EmSculpt—the newest body contouring medispa technology for those seeking crunch-free six-packs and Brazilian-looking butts sans surgical lift—has made cameos on The Real Housewives, Bling Empire, and Keeping up with the Kardashians. Currently, EmSculpt’s only offered at a handful of medspas in Toronto, but this week you can try the $850-a-session procedure for free.
YOUTH MediSpa recently bought one of the $300,000 machines, which uses a patented technology called “HIFEM” (high-intensity focused electromagnetic field) to force muscle contractions. Basically, in just 30 minutes, your muscles do the equivalent of 20,000 crunches. Or squats, if it’s your derrière you wish to tone. It can even target smaller areas such as thighs, arms, and calves.
To announce YOUTH MediSpa’s big new purchase to the city, the EmSculpt bus has rolled into town (from here, it will continue on with its Canada-wide tour before returning to the U.S.). On Sept. 30, they’re inviting skeptics and keeners to come and try out the machine.
I am neither a skeptic, nor a keener. I’d probably say I’m a dreamer. I am hopeful the device (that J. Lo’s rumoured to use to chisel her abs) can return my definition. Over the pandemic, I’ve lost my motivation and my gym visits have slipped from daily to sporadic. So, when YOUTH MediSpa offered me a special EmSculpt sneak peek, I didn’t hesitate to book my session.
The only thing that prepared me for the experience was Kim Kardashian’s assessment: “It feels like you’re doing stomach crunches, but you’re not. I’m into it.” And while that didn’t sound too bad, here’s what it actually felt like:
Conjure in your mind a cicada’s tapping song. Now, imagine it’s coming out of a giant plastic paddle strapped to your abdomen. Laying on the table, I braced myself for something unpleasant to follow the sound. A weeks’ worth of workouts condensed into one short session would surely be painful. Instead, it wasn’t bad at all! It felt like I was sucking in my belly while simultaneously exhaling at the same time. The apex of the convulsion was akin to the tail-end of a one-minute V-sit—when your core begs your brain to release the pose.
Blood tests have shown that a 30-minute EmSculpt session releases endorphins, and although I didn’t have a runner’s high by the end, my abs certainly felt like they’d been put through the wringer. Thankfully, there was no lingering soreness. Each EmSculpt session is punctuated with lactic acid massages (which feel more like a gentle tummy tapping than a Swedish pulverizing).
All in all, mildly uncomfortable, but not unbearable in the least. If this is all I had to endure to obtain a mythical six-pack… Well, no wonder reality T.V. stars are worshipping at the EmSculpt altar.
For YOUTH MediSpa’s Sept. 30 EmSculpt event an RSVP is required. Contact book@theyouthmedispa.com to book.
