Q: I see advertisements for electric muscle stimulator machines that are supposed to cut down on exercise time while strengthening muscles just like a weight workout. Do these machines really work? - T.L., Ledyard, CT

A: Electric muscle stimulating machines were originally designed decades ago for paralyzed people whose muscles had atrophied from disuse. They generate an electrical current that provides a stimulus to the muscles, causing them to flex and therefore get larger. These machines are certainly not new, and while they may have value for the physical therapy purpose for which they were designed, don't count on them as a way to shortcut your strength-training. A long-time bodybuilding friend of mine, Boyer Coe, once tried using them in his program, but found that they didn't offer the long-lasting results he got from using a barbell, dumbbells or weight machines.

Source: fitlinxx.com