After chatting with Levine and receiving a brief evaluation, she strapped me into the Emsculpt NEO machine. I swapped my jeans for a pair of stretchy scrub shorts. I kept my own shirt on but hiked it up so the paddle could lay across my entire core. 

The machine powered on, and I started at a medium setting. Again, I had no idea what to expect from the treatment, so when I felt the first contraction, my body did convulse a little (out of surprise or discomfort, I’m still not sure). I wouldn’t describe the sensation as painful, but it’s definitely not comfortable. 

I will say: It doesn’t feel like you’re just lounging in a chair doing nothing. My abs were certainly working! It almost felt like doing crunches—just, you know, laying down. 

Every few minutes, the contractions would stop, and the paddle would start tapping for several beats before resuming the treatment. Says Levine, those taps help the lactic acid release from my muscles, which prevents soreness. 

Once I got used to the sensation, Levine and her team left the room. Aside from someone checking in on me periodically, it was just me and my Emsculpt, and for the remaining 30 minutes, I was able to scroll through my phone and relax.