Fara Rosenzweig

Help tackle your warm-ups, performance, and recovery with the palm of your hand.

Introducing the newest addition to the Compex® lineup: The Compex® Wireless Mini. Portable, wireless, and smart, this muscle stim device connects to your smartphone so you can control programming and intensity with ease.

What Makes the Compex® Wireless Mini So Unique?

Delivering tiny electric pulses to the user’s skin through the electrodes, the Compex® Wireless Mini provides six programs of different pulse frequencies, helping cover Electrical Muscle Stimulation (EMS) and Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS).

• Pre-Warm Up: Produces a muscle twitch. Runs at a low frequency and helps increase local blood flow, warming the muscle tissue, and increase reaction of the muscles prior to a workout or competition.
• Endurance: Designed to help activate the aerobic metabolism muscle fibers during the session. The program helps to establish or improve basic muscle endurance and is designed to help increase the average intensity of muscle effort over that must be maintained over a long period of time.
• Resistance: Designed to help activate the anaerobic metabolism of the muscle, as this program helps increase the time a muscle can maintain a higher work level. It is designed for sporting activities, which are characterized by a need for intense efforts to be maintained or repeated to help approach the limit of muscle exhaustion.
• Active Recovery: Produces a muscle twitch at a low frequency. Helps increase local blood flow, leading to a faster reduction of lactic acid than mere rest, while promoting muscle relaxation which helps enable a faster recovery.
• Muscle Relaxation: Produces a muscle twitch. Runs at the lowest frequency possible to help relax muscles that are fatigued after a workout or competition.
• TENS: The TENS program is used to help temporarily alleviate localized pain.

What Does the Compex® Wireless Mini App Offer? 

The App on the phone pairs with the main device and can operate it via Bluetooth. Alternatively, the main device can control the Compex® device via the radio frequency. So, the App can control either the main device alone, and simultaneously operates the master device and the affiliation device.

In the App, you’ll find six unique programs designed to help take your training to the next level, the Training Log to keep track of your progression, and a pad placement guide so you’ll know where to place the electrodes.

What Makes the Compex® Wireless Mini Different?

Unlike our other Compex® Devices, this EMS with TENS can be controlled from the main device or through the App. So, it’s a great alternative when traveling or at the gym.

Whether you’re trying to increase strength and endurance or want to help manage pain, the Compex® Wireless Mini offers many benefits to help you reach your goals.

Shop the Compex® Wireless Mini

The contents of this blog were independently prepared, and are for informational purposes only. The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and are not necessarily indicative of the views of any other party. Individual results may vary depending on a variety of patient-specific attributes and related factors.

So, you’re thinking about doing the Open. What’s stopping you from doing it?

Five weeks of challenging workouts to test you both mentally and physically is not an easy feat. While many competitors will spend hours in the gym tiring themselves out daily and trying different training routines to improve their performance, you can do the same without spending hours in the gym or fatiguing your muscles. So, what’s the best way to be ready for the Open?

Brooke Wells, CrossFit® and Compex® Athlete, understands the demands your body goes under when competing during the Open and provides a little insight to help you be ready for the grueling few weeks, “The biggest thing is to treat the Open as if it were a regular training day! Don’t do anything different like try a new crazy pre-workout or warm up extra, extra long. Stay in your typical routine, and don’t freak or stress out about it,” she adds, “Trust your training and go as hard as you can. Make sure you are recovered before, have a good meal, get sleep, and proper recovery—like using a Compex® device).”

When Compex® electric muscle stimulation is added to your workouts, it helps maximize your muscular effort by engaging a greater percentage of muscle fibers. Compex® devices target both Type 1 slow twitch muscle fibers which impact endurance and Type 2 fast twitch muscle fibers which impact power and explosiveness. Using a Compex® EMS device can help take your performance to the next level. Here’s how to be ready for the Open with the assistance of one of our EMS devices.

Dynamic Warm-ups

Before you begin you the Open workout, it’s essential to warm up your muscles. Using our pre-designed programs can help make your time more efficient in the gym. A dynamic warm-up helps loosen muscles and gets them ready for rigorous activity, which may help to prevent injury during training or competition.

The Performance™, Sport Elite™, and Wireless Muscle Stimulator™ all offer the Pre-Warm Up program which produces a muscle twitch and runs at a low frequency while increasing local blood flow, warming the muscle tissue, and helping to improve reaction of the muscles prior to a workout or competition.

The Sport Elite™ and Wireless Muscle Stimulators™ offer Potentiation which is recommended before a workout or competition, especially for sports requiring speed and velocity. Applied briefly just before the beginning of a competition, it offers immediate, well-potentiated muscle fibers and helping to optimize performance.

So, before you tackle the challenge, turn on the Dynamic Warm-up setting to get ready to compete.

Quick Recovery

One advantage that you’ll have if you use the EMS device is that you can help speed up your recovery before the next workout, whether you want to redo the week’s challenge or you’re ready to take on the next one at The Open.

Compex® EMS devices offer multiple post-workout programs to assist in your recovery. The variety of recovery programs are designed to bring fresh oxygen and nutrients to the muscles to help flush lactic acid, aiding you to recover faster.

After your workout, place the electrodes on the muscle area you'd like to target. Select your program and let Compex® help you get stronger and fitter faster than you would with your regular routine.

The Edge™, Performance™, Sport Elite™ and Wireless Muscle Stimulator™ offer the Active Recovery program which increases local blood flow, leading to a faster reduction of lactic acid than mere rest, promotes muscle relaxation and helps enable faster recovery. These devices also offer TENS which can be used to temporarily alleviate localized pain.

The Sport Elite™ and Wireless Muscle Stimulator™ devices offer Recovery Plus which runs at a lower frequency for inducing gentle muscle twitches, increasing local blood flow, generating endorphins (the body's natural analgesic) and promoting muscle relaxation when muscles are fatigued after a vigorous workout or competition. They also offer Massage, which runs at the lowest frequency possible to help relax muscles that are fatigued after a workout or competition.

While other competitors may take breaks, stretch or try the workout before they take on the Open workouts, you can allow your body to rest while still helping your muscles improve and strengthen by using the warm-up and recovery programs. Good luck during the Open!

Shop our Compex® Muscle Stimulators

The contents of this blog were independently prepared, and are for informational purposes only. The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and are not necessarily indicative of the views of any other party. Individual results may vary depending on a variety of patient-specific attributes and related factors.

CrossFit® is registered trademark of CrossFit®, Inc.

Brooke Wells is a Compex® Sponsored Athlete.

Compex®, the muscle specialist, is always looking to support athletes in their quest for well-being, performance or even exceeding training objectives.

As a global leader for more than 30 years in muscle stim technology, Compex® has dedicated hours and energy to make sure health care professionals, athletes, and individuals have the essential technology and support needed to help relieve muscle pain and improve strength. Our FDA-cleared products are beneficial for muscle recovery, injury prevention, pain management, and intense training programs. We offer the best in Electric Muscle Stimulators (EMS), Electrodes, and EMS Accessories.

Electrostimulation

Electrostimulation allows you to naturally reap the benefits of improved stamina, quick recovery, as well as increased blood circulation, strength, and muscle volume. It's a great complement to any existing sports training regimen. From seasoned professionals to weekend warriors, there are many benefits that can be found adding FDA-cleared Compex® muscle stim devices into any training regimen.

Compex® Electric Muscle Stimulators

The technology of Compex®, drawn from its double roots — Swiss quality and medical requirement — is light, portable and easy to use. Whether used for training and muscle strength or relaxation and pain relief, Compex® FDA-cleared EMS devices are an essential go-to training tool as a complement to or occasionally to replace voluntary physical activity.

With many pre-designed program options, the Compex® FDA-cleared devices are meant to help athletes and active individuals reach their fullest potential, fast and effectively.

FDA-Cleared

FDA-cleared medical devices are ones that FDA has determined to be substantially equivalent to (similar) another legally marketed device. A premarket notification submission is referred to as a 510(k) and must be submitted to FDA to review and provide clearance.

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Individual results may vary. Neither DJO Global, Inc. nor any of its subsidiaries dispense medical advice. The contents of this blog do not constitute medical, legal, or any other type of professional advice. Rather, please consult your healthcare professional for information on the courses of treatment, if any, which may be appropriate for you.

Training for an IRONMAN?

Whether this is your first or you’ve tackled many IRONMANS, you know that you’ll need to put heavier-than-usual loads on your body to meet your training plan.

During training, you put a ton of stress on your body. All that amount of pressure can lead to injury before, during, or after race day. What can you do? Using electric muscle stimulation (EMS) and transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) may be the final puzzle piece in your triathlon training plan to help you keep healthy for your IRONMAN and beyond the finish line.

Why EMS and TENS?

EMS and TENS is an essential part of IRONMAN training because it helps increase strength, endurance, stamina, and recovery, all of which help maximize performance.

Lisa Bentley, 11-time IRONMAN Champion, coach, speaker and author of An Unlikely Champion says, “I have used TENS to reduce pain around a few different injuries—inflammation of tendons, lower-back tightness, and subsequent SI joint issues. I have used EMS to stimulate the muscles which often get turned off due to injury.”

What are EMS and TENS?

Basically, EMS mimics the way your body works to cause your muscles to contract. Your muscles act as if you’re working out. Except, instead of voluntarily firing off (because you, say, lift something), the muscles fire when given a very particular electrical impulse from your Compex® device. The TENS can help relieve muscle pain due to injury and over-training. The TENS setting on your Compex delivers small, safe, electrical signals through conductive pads to stimulate the nerves under your skin. It relieves pain in two ways: by helping the body to release natural painkillers (called endorphins) and by blocking pain messages.

Using Compex® During Training

Using Compex during your training can help you gain muscle strength in hard-to-reach areas and strengthen muscles when injured. “I had patellar femoral pain, I used EMS to stimulate the medial quadriceps muscle to get stronger and activated so that it could help hold my knee cap in place and counteract my overactive ITB from pulling my kneecap to the outside,” explains Bentley. “I had used EMS when I had a stress fracture to keep the surrounding muscles activated while we rested the bone and joint as they repaired. That way, when the bone was healed, I was able to return to training faster since the normal muscular atrophy had been reduced or eliminated.”

Compex for Recovery

Also, Compex can also activate muscles on recovery days to enhance blow flow, which in turn helps heal your body. “Training is the process of stressing out muscles and breaking them down. Improvements come during the recovery phase where the muscle gets stronger and more resilient,” shares Bentley.

Ironically, injuries happen when you overload muscles and tendons. Recovery from injury occurs when you gradually introduce load to the muscle or tendons. You cannot have rehabilitation without introducing a controlled load. Adding in your Compex device to your training allows for that controlled load by stimulating the muscles.

Compex for Warming Up

On top of strength and recovery, you can use your Compex for an effective warm up. The pre-designed programs can target the specific muscle groups you’ll be using, whether you’re in the locker room, at your desk, or sitting next to the pool. The great thing about using Compex during your IRONMAN training is that it’s portable so you can multitask and warm up as you make your way to the pool or set up your bike for a ride. And, it reaches muscle groups that are hard to reach from a regular warm-up.

Supplemental Tool

Compex is a tool to supplement strength and endurance programs. You can use the conditioning pre-designed programs to supplement weight training on the same day. Say you focus on training legs one morning, you can use EMS strength on the same muscles that evening, and follow up with active recovery. This helps to fire up your muscles a little quicker than training alone.

You’re putting in a lot of hard work for your IRONMAN. You want to wake up feeling refresh and ready to train each day. In addition to your plan, make sure you get proper sleep, eat well, and use your Compex for an all-around solid training routine.

Shop for a Compex Device

The contents of this blog were independently prepared, and are for informational purposes only. The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and are not necessarily indicative of the views of any other party. Individual results may vary depending on a variety of patient-specific attributes and related factors.

Let’s face it. Training for a triathlon is a huge time commitment. And if you want to get better, you’ve got to put in the work. But, what if we were to tell you that you don't need to add longer, harder workouts to be a stronger triathlete.

What’s the key to better triathlon training? Recovery.

Depending on your fitness level will determine the number of training weeks you’ll need to cross the finish line strong, and safely. But to train your best, you need to make sure you give your body optimal recovery between workouts.

Whether your goal is to set a new PR or finish the race, here’s how to recover for better triathlon training.

Set Your Recovery Day

No matter what triathlon training schedule you use, you should set one day as a full recovery day. A recovery day can be partaking in a yoga class, going for a long walk, taking a hike, using your Compex® device, or even indulging in a sports massage. You’re giving your body a break from the intense training, which you need to prevent overworking your muscles. So, choose one day a week as your recovery day, and stick to it. Your body will be happy, and you’ll gain more strength during training.

Foam Roll Post-Training

Also known as self-myofascial release (SMR), foam rolling is designed to work out the knots (also called trigger points) in your muscles. Myofascial adhesions can develop through stress, training, overuse, underuse, movement imbalances, and injuries. Mainly, the knots are points of constant tension and addressing them can have a positive effect on your workouts. Ignoring them can lead to muscle fatigue and may cause injury.

While foam rolling can be uncomfortable, you control the pressure, and over time, you’ll be able to release the pain and relax the muscle. Tension can be released from the affected area, increasing blood flow and nutrients to the muscle tissue, and improving range of motion (ROM) for a more effective triathlon training program.

Ice Your Muscles

Got a sore muscle or slight inflammation? Ice therapy (cold therapy) can help a minor muscle-related injury because it can help reduce swelling and improve blood flow to the affected tissue. According to one Harvard Health study, applying ice to the sore area for 10 to 15 minutes is one of the cheapest, simplest, and a most effective way to manage swelling.

Shop our HyperIce®or ColPac® collections for ice recovery.

Use Your Compex® Device

Electric muscle stimulation trains your muscles in a way that traditional workouts alone cannot. While you can use your Compex® device before or during your workouts, the recovery mode helps activate the muscle to contract based on the amount of resistance applied through the device. You can also use the TENS program, which helps to alleviate pain by either inducing an endorphin release (Low-Frequency TENS programs) or to block the pain signals to the brain through the Gate Theory (High-Frequency TENS programs). Regardless if you use EMS or TENS, your Compex device can help flush lactic acid, replenish muscles with nutrient, and get your body ready for the next workout.

Learn more on EMS and TENS.

Whether you’re looking to compete in a sprint triathlon or an IRONMAN, one of the most effective ways to train is to focus on your recovery, so your body is healthy, strong, and ready to compete.

The contents of this blog were independently prepared, and are for informational purposes only. The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and are not necessarily indicative of the views of any other party. Individual results may vary depending on a variety of patient-specific attributes and related factors.

HyperIce® is a registered trademark of HyperIce, Inc.

Shop for your Compex® device.

Before you add another workout to your training schedule, look at how you can be more efficient.

It’s hard enough to find the time to train for one sport, let alone three. But triathlon training can be easier than you think. The key to finishing your triathlon strong is efficiency, not excruciating, joint-smashing workouts.

So how can you effectively train? Adding your Compex® device to your routine can help you build strength, improve endurance, and recover quickly.

Whether it’s your first triathlon or you're looking to set a new PR, here are the benefits to using your Compex® device during triathlon training.

Warm-Up Assistance

A gradual warm-up loosens up your muscles and improves the elasticity of them so your body can do the hard work during training and competition. Without a proper warm up, you’re more prone to an injury. The Compex® devices offer warm-up programs that deliver tiny electric pulses to the targeted area to help improve blood circulation and loosen up your muscles.

Builds Muscle Strength and Endurance

When Compex® electric muscle stimulation (EMS) is added to your triathlon training routine, it helps maximize your muscular effort by engaging a higher percentage of muscle fibers. You have two types of muscle fibers: Type 1 and Type 2. Compex targets both Type 1 slow twitch muscle fibers which impact endurance and Type 2 fast twitch muscle fibers with impact power and explosiveness. In other words, you can select specific pre-designed programs that can help you build strength and endurance quicker than if you just swim, bike or run. The Compex device allows you to target multiple muscle groups that you’ll use during triathlon training without having to do longer swims, runs or bike rides. It also strengthens the harder-to-reach muscles that prevent injuries from the primary muscles groups you use during a run, bike or swim.

Small and Portable

Whether traveling, at work or gym, the Compex® device is easy to use and take with you, wherever you go. It’s great to use while at work, either warming up or recovering from tri training. If you travel and may not have time to do your regular workouts, then throw on the electrodes for a quick session to at least keep your muscles working and prevent strength loss.

Recovery Made Simple

A sports massage usually is an excellent way to recoup from a tough workout, but you may not have that luxury. The Compex® device offers pre-designed recovery programs, one being a muscle relaxation/massage program, which runs at the lowest frequency to help relax the muscles that are fatigued from your tough workout.

The contents of this blog were independently prepared, and are for informational purposes only. The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and are not necessarily indicative of the views of any other party. Individual results may vary depending on a variety of patient-specific attributes and related factors.

Shop for your Compex® device.