Marc Pro Plus Review
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Marc Pro Plus Kit
The Marc Pro Plus review, where do I start?! I suppose it makes most sense to begin with why I was so curious about this electronic portable muscle stimulation device. I’ve been running most of my life and a large chunk of that includes racing at a highly competitive level. When training and competing with such intensity, I (and I’m sure many others) tend to break down a bit. More so than I’d like. After a 50 mile race (for example), my muscles are screaming with aches and pains, and are literally soaking in lactic acid until I’m able to flush it out. I normally travel quite far to race, so by the time I get home to nurse my legs, I’ve already set myself back because of the extended time before the recovery process. The longer you wait to take care of your body, the longer your recovery back to 100% will take.
So! Now that you have an idea of my background and testing/usage intent for the Marc Pro Plus, I can get into the nitty griddy on my thoughts and how the device actually works.
What’s Included:
The Marc Pro Plus literally comes ready to use right out of the box. It is packaged in a sweet carrying case, so everything you need has a designated spot and is easily accessible for usage. The kit comes with an easy to use instruction manual, complete with photos. Normally I wouldn’t write about the direction booklet…but the Marc Pro Plus manual includes detailed diagrams that show you were to place the electrodes for your injuries/sore muscles. Therefore if your hamstring is giving you problems, all you need to do is look in the manual to see where to apply the electrode pads. Easy peasy!
Marc Pro Plus Manual, aka the book of answers!
Since I mentioned the electrodes, I’ll go over them now. These little suckers (they literally stick to you) are what transfer the electronic stimulation from the device into your muscle. The Marc Pro Plus kit comes with six pouches, each pouch containing four electrode pads. These pads are reusable, so don’t throw them out after you use them! I’ve found that you can get through 20-25 sessions before the electrode pads really lose their stickiness.
Marc Pro Plus Electrode Pads
If the pads are losing their “stick” the Marc Pro Plus kit comes with a bottle of aloe gel that will help revive the pads for better electronic conduction. You don’t need a ton of aloe to make this work, just a small pea sized tab will do.
Aloe Gel aka. conducting agent.
Wires! No one really loves dealing with wires, but you need them to connect the electrode pads to the actual Marc Pro Plus device. The kit comes with two lead wires and one recharger wire. The two leads get connected to the base of the device (A and B ports), and also the electrodes. The recharger wire connects to the top of the device. The device only needs to be plugged in when it is recharging the internal device battery. I had to recharge the Marc Pro Plus approximately after every 9-10 uses (depending on what frequencies I was using). I think that is pretty impressive battery life for a device like this.
Marc Pro Plus Lead Wires
Lastly, we have the actual Marc Pro Plus! This device is the heart and soul of the kit. When looking at, it is very self explanatory. Power button, timer buttons, low and high frequency buttons, and finally the intensity dials. I’d advise everyone to read the manual before using any type of electronic muscle stimulation device, but once you have an idea how a machine like this works, you will enjoy how user friendly the Marc Pro Plus is.
The Marc Pro Plus
Testing The Marc Pro Plus:
Very very simple. As I stated earlier the manual is super user friendly. I skimmed through the literature, then attached the lead wires to the electrode pads, and placed the pads on my quad muscles. I plugged the lead wires to the Marc Pro Plus and turned in on via POWER button. I set the timer for 20:00 minutes, hit the low frequency buttons on both A and B output, turned the dials until I found a comfortable intensity, hit start, enjoyed a cup of coffee.
There are two frequencies you can choose from, low and high. I chose the low frequency setting because it delivers a plusating stimulation. The point is to provide light muscle contractions that help with conditioning and recovery. The high frequency sends a strong and soothing sensation which is mainly used for nagging trouble spots. Obviously you can choose the frequency that most fits your situation.
The Marc Pro Plus makes a beeping sound once the timer has stopped so you know it is time to take the electrodes off. I appreciate this because I’m the type of person who won’t be paying attention to the time and will leave them on for an hour.
I’ve used the Marc Pro Plus 6 days a week for the past 3 weeks. Each session included 20 minutes on my quads, 20 minutes on my hamstrings, and 20 minutes on calves. I’d say that this was a pretty intensive and true testing period for a electronic muscle stimulating device. I’ve been logging some high mileage for an upcoming 100 mile trail race, so my body has had the opportunity to be exposed to soreness, pains, and literal exhaustion.
My one word conclusion from the testing is: success. My normal recovery time was shortened and my legs felt much more fresh and springy from run to run. I don’t feel as ‘beat-up’ as normal, and I haven’t needed any extra days off from training. This tells me the sessions have been repairing and strengthening my torn muscle fibers at an advanced rate. As a competitive athlete, this is a huge bonus, because I’m able to train harder each day and need less time to recover.
First usage of Marc Pro Plus right out of the box.
Bonus feature of the Marc Pro Plus:
The pre-set mode will definitely get the job done for anyone with any issue, but there are adjustable features for those who want to experiment. All the tech geeks, this part is for you.
The Marc Pro Plus allows you to go into a manual mode where you can adjust frequency options. It contains 70 different possibilities, so there are enough to keep you busy!
It is fairly easy to mess around with the manual mode, but as a responsible reviewer, I’d advise you to fully read this section of the user manual so you understand exactly what your doing.
Summing it up:
I loved the Marc Pro Plus. I honestly think it is a necessity for any serious athlete, and in general, a useful device for “every man or woman” to have around the house for the common aches and pains. It not only helps to relieve any soreness from an injured area, but more importantly, it is preventative too. The fact that you can take it anywhere, and don’t have to be plugged into a wall to use it is huge. I’ve flown with it to a few races (checked baggage to be safe) and was so happy to be able to use it right after my race. I could literally hangout in the finishers tent and start my active recovery 20 minutes after I crossed the line. To me, that is hugely impressive. I think of the Marc Pro Plus as my portable physical therapist! On top of that, you don’t have to be a genius to know how to work this device, or figure out how to apply to your body. I can imagine some people might be afraid they will screw it up and put the electrode pads in the wrong areas, but the detailed diagrams contain all the beta you need to know.
The Marc Pro Plus will cost you a total of $949.95, but you have the option to purchase the electronic muscle stimulator by doing 12 payments of $79.16. I think the cost will be the biggest turn-off to consumers. It isn’t the cheapest thing to purchase, but if you can afford the Marc Pro Plus, it is definitely worth it. Not everyone is an intense athlete, but everyone still manages to strain, pull, or have sore muscles from every day situations. Therefore the Marc Plus Pro is great for everyone to consider.
Although I hope my review provided you with everything you wanted to know Marc Pro Plus, definitely check out their website for more information and product details.
For more info or to purchase, visit amazon.com/marc.
Happy Training!
