“Everything is futuristic here,” says Liz Arcos, North Carolina representative for OHM Fitness. From zip-up suits featuring electrical pads to Bluetooth battery packs, touch-pad tablets, and strategically positioned big screens, in this state-of-the-art fitness studio it does seem that technology is trending.
Though you wouldn’t be blamed for thinking OHM Fitness is just another passing fad, the science supporting Electro Muscle Stimulation (EMS) training is substantial and sound. OHM Fitness is named for the ohm, a unit of electrical resistance signified by the uppercase Greek letter omega. The symbol Ω is further reflected in OHM Fitness’ signature 25-minute workouts designed to mirror the omega’s flow: a warm-up that gives way to an increasing energy output that peaks and plateaus before returning to a lower intensity and final cool-down.
OHM Fitness participants wear the emPower EMS Suit, which incorporates muscle activation technology in the form of electro-pulse pads that work 90% of major muscles.
And all of this happens in less than a half hour, which means that results can be maximized while time is minimized. This is achieved in large part thanks to the Electro-Pulse Fitness Suit. Featuring 20 Electro-Pulse Pads that target 90% of the body’s major muscle groups, the lightweight suit is easy to get on, comfortable to wear, and utilizes breathable and antimicrobial fabric. Powering the suit is the slim emPower Pack, a wireless battery that controls the pulses to the muscles — a sensation that feels, according to Liz, “almost like a hug.”
These muscle pulses are at the core of the body changes OHM Fitness members can expect to see. Whereas a traditional workout relies on the brain to send signals telling muscles to contract, in the emPower EMS Suit, the signals bypass the brain and are delivered through an EMS electrode directly to the muscle.
Electrical pulses increase muscles’ activity and cause them to contract up to 200% harder than usual, which increases blood flow, speeds up the metabolism, and ignites fat burning all while toning and sculpting. This means that the advantages of an intense 2.5-hour high-intensity interval workout are achieved in just 25 minutes — the length of every session, whether the focus is on strength building, endurance, or recovery. The workouts offer less impact on joints and ligaments, as well as balanced muscle strength and stability. But what brings members back for more is results that come three times faster than with conventional workouts.
While sessions are low impact, shoes don’t have to be worn, and free weights don’t go above 5 pounds — though, according to Liz, they offer “the same feeling as 100-pound weights” — OHM Fitness retains many elements of a traditional workout. All coaches are certified personal trainers and EMS certified and bring, as Liz describes, “energy and great multitasking abilities.”
Instructor Dom Mathis’ classes are high powered and fun.
The ability to simultaneously manage multiple things is evident in every class, as a tablet allows the coach to oversee members’ suits and level of stimulation. Down to discrete muscle groups, the coach can make immediate adjustments based on feedback from each individual during the precisely timed sessions limited to 10 people. As Liz explains, coaches don’t just check in with participants; they also read their energy levels and body language and expression and are “a great part of our success.”
That success is also evident in the members: from 65-year-old Steve, who has been on a health journey with OHM Fitness for a year; to Melissa, who recently ran a 10-miler and used EMS to supplement her training and race-day performance. The Styku body scanner helps participants track their success, capturing multiple measurements that calculate body fat percentage with high precision, allowing members to witness their body transformation.
But wellness, as OHM Fitness members know, is about sustainable practices that fit into busy schedules. Suits are available for purchase at $349 plus tax and can also be rented from the studio (laundry services are provided onsite).
While the sessions are short and fun, and there are approximately 50 classes per week to choose from, members can also work out at home. At-home memberships range from $49–$69 per month, are fully supported by OHM staff, and offer access to video workouts — though the emPower Suit can also be used for workouts in other gyms and for activities like walking, running, biking, yoga, and stretching. For frequent travelers and remote workers, the hybrid studio/home model allows members to partake in both formats.
Melissa Ivey uses the red light room to increase circulation and promote healthy cell production.
At the Cary location, along with monthly Styku scans, member benefits include OHM Red Light Therapy, which reduces inflammation and muscle soreness and requires only 10 minutes after sessions, and hygienic H2OHM Purified Alkaline Water with trace minerals and electrolytes to support hydration and health.
Personal touches make the OHM experience — which Susie Silver describes as “fast, intense, and gets the job done” — more enjoyable. From all equipment being provided for members to the cooling peppermint towels offered at the end of sessions, there’s a reason Susie says about her exercise routine at OHM Fitness, “This is the first time I’ve been consistent.”
The monthly Peak Membership ($169 month to month) offers no contract, unlimited EMS Fitness Classes, unlimited Red Light Therapy sessions, and one Styku body scan a month. The Warm Up Membership for $79 includes four EMS classes a month. Anyone interested in trying OHM Fitness can get a free one-week trial good for three sessions.
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