Questions about EMS training at P20

EMS (electrical muscle stimulation) training is a 20-minute, coach-guided workout in a suit with electrodes over the major muscle groups. Gentle impulses make your muscles contract while you do simple, low-impact movements, activating up to 90% of your muscle fibers. Personal20 (P20) has offered whole-body EMS in Herndon since 2017 and in Tysons since 2021.

A P20 session is 20 minutes of training; plan about 35 minutes door to door. Most clients train once or twice a week. Two sessions a week is the fastest route through the 12-week Triple 8 Journey (8 sessions of P20 Strong, 8 of P20 HIIT, 8 of P20 Power).

Home stimulators are applied to passive muscles. At P20 the stimulation is applied while you actively exercise, in a sequence of trainer-instructed movements from the P20 Method programs, so the muscle is working and being stimulated at the same time.

Yes. Personal20 opened in Herndon, Virginia in 2017, added a Tysons studio in 2021, and shortened its name to P20 (P20 EMS Fitness Experts) in 2023. It is the same owner-run business with the same two studios.

The equipment runs on a battery at low voltage (maximum 0.05 W RMS), so an electric shock is not possible. Your trainer sets the intensity for each muscle group and adjusts it during the session. EMS is not recommended for people with heart disease, pacemakers or other implanted electrical devices, during pregnancy or breastfeeding, or for people prone to epileptic seizures.

People with heart disease, pacemakers or other implanted electrical devices, women who are pregnant or breastfeeding, and people with a predisposition to epileptic seizures or fitting should not do EMS. If you have another medical condition, ask your doctor first and tell your trainer.

Yes, that is one of the main reasons people choose P20. The suit provides the resistance, so you train standing with light movements and no heavy weights. Clients with knee pain, degenerative disc disease and spinal fusions train here every week, and a physical therapist and a chiropractor describe their results on our Avoid Pain page.

With your surgeon’s clearance, yes. Trainer Steve returned four weeks after neck surgery limited to lifting under 10 lbs; Barbara trains with titanium plates in her spine; Astrid restarted eight weeks after a laminectomy. Your trainer works within your restrictions and can use the P20 Recovery program first.

P20 trains clients from 18 to 85. Many of our clients are over 50 and come for strength, bone health, balance and posture without the strain of heavy lifting. Our EMS Over 50 page explains how sessions are adapted.

Nothing. P20 provides the training undergarments and the EMS suit, which is made of light, breathable, antibacterial material. Come hydrated.

Most clients feel stronger within the first few sessions and see measurable strength gains by session 8. Harisha improved lower-body strength by 22.5% after 8 sessions and more than doubled his plank hold by session 24. P20 tracks weight, waist and a strength test so you can see your own numbers.

Mild muscle soreness a day or two after the first sessions is common, as with any new strength program, because EMS reaches muscles that normal workouts miss. Your trainer starts at a low intensity and builds it up over your first sessions.

The P20 Method is four EMS programs: P20 Strong (strength and stability), P20 HIIT (metabolism and cardio), P20 Power (sculpting and power) and P20 Recovery (pain relief, lymphatic support and deep muscle massage). New clients follow the 12-week Triple 8 Journey: 8 sessions of Strong, 8 of HIIT, 8 of Power.

A trial session is $35. Programs start at $262.99 for one session a week and $409.99 for two sessions a week. The EMS suit, undergarments and one-on-one coaching are included; there is no equipment to buy and no gym membership required.

No. P20 Tysons is inside Onelife Fitness at 8250 Greensboro Dr and P20 Herndon is at the entrance of Worldgate Athletic Club at 13037 Worldgate Dr, but P20 is open to the public and no gym membership is required.

P20 Tysons: 8250 Greensboro Dr, McLean, VA 22102, call or text 571-407-1199; open Monday to Thursday 7:30 am to 7:00 pm and Friday 7:30 am to 3:00 pm. P20 Herndon: 13037 Worldgate Dr, Herndon, VA 20170, call or text 703-559-4040; open Monday to Thursday 7:30 am to 8:00 pm, Friday 7:30 am to 6:00 pm and Saturday 9:00 am to 1:00 pm. Both closed Sunday. Sessions are by appointment.

Personal20 (P20) is rated 5.0 on Google at both studios: 103 reviews for Tysons and 143 for Herndon as of October 2026, with 244 of 246 reviews at five stars. Reviewers most often mention strength gains within one to three months, trainers by name, and workouts that fit a busy schedule or sore joints. P20 is not listed on Trustpilot or Yelp; MindBody is our members’ booking app and does not publish reviews.

Use the trial form on the Book a Trial page, or call or text the studio you prefer. We reply within 2 business hours with available times. Current members book their sessions in the MindBody app.

Yes. The Herndon studio is the closest EMS studio for Reston, Sterling, Ashburn and Chantilly; the Tysons studio serves McLean, Vienna, Falls Church, Great Falls and Arlington. Both are a short drive from the Dulles Toll Road.