recovery, emotional well-being, and overall health. By incorporating Pilates into their routine, mothers can enhance their strength, flexibility, and mental clarity, all of which contribute to a more balanced and fulfilling motherhood

Pilates can offer numerous benefits for children and teenagers, contributing positively to their physical, mental, and emotional development.

Key advantages include:

  • Physical Development
  • Mental Well-being
  • Emotional Benefits
  • Social Interaction
  • Injury Prevention
  • Holistic Development

Incorporating Pilates into the routines of children and teenagers can support their physical, mental, and emotional growth. By promoting strength, flexibility, and mindfulness, Pilates helps young individuals develop a strong foundation for a healthy lifestyle.

The Mums and Teens programmes at GM pilateshape are priced lower than other classes (e.g. EMS Reformer Fusion or private sessions) to make them accessible, encourage participation, and align with our studio’s mission of “Shaping Beauty and Wellness Inside Out”.

Our built-in therapy wall has 5 different wavelength NIR (Near-Infrared Radiation) which are 810nm, 830nm, 850nm, 940nm and 1060nm. Each wavelength offers unique benefits ranging from skin health and mood enhancement to pain relief and tissue healing. Applications of these light wavelengths continue to develop, providing various options for health and wellness.

Benefits include:

  • Pain Relief
  • Strengthening of Immune System
  • Deep Detoxification
  • Non-invasive Fat Reduction
  • And Many More…

Our facilities, EMS DrySuit* and its device, DetoxMat*, NIR therapy* wall and board, have all been tested and meet various safety, quality, and environmental standards. We are confident in our devices’ reliability and performance — in fact, we might probably have the most certifications in this industry.
Markings:

  • CE Marking: Meets EU regulations regarding safety and performance
  • RoHS (Restriction of Hazardous Substances): Crucial for reducing environmental impact and ensuring safer products for consumers
  • SGS (Société Générale de Surveillance): Recognized as a mark of quality assurance that can enhance consumer trust
  • IEC 60601: Ensures that the device meets essential safety and performance requirements for medical devices, protecting both patients and healthcare providers
  • ISO 9001: Demonstrates a commitment to quality and customer satisfaction, which can enhance the credibility of the manufacturer

Our EMS DrySuit is a unique, waterless personal EMS training suit without need for training undergarments. The new design results in the best possible compression, ensuring real muscle contraction from the very first minute. Apart from magnetic connection, stretching, seamless and hidden cables, it also includes shoulder electrodes, which are extremely lightweight and washable. The EMS DrySuit’s elastic material fits all shapes and sizes, and fitting can be finetuned with durable zippers.
Suit highlights:

  • Quick and easy suit-up for maximum comfort
  • Great stimulation sensation and real muscle contraction from the very first moment
  • Highest quality of innovative technical materials