The headline sounds too good to be true, right? I thought the same when I first heard about the technology that is the Emsculpt Neo. This non-invasive body shaping procedure is designed to eliminate fat and build muscle in a 30-minute session. When it comes to body shaping treatments, they often require some sort of surgery, which also equals downtime.
The beauty of Emsculpt Neo is that there is zero downtime and you don’t have to set foot in a hospital or clinic. Winning! To reap the best results, you must have four 30-minute sessions, which I undertook at Vive Active in Sydney’s Neutral Bay. Under the guidance of the lovely Louisa Elwin, a practitioner at Vive Active, I completed my four sessions in a period of four weeks.
The way the Emsculpt Neo works is by releasing radio frequency as well as high-intensity electromagnetic energies to reduce fat cells and strengthen the muscle of the area you’re targeting. A large disc-like device is secured onto your body while you lay down — which in my case was my abdomen — and it begins to heat the muscles.
Then, the device emits electromagnetic pulses to force your muscles to contract and it’s a pretty strange feeling at first. Your muscles contract back and forth as you lay there, and while you don’t have to do any of the work, it does feel a little bizarre in the beginning as your body is lightly jolted with every contraction.
These pulses are interspersed every few minutes with a tapping sensation — the machine literally taps your body, in my case, my stomach, to help stop lactic acid from building up. This means you won’t feel super sore the next day from the treatment. I felt the most tender the day after the first session and it basically felt like I had done a lot of sit-ups the day before, which makes sense, considering one session on the Emsculpt Neo is the equivalent of completing 20,000 sit-ups (but with no sweat!).
The treatment lasts for half an hour and cycles through pulses and tapping. I read a magazine for each session and it honestly flew by — you really do get used to the sensation after a few minutes and it’s easy to ignore it after a while. Clinical studies of the Emsculpt Neo have shown, on average, a 30 percent reduction in subcutaneous fat (which sits directly under the skin) and a 25 percent increase in muscle thanks to this treatment.
Now, when it comes to body contouring results, patience is key as the outcome of this treatment isn’t super visible straight away. According to Elwin, you should begin to notice the full results within two to three months of your last treatment. I recently had my final treatment, so I’m waiting patiently to see the full extent in the coming weeks and months.
In saying that, I have noticed that my waist looks smaller than before and in the days following each treatment, my stomach was much flatter. The biggest change I have noticed is the improvement of my core strength — of which I previously didn’t have much. While I practice Pilates fairly regularly, my core is the weakest part of my body.
And, after taking a few months off of regularly practising Pilates because, well, life happened, I have noticed my strength has decreased massively in recent months since returning to the practice. But, in the last month, there has been a noticeable difference in my core strength while doing Pilates and I feel like it’s given me a headstart in rebuilding my strength, which is a huge win for me.
You’re now probably wondering what the catch of this magic treatment is and it’s the price. It’s expensive and is definitely not in the budget for many people, with one session costing $1,200. With four sessions recommended, you’re looking at a total of $4,800.
I was lucky enough to try this treatment on review and understand that the cost isn’t financially doable for most people. In saying that, Vive Active Members do receive a discount on the Emsculpt Neo treatment and there are repayment plans available, should that be more accessible for you.
Pretty much anyone is a suitable candidate for the Emsculpt Neo treatment, except for those with metal or electronic devices within their bodies, like a copper IUD or pacemaker, as these can interfere with the magnetic waves.
If you’re interested in trying the Emsculpt Neo for yourself or simply have a few questions about the treatment, get in touch with the team at Vive Active team and they will be able to answer your queries.
