Bao Jie does aerobic exercises wearing EMS gear. Photo: Li Hao/GT

Dressed in a black suit with over two dozen colored chips and wires strategically placed all over, Bao Jie, a 29-year-old fitness buff, seemed unperturbed as he lay flat on the ground trying to lift his legs to exercise his core area. 

But the chips and wires were a dead giveaway. This was no ordinary training session. Despite his relatively calm exterior, Bao was receiving constant low-frequency electric shock throughout the entirety of his 20-minute workout.

Bao had willingly paid to undergo a new type of fitness training called Electrical Muscle Stimulation (EMS), and he is not alone. The newest exercising trend in the China, EMS has attracted many city dwellers in Beijing with its high-efficiency in helping people get fit.

EMS has a relatively long history in Western countries. It was researched and developed by the Russian Federal Space Agency in conjunction with the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to prevent muscle atrophy among astronauts. The technique was later employed in athletic training, and top athletes such as Usain Bolt and Tiger Woods also use EMS, according to a June 20 report on industry portal 36kr.com.

An actor, Bao had already possessed an envious physique, but he does not plan to stop there. "I wish EMS can help me to get the perfect body," he said.

Jin Longquan, the CEO of Beijing-based K-EMS Studio, a fitness center which offers EMS training sessions, said since his studio's opening in April, over 100 clients have come to try EMS. "The human brain gives instructions to the limbs and torso to move. Electrical Muscle Stimulation, which can imitate the brain's signals with low-frequency electrical pulses, gives signals directly to muscles and orders them to move and exercise," Jin said.

According to him, the EMS pulse frequency can range from 200 to 2,500 hertz. The exercise focuses on 12 key areas, including the core, chest and buttocks, and stimulates about 90 percent of the muscles in the body.

According to the 36kr.com report, the effect of EMS is similar to adding weights during exercise. The higher the hertz, the more "weight" is put on the muscles. That is why a session is limited to 20 minutes. It is equal to a 120-minute high-intensity workout.

However, despite its effectiveness, EMS is only an assistive method. It cannot replace working out and sweating, said Jin, adding that EMS is passive exercise, a kind of exercise that relies on outside forces without active movement.

 "It must be applied with active exercises to consume the body's energy and burn fat," he said.

Bao did both anaerobic and aerobic exercises, such as warm-ups, high kicks, sidewinder burpees, planks, and push-ups during his EMS session.

"I need to intensify the exercise during EMS to get better results. I don't think anyone can lose fat by just standing and doing nothing," he said.

With the development of modern technology, there is even wearable EMS equipment on the market, and the prices are quite affordable.

Japanese health and fitness company MTG launched its Sixpad EMS training gear, which can be put on the belly and limbs to help burn excessive fat, in 2015.

Also, in early 2016, a Singapore-based startup company Smartmissimo developed a similar product named PowerDot, which is smaller and can even be worn at the office. According to its website, it can not only help exercisers stimulate their muscles, but it is also able to record data for as many as 14 muscle groups and make fitness plans.

 Bao has already made a training plan to work out with EMS over the next three months. "I am looking forward to the difference," he said.