Pulse Performance Studio delivers efficient workout results!
Even for the most ardent gym-goers, the idea of spending a couple of hours pumping iron can feel daunting. Still, studies show that weight-bearing exercises and weight training are vital because they can yield increased muscle mass and strength, improved cardiovascular health, boosted metabolism and better balance. Enter Pulse Performance Studio, a boutique fitness gym in Buckhead that uses electrical muscle stimulation to create more efficient workouts. A 20-minute session in the EMS suit is equal to 90 minutes or even two-hours’ worth of a standard workout. Simply Buckhead publisher Joanne Hayes and her husband, Sonny, are a testament to how well the system works.
For years, Joanne had been lifting weights regularly, but after meeting Pulse owner Glenn Braunstein at a Buckhead Business Association event in late February 2025, she decided to shake things up. She enjoyed it so much that she invited Sonny, who wasn’t a gym regular, to give it a go. He had been watching the scale creep up over time and didn’t like how his clothes were fitting, so he was open to the idea.
Here’s how a session goes: Clients don an EMS suit, a skin-tight, wetsuit-style garment with electric pads on key areas including shoulders, biceps, triceps, chest, abdominals, glutes, quadriceps, inner thighs, hamstrings and calf muscles. It’s tight, so it takes approximately 5 minutes to put on. Then a maximum of two clients join a 30- minute training slot with one of three on-staff trainers. Having a trio of different trainers keeps workouts interesting, and the private or semi-private sessions ensure individual attention to correct form and create modifications as needed.
Workouts include a mix of weight-lifting, calisthenics and balance-improving exercises depending on the day. During activities, the electrodes within the suit are activated and deliver electric pulses that increase contractions deep within the muscles. Active periods usually are broken up by 10 seconds of rest in between sets. The intensity of the electric pulses is controlled by the trainer from an iPad, so it can be dialed up or down on each area of the body according to individual preference.
For Joanne, the best part is how fast it all happens. “From leaving my house to working out and getting back home, I can do the whole routine in less than an hour,” she says.
While other studios around town use a version of EMS, Pulse stands out because of the style of suit used. Others’ suits are wired, which means movement can be limited, and some need to be sprayed with water in order to activate the electrodes. This one is cordless and doesn’t need water to make the electrodes connect to the skin.
Clients don’t have to guess about their results. The studio encourages them to do regular 3D body scans on a Styku machine, included with membership, that measures weight and overall body composition, including muscle mass and fat percentages. Sonny started doing several Pulse workouts each week in March, and has since lost 7 pounds and 9% body fat. Joanne has lost 10 pounds overall in approximately eight months. “I am noticeably stronger, my muscle mass is much greater, and my body fat is much lower,” she says.
Braunstein has plans to open other locations. “We’re a fitness and wellness studio that focuses on building lean muscle. EMS is just one component of it,” he says, noting other offerings include infrared sauna sessions, and truFlex body sculpting, a cosmetically focused muscle stimulation treatment that helps build lean muscle without a workout.
PULSE PERFORMANCE STUDIO BUCKHEAD
404.860.2333
pulseperformancebuckhead.com
@pulseperformancebuckhead
PHOTO: Erik Meadows
