How to get the most from your Compex
By Joe Arnone
Introduction
In an effort to help you get the most out of your Compex unit, I have taken the liberty of putting together this document. All of the information contained herein is based on my personal experience using the Compex Sport over the years as well as what I have gleaned from talking with dozens of clients about their experiences using this device.
Between this article and the Compex CD that came with your unit, you should have all the information you need to get started using the Compex. Please note that this article is offered as a suggested starting point for using the Compex. Your time and imagination are the only limits to the programs and it is up to you to determine the best way to use
this amazing product.
Getting Started
After turning the unit on and selecting OK, the screen display shows the selection of programs. Each program allows you to select body areas depending on the muscle group you are working. Most of the programs provide you the option of selecting an intensity level from 1-5. This is depicted by the set of stairs. The higher the level selected, the longer the muscle contraction and the longer the overall workout.
The intensity level (displayed in milliamps – mA) indicates the percentage of muscle fibers you are recruiting at a given time in the workout. This is adjusted with each of the four +/- buttons on the face of the unit. During training or competition without the Compex, you can only work approximately 40% of your muscle fibers. With the Compex, you can recruit up to 100% of your muscle fibers, which is immediately evident when you see your first muscle contraction. You will see muscles you didn’t know you had!
The benefit of recruiting a higher number of muscle fibers during the Compex workout will become obvious when you are engaging in your chosen sport – it will make you faster and stronger, guaranteed.
Level Selection Options and Usage Suggestions
There are a couple of different ways to increase the intensity levels of your workouts with Compex. These options are listed below and are offered as a “starting point” that you should customize to fit your specific needs and goals.
1. One level selection option is to progress the intensity on Level 1 up to as high as 100 mA, go to the next level, lower the intensity, and then progress to as high as 100 mA on this level. Continue with this method until you reach Level 5 and as high as 100 mA. If you choose this method, you don’t have to go up one level and decrease the intensity down to the very bottom of the scale. But I do suggest you decrease the intensity about 20 mA for each level increase because keeping the same intensity and increasing to the next level will most likely result in some muscle soreness.
2. The second option is to work a couple weeks on Level 1 with the intensity in the 10-20 mA range for muscle adaptation. Then stay at the same intensity but go straight to Level 5. As long as you progress the intensity up very gradually, this can be as effective as progressing through each level. It is totally your choice and up to each individual to decide which method works best for their specific training goals.
Like any workout routine, you need to vary your Compex usage. Use each program as it corresponds to the type of workout needed for your specific sport. For example, lets say normally you do endurance workouts two or three days a week. If this is the case, I suggest you only use the Endurance program on the Compex two or three days a week. I suggest you use the Compex Endurance program OR your normal endurance workout. I don’t recommend both complete workouts on the same day. This would be too much endurance training.
You could use the Compex Endurance program to complete a short workout or to replace a planned workout that didn’t happen for some reason. If the weather was bad or some other reason caused you to shorten your workout, you could finish it off with the Compex Endurance program. Active Recovery, Warm up and other such programs can be used every day if you like and even multiple times per day.
WARNING!: The best advice I can give you is to start at low intensities and gradually work up to higher levels and intensities. I have listed each program with suggested intensities and levels below. Again, these are suggestions only and they should not restrict you from experimenting and coming up with the best program for your specific goals as long as you don’t increase intensity too quickly. You can absolutely destroy yourself requiring weeks to recover if you increase the intensity too quickly.
The following programs are indicative of any model Compex you may own. Not all units have every program and the names are different depending on the model. These suggestions cover most any program no matter the model however.
Potentiation
In other words, “Warm Up”. This is a great program and I highly recommend using it before EVERY competition. You will still need to do some type of cardiovascular warm up as it doesn’t raise your heart rate at all. The program is just over 3 minutes and there is NOTHING else you can do to get your muscles warmed up as effectively as you can with the Compex warm up programs.
I suggest you use Potentiation in the 30-50 mA range. As you muscle fibers adapt, feel free to experiment with higher intensities. The very first time you use this feature, you are well advised to start a little lower in intensity and work your way up. This is true for ALL the Compex programs. If you don’t follow this advice on the Strength programs for instance, there is a good chance that you will be so sore that you will cry like baby for a couple days. REALLY!
Endurance
I think this program is the hardest workout you can do with the Compex. The contraction is very long and the rest period is only a couple seconds. On Level 5 (which lasts almost 55 minutes), using this program is equivalent to two hours of running or three hours of cycling.
This feature is beneficial as an addition to your workout that may be cut short due to weather, illness, etc. If you are sick and don’t want to do a cardiovascular workout, this can be an excellent muscle workout to help eliminate the possibility of a respiratory infection.
The Endurance program is something you can use during your competitive season as well. You have little chance of getting sore using this program as long as you stay reasonable with the intensity. I used this program very effectively while training for the Tour de Tucson in November 2004. Living in Montana, I’m not able to put in the miles this late in the year so I used the Endurance program to help make up for the lack of miles on the bike. I placed 5th where the previous year without using the Compex I placed 75th.
Strength
This feature is designed to build pure strength and will definitely build muscle mass. I have never been one to put on much mass with weight training. I have developed more muscle mass and developed it much faster using the Compex than I ever did weight lifting. You may be skeptical and find others that are skeptics on this subject as well. I’m living proof however and you can read the technical justification HERE.
I choose to use Option 2 (listed above in the Level Selection Options and Usage Suggestions section) to progress through the Strength program. For an excellent example of how you can use the Compex for an off season strength protocol, read my training article HERE.
I only do strength training programs (Strength, Explosive Strength, Endurance or Resistance) 3 days a week. I highly recommend using the Active Recovery at least 3 other days of the week. The very first time you use this feature, please start a little lower on the intensity level and work your way up. Again, this is true for ALL the Compex programs. One of the athletes I coached used the Strength program on his quads in the middle of the cycling season. He used it on Level 5 and the 70 mA intensity level. He stopped by the next day to tell me this. My response was, “Are you sore?”. He nonchalantly said, “No, not at all”. He called me two days later and said his quads were so sore that the weight of the sheets in bed was painful. It took him a couple of months before his legs returned to what he felt was normal. His season was finished at that point. DON’T MAKE THIS MISTAKE…..PLEASE!
Explosive Strength
This program is designed to build maximum strength and muscle mass. It is ideally suited to pure sprinters. It can be very effective in helping you develop your fast twitch muscles if you have the occasion to sprint in your competitions. I suggest you do this as a block of training after the Strength block.
Resistance
This is a very versatile program that is best compared to moderate weight at more repetitions in the gym. It can be used effectively in the following ways:
1. You could use this for 3-4 weeks prior to starting the Strength block to help your muscles get adapted to strength building. This will allow you to start the Strength program at a higher setting and increase the intensity levels quicker without as much muscle soreness.
2. Resistance is an excellent program for strength maintenance. I use the Resistance program at a maximum intensity level of 75 mA to maintain the strength I gained using the Strength program.
3. This program can also be very effective at building strength without building a lot of muscle mass. Runners, cycling climbers and anyone else wanting to build strength without the weight and muscle mass gain would be well advised to use this program in the off season.
Active Recovery
In my opinion, this program alone pays for your investment. If you get a massage with any regularity at all, you will thoroughly enjoy and appreciate this program as you will be saving the $50-$100 you pay for a massage. Recovering from your workout is what makes you stronger and faster. Therefore, I recommend using Active Recovery on a regular and frequent basis.
The intensity to use for Active Recovery is is something you can experiment with. Again, relating this program to massage, if you want a light massage, I recommend using it somewhere in the range of 25-35 mA. If you want a deeper massage, 35-45 mA is a good place to start. Most of my sessions are done at 40 -50mA.
It is possible to have a little bit of muscle soreness the next day if you use the higher intensities, just like you may have experienced after a deep tissue massage. Most times, however, you will only notice a very fresh feeling in your muscles. Just to be safe though, I use a maximum of 35 mA when I use Active Recovery the night before a race.
I like to be in a relaxed position when I am doing the active recovery. I lay on my back when doing muscle groups on the front of the body and lay on my stomach for back, hamstrings, glutes, calves, etc. Quite often, I do this on my couch while watching TV and it relaxes me so much I frequently fall asleep during the program.
Combining Muscle Groups
It is nice to be able to combine muscle groups so you can shorten the amount of time it takes to complete a workout. I am a cyclist so I have elected to concentrate on my quads, hamstrings and glutes. I use the pad placement book example for my quads and then I have a technique for combining hamstrings and glutes that I have outlined below.
To combine muscle groups I use a total of eight large pads. I place one of the large pads on my hamstrings and glutes where it is recommended by the pad placement book. I place the next pad across the area depicted in the book for the two smaller pads.
Doing this, I have two large pads on each hamstring and two large pads on each glute. The large pads have two connectors per pad. I only hook up to one of the connectors on each pad. The positive lead will go on the large pad that is replacing the two small pads and the negative on the other large pad. Use the pad placement book to check for the proper positive and negative position. You could use the same concept to combine quads and calves so you could get a complete leg workout with just two rounds of the Strength program.
The newer pad placement books, videos and online guides show this placement example. If your pad placement book isn’t as detailed as you like, there is an online resource for you HERE. Click on the Electrode Placement tab and it will show you visually how to place the pads on your desired muscle group.
CAUTION: For your hamstrings, the large pad that you use to replace the two small pads needs to be positioned correctly. You will notice the tendons behind your knee run up to your hamstring. DON’T put the first large pad on the tendons just above the back of your knee. Flex your hamstring and look for where the muscle begins. For me it is about half way between my knee and the bottom of my glute. This is where I place the first pad. The next one is placed just below the bottom of your glute.
Pad Life
Depending on how your pads are used and stored, you can have very long life or what seems relatively short. The easiest way to tell if your pads are worn out is if you begin to notice a sharp “pins and needles” type of prickling sensation on the skin surface just under the pads instead of the usual muscle contractions. If you feel this, replace the offending pad immediately. Another indication is not being able to increase intensity to your usual levels or increase as quickly. Using pad gel can solve this problem for awhile and help you extend the life of your pads.
In order to extend pad life as long as possible, try this…..
1. Apply to shaved legs or body parts if possible. (Hey here’s another legitimate reason for shaving your legs!)
2. Wash the areas where pads are to be applied with soap and water or rubbing alcohol. If you use rubbing alcohol, use a quality lotion like Lubriderm or Eucerin Cream or you will have very dry patches of skin where you used the rubbing alcohol. If you shower immediately after a workout, then do the Active Recovery routine immediately after you shower, that is ideal.
3. Make sure that the pads are kept in their plastic bags with the zip lock seal tightly closed. To make extra sure they don’t dry out, you should store all of your open bags of pads in a larger zip lock bag if you live in a dry climate.
Uneven Twitching
This is something that about 50-75% of Compex users will experience. You will experience this if one muscle group twitches or contracts more noticeably than it’s counterpart even though both are set to the same level of intensity. For example, let’s say you are doing an active recovery routine and you have all four channels (two on each quad) set to the same number of 20 mA. However, you notice that your right quadriceps muscle is twitching or shaking quite vigorously while your left is only twitching slightly.
The reason for this dissimilar reaction to the same amount of current provides visual and numeric proof that you have a dominant and weaker muscle. The weaker muscle is the one that isn’t twitching as much. This is due to the fact that a lower percentage of the muscle fibers are responding to the input from motor nerves, whether mentally or electronically activated. Increasing the current on that weaker muscle group will “wake up” those un-recruited muscle fibers. So, you may end up running 5-10 or more mA on the two channels connected to your weaker muscle. Don’t really worry about the numbers, just make sure you are getting the same twitch out of both muscle groups. Therefore, you should adjust the current level for each muscle independently to achieve the same level of twitching or contractions on both sides of your body. This will likely be the case for all muscle groups you work with the Compex Sport.
Correcting Muscle Imbalances
Not only will the Compex identify muscle imbalances for you, but it also offers the most effective way to correct the problem that we have ever seen. Up until now, the only way for athletes to correct a muscle strength imbalance was by doing clumsy single limb exercises which are difficult to do and have a pretty likely risk of injury associated with them.
It is immediately apparent if you have uneven muscle strength when you use the Compex. If you notice one muscle twitching less than the other when the intensities are equal, you have a strength imbalance. Simply increase the intensity on the low twitching side until both muscles are twitching equally. This is especially effective with the Strength programs. You will be able to gradually reduce the difference. Once you have each side twitching equally at the same intensity, you will have corrected the imbalance.
Best of luck with your training! I’m confident you will see significant improvements in your strength, endurance and recovery as I have by incorporating the Compex into your training.
