Plugged In Golf: Katalyst Review

Introduction

Strength training is important not just to playing better golf but to leading a healthier life. However, for any number of reasons – injuries, access, lack of knowledge – not everyone is able to lift weights. One solution to that problem is Katalyst. Using Electro Muscle Stimulation (EMS), Katalyst provides users with a full body strength workout in just twenty minutes. I tested Katalyst for over a month to see how it could help my game and fitness.

Set Up & Ease of Use

When you unbox the Katalyst training system, you’ll find the Impulse Pack, Spray Bottle, and the suit, with each piece bagged individually. There’s a base layer – top and bottom – and the suit – a vest, “shorts,” and two arm straps.

Initially, this feels like a lot of pieces, but the Katalyst app does an excellent job walking you through the set up process. There’s also an onboarding video on their YouTube channel HERE. Setting up your first workout will take several minutes as you learn how to wet the suit and get strapped in. Subsequent workouts will take three to five minutes to get rolling.

The Katalyst app is intuitive and easy to navigate. It pairs quickly with the Impulse Pack, and you can find a workout in just a couple taps. Once you’re in a workout, the instructor explains everything clearly. Overall, I would rate Katalyst as easy to use with a modest learning curve.

How Does a Katalyst Workout Feel?

When you start your Katalyst workout, you’ll see something like the screen above (there are numerous instructors in a variety of settings). The bar at the top of the screen indicates whether the electrical stimulus is on or off – white is off, red is on.

Your workout will start with very light sensation. The number at the bottom of the screen indicates the overall intensity, and you can fine tune each muscle group, if you choose.  Your instructor will dial up the intensity as the workout goes on, but you always have the ability to turn it up, turn it down, or turn off the instructor’s suggestions.

When the electrical stimulus is turned on, your instructor will encourage you to brace/flex/contract your muscles. At low intensity, this doesn’t feel necessary, but as the intensity ramps up, it is. The stimulus is not painful, but, particularly in the abs, it can feel like you’re being aggressively poked or pushed if you’re not braced.

There are four styles of workouts within Katalyst: strength, power, recovery, and cardio. The strength and power workouts have the impulse on for four seconds then off for four seconds. During the cardio and recovery workouts, the impulses turn on and off every second. Accordingly, the movements are different. During the strength workouts, you do isometric holds or movements like air squats. In the cardio workouts, you are constantly moving.

Finally, it’s worth noting that I never felt tired or sore after a Katalyst workout. If you’re the type that needs to feel like you’ve been through the wringer, this isn’t for you. Personally, I loved the sensation of getting a full body workout and still feeling like I could play basketball with my kids or swing a club.

I have more on EMS workouts HERE.

Effectiveness

To evaluate the effectiveness of Katalyst, I gave up weight lifting for an entire month and did only EMS workouts. At the end of the month, I evaluated my body composition, strength, and swing speed. For context, I’ve been lifting weights consistently for over twenty five years. I’ve done speed training on and off, and I manage my diet and body composition closely.

After a month of Katalyst training, my swing speed was at its all-time high. I’m swinging the club faster now than I was at my peak last season, and it’s February in Chicago. I am, of course, extremely pleased with this result. I credit a lot of this benefit to the fact that Katalyst leaves my joints and muscles feeling fresh all the time, so I have more energy to swing the club

Katalyst has been excellent with regard to body composition, too. My weight is down about one pound on average over the month of EMS training. I attribute this to the fact that I’m doing full body workouts rather than traditional weight lifting splits, thus burning more calories on average.

Finally, we turn to strength. When I returned to conventional weight lifting, my compound lifts – deadlift, squat, bench press – were down just a few percent from their peak. Given that I was comparing a twenty minute Katalyst workout to daily weight lifting that lasted at least twice as long, I consider this a substantial win for Katalyst.

It’s also important to note that the month away from weights gave two chronic injuries – my left shoulder and forearm – time to heal, and they feel better than they have in quite a while.  Overall, I found Katalyst workouts to be highly effective, extremely efficient, and they left my body feeling great.  

Longevity

Katalyst has a lot going for it when it comes to longevity, primarily the efficiency. While it does take a couple minutes to get the workout going, it’s not much more time consuming than changing into workout clothes, and it’s faster than driving to a gym. The workout itself is just twenty minutes – much less than traditional workouts.

It’s also a substantial plus that you will finish the workout feeling good. You don’t need to worry about getting sweaty, being sore, or feeling tired. After a Katalyst workout, you just get on with your day.

If there’s a downside to Katalyst, it’s that there’s not a ton of variety in the workouts. Within the two big categories – Strength/Power and Cardio/Recovery – there are different movements, but it can feel repetitive. However, for busy people trying to fit workouts into their day, Katalyst is unbeatable.

Value

The Katalyst system is not cheap: the suit costs $2,500. It also requires a subscription which ranges from $30-$50 per month, depending on how long you sign up for. While I could run the numbers to compare Katalyst to what you’re paying for a gym membership or Peloton or home gym equipment, I trust Plugged In Golf readers to be able to do basic math.

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What Katalyst really offers is time. This system gives you great results in less time than it takes to watch a sitcom. If you’re “too busy to workout,” this is the solution. Katalyst is expensive, but there’s nothing like it.

Conclusion

I cannot give Katalyst a strong enough recommendation. This system does everything it claims, providing a strength building workout in just twenty minutes with virtually zero risk of injury. If you’re crunched for time or just want a totally new approach to fitness, this is something you need to try.

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Introduction

Strength training is important not just to playing better golf but to leading a healthier life. However, for any number of reasons – injuries, access, lack of knowledge – not everyone is able to lift weights. One solution to that problem is Katalyst. Using Electro Muscle Stimulation (EMS), Katalyst provides users with a full body strength workout in just twenty minutes. I tested Katalyst for over a month to see how it could help my game and fitness.

Set Up & Ease of Use

When you unbox the Katalyst training system, you’ll find the Impulse Pack, Spray Bottle, and the suit, with each piece bagged individually. There’s a base layer – top and bottom – and the suit – a vest, “shorts,” and two arm straps.