03 Oct Why You Can’t Really “Target Muscles” (Until Now)
You probably already know you can’t “spot reduce” (choose where you want to lose fat) with diet or exercise, but did you know you can’t fully target muscles either? Parson Skin Center changes these frustrating realities using the latest technology, including the non-invasive Emsculpt for muscle targeting. Emsculpt forces muscles into 20,000 supramaximal contractions in just 30 minutes, allowing you full control over which muscles contract with no surgery and no need to break a sweat.
How Emscupt Works
Making muscles bigger, or inducing hypertrophy, is what makes them look toned. Traditionally, this is achieved through weight-bearing exercises using a “free weight” like dumbbells, a fixed weight machine, or strength training exercises such as push-ups. All of these movements target a group of muscles, forcing them to get bigger by creating muscle tears that end in the muscle getting bigger when it heals. However, it’s impossible to target a single muscle with weight-bearing exercises.
In any movement, a muscle might fulfill four different roles. As an agonist, the muscle is providing the primary force to achieve the movement. In this role, a muscle is the prime mover. For instance, the bicep is the agonist in a bicep curl. During the same movement, the triceps is an antagonist muscle—it relaxes so it doesn’t get in the way of the bicep. An antagonist muscle might also help slow down or stop a movement.
Fixator muscles keep the origin of the agonist muscle and the joint the “origin muscle” moves over stable to maximize the motion. For a bicep curl, this includes the little rotator cuff muscles. Fixator muscles are usually close to the shoulder and hips, and even though they’re little, they’re powerful and undergo a workout when strength training is taking place.
Synergist muscles are “helpers.” They can support a movement and stabilize a joint. In a bicep curl, synergists are the brachialis and brachioradialis. Synergist muscles also get a strength workout, and can understandably get “toned” or increase in size. This isn’t always desired. For example, if you want a bigger backside but not necessarily bigger thighs, this is impossible to achieve with strength training. You can’t work out your behind without also engaging your many thigh muscles—but Emsculpt can. If you truly want to target your glutes, abs, thighs, and/or upper arm muscles without increasing size elsewhere, Emsculpt is the only option. Contact Parson Skin Center today to schedule your appointment.