Frequently Asked Questions - Contour CoreBelt Use & Care Manual

Frequently asked questions

Q: How does the Contour Technology Muscle Stimulator work?
A: The Contour electronic muscle stimulator sends soothing electrical impulses
to the muscles via specially designed, medical grade electrodes (called gel
pads). These gel pads stick to the surface of the skin just above where the
nerves attach to the muscles. These electronic impulses stimulate the nerves
to excite the muscle fibers thus enabling muscle fibers to contract and relax
just like when you voluntarily flex and relax your muscles.
Q: What does the Contour Technology Muscle Stimulator do?
A: The Contour Technology device has programs that can target specific
muscles, muscle groups or individual muscle fibers and cause them to get
stronger or recover from training faster. The Contour Technology device sends
electronic impulses in frequencies between 1 and 120 pulses per second.
Each frequency will affect muscles differently. lower frequencies are for
muscle recovery, relaxation and massage benefits. Higher frequencies are for
building strength or firming and toning muscles.
Q: Who can use the Contour Technology Muscle Stimulator?
A: Any adult with healthy muscles can benefit from using the Contour EMS.
do not use this device if you have a cardiac pacemaker, implanted
defibrillator, or other implanted metallic or electronic device. Please read the
warning and precautions section of this manual.
Q: How do I know when to replace the Contour Technology garment gel pad
electrodes?
A: If you notice that you can turn up the intensity higher before getting a good
contraction this usually indicates that the gel pad electrodes are losing their
conductivity or effectiveness. Typically, gel pads last 30 - 45 uses.
Q: The stimulation is a little uncomfortable. How can I improve this?
A: There are two ways to maximize comfort with the Contour Technology
Ab Belt. One way is to adjust the intensity of the device down to a desired
level of comfort. While higher intensities are typically more effective, the body
takes time to acclimate to a specific power level. The second way to improve
comfort is to make sure the gel pad electrodes are located in the correct
position. Since muscle nerves are located just beneath the skin, having the
gel pads more directly over the nerves (motor neurons) will allow for more
muscle activity at lower intensities. If the gel pad is too far away from the
nerve (motor neuron), then intensity must be increased and discomfort can
occur. The Contour Ab Belt has 4 target areas in which you place the gel pads.
This will insure proper placement of the gel pads over abdominals.
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Q: The gel pads won't stick to the belt even though they are relatively new.
A: Make sure you remove the protective cover entirely before mounting the gel
pad on the Contour Ab Belt. Make sure that you are placing the silver side of
gel pad electrodes to the BACK SIdE of the Ab Belt. There will be outlines
showing where to place the gel pad electrodes. Once the gel pads have been
applied to the Ab Belt leave them mounted until the time they need to be re
placed. Make sure you stick the plastic covers on the gel pads when not is use.
Q: The Gel Pads don't feel very sticky like when they were new. does this mean
they are worn out?
A: Not necessarily. There is no correlation between stickiness and conductivity.
In other words, the level of stickiness has no effect on how effectively the gel
pads are conducting the electrical impulse. You can reconstitute the gel pad
by adding a few drops of water on the gel and smearing it around.
Q: Why does my skin have some redness under the gel pad after a session?
A: Some degree of redness may be caused by an increase in blood flow to the
area. This is a result of the excitation of muscles; muscle activity can cause
an increase in blood flow to the exercised area. In some cases, there may be
a skin reaction in the form of a minor irritation caused by the adhesive in the
conductive gel. This is rare, but if this occurs, simply clean the irritated area
with soap and water to remove any of the gel material.
Q: How soon before I can see results?
A: Results are dependent on many factors. Increasing strength or power can
happen relatively fast and the speed of improvement is proportional to the
intensity level of the Contour muscle stimulator. The higher intensity you can
tolerate comfortably, the faster you'll feel results. Increasing muscle tone
or improving shape is more subjective. Sensible eating habits and, if
necessary, a reduced calorie diet will play a vital role in getting the visual
results you desire. Over 50% of body fat is right beneath the skin. As bad fat is
decreased, the muscles will become more visible and all the strengthening
and toning you achieved using the Contour Technology Ab Belt will be more
evident. That being said, after a few sessions with the Contour Technology
Ab Belt you may notice your posture improving as your core muscles become
stronger. Other results will take more time. It is reasonable to notice a variety
of results in 2-3 weeks. Choose the appropriate level of intensity that you can
comfortably tolerate. As you get used to the unique feel of Contour electronic
muscle stimulation and your muscle become stronger you will want to
increase the intensity of the Contour Technology MX6 device. The higher
intensity will allow a deeper, more complete contraction and get more muscle
fibers activated which leads to more ab strength.
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