Andy Devaney
When Cristiano Ronaldo, Portugal’s footballing phenomenon, champions a fitness gadget, the world listens. His weapon of choice? Sixpad, the Japanese muscle-stimulation device that promises to zap your abs, arms, and legs into action without you having to break a sweat.
The claim is simple enough: by sending low-frequency electrical pulses into your muscles, Sixpad supposedly gives you the equivalent of a workout while you stand there doing absolutely nothing. Tempting, isn’t it? Naturally, we strapped in to see if it could deliver even a fraction of those Ronaldo-approved abs. Spoiler: twenty minutes with Sixpad won’t exactly have you stepping off the sofa looking like CR7.
Unboxing the Hype
The experience began with minimalist white packaging and the naïve hope that I was minutes away from chiselling my torso into something magazine-ready. The sticky gel pads, however, had other plans. Like a toddler in a sweet shop, they attached themselves to everything in the room except the device.
After a frustrating wrestle—and a few unprintable mutterings—I finally got the Sixpad stuck to my midsection.
The Shock Factor
Turning the dial to level 10, I braced for greatness. What followed felt like a small animal trying to claw its way out from under my skin. Credit where credit is due: Sixpad does fire up your muscles. The 20Hz current simulates crunches without the sweat, and the built-in timer means you won’t fry yourself if you forget you’re wearing it while making a cup of tea.
After twenty minutes of pulsating chaos, I peeked down in hope of a Ronaldo six-pack. No dice. The abs hadn’t appeared, but the muscles had certainly been worked. Be warned though—if you’re a bit hairy, there’s a free waxing included in the deal.
Gizmo or Game-Changer?
Let’s not kid ourselves: Sixpad is not a magic bullet. It’s a pricey bit of kit that does stimulate muscles, but it’s best treated as a sidekick to proper training, not the hero. And just when you’ve swallowed the cost of the device itself, you realise you’ll need new gel pads every couple of months—about twenty pounds a pop.
That said, Sixpad has kept evolving. The ABS 2 and a lineup including the Abs Fit 2, Body Fit 2, Arm Belt, Leg Belt, Abs Belt, and even high-tech training tights have all joined the range.
Now armed with Bluetooth and the SIXPAD app, users can sync up to six devices at once, track progress on their phone, and marvel at just how electrified they’ve become.
The Science Bit
Behind all this zapping is Professor Toshio Moritani, a pioneer in electrical muscle stimulation. His research powers the Sixpad philosophy, and the app builds on his ideas with live data visualisation and cloud-connected training logs. It’s the kind of tech-driven fitness Ronaldo himself swears by—though let’s be honest, he’s also putting in hours at the gym.
Verdict: Worth the Shock?
At the end of the day, Sixpad is clever, occasionally painful, and strangely satisfying. It will not sculpt Ronaldo’s abs for you, but it might just boost muscle endurance if you’re already training hard. Think of it as a supporting actor, not the star of the show.
With the brand’s relentless upgrades and an expanding product range, Sixpad has staked a serious claim in the fitness tech world. Just don’t expect miracles after twenty minutes—you’ll still need to put in the old-fashioned graft to get anywhere close to Ronaldo’s washboard stomach.
