Vibration plates are all the rage in the fitness world. However, people still come up and ask whether they should be using a whole body vibration training machine. Other times, I get asked on why they should use a vibration platform rather than a treadmill, elliptical, or weights. As more and more fitness clubs, rehab facilities and wellness centers integrate vibration plates within their place of business, there’s going to be more awareness created. This article explores 4 of the top reasons why someone should be using a vibration machine. Continue reading
Most vibration companies will promote the statement that 15 minutes of vibration training equals one hour at the gym. Most people rank this as one of the top 2 reasons for using or buying a vibration exercise machine. It’s become so competitive among different manufacturers that some change this to 10 minutes. What if I told you that I can show you how to do a workout in 5 minutes? Surely you’ll want to buy my vibration platform if that was the case! This article is going to go into how this ’15 minute’ vibration training workout came about. We’ll also show how some companies are using this to provide misinformation. When we finish, we’ll show why you actually can get a quicker workout with vibration training but in a way that makes sense.
This article is in response to a conversation I had with a wonderful lady that bought a vertical type of platform. She immediately voiced some concern that the machine did not let her do a full continuous 15 minute workout. I tried to explain why you do not need to stand on a machine for 15 minutes, but its hard to explain something when emotions are running high. At that moment in time, she felt cheated and was adamant on standing on a machine for 15 minutes. This article provides the key points to my side of the argument, with the hopes that it can educate you prior to purchasing a vibration exercise machine, or let you think differently about the way you use engage in vibration training.
Where did they get the 15 minutes of vibration training equals an hour at the gym anyways?
The 15 minute vibration training finding actually came from a research study done in 2003 by Dr. Christophe Delecluse entitled Strength Increase After Whole Body vibration compared to resistance training. The study was done on a vertical vibration platform. It started with about 3 minutes of vibration training and ended with a 20 minute vibration session. The longest time for one exercise was 1 minute with the most rest between exercises being 1 minute. Notice that there is actually rest in between each exercise. The resistance group actually performed 20 minutes of warm up and then strengthening of the legs. At the end of the study, they found that strength gains of the knee muscles were equal among both groups. This is where the claim ’15 minutes of vibration equals 1 hour at the gym’.
Vibration training is not about 15 minutes of NONSTOP exercise
Eventually, marketers got a hold of this study and platforms began marketing it as such. Pivotal machines started offering an easy 10 to 15 minute program whereby you simply stand on a vibration platform and get the wonderful results shown in vibration training research. This led to late night infomercials showing the effortless exercises that one can do. This also led to a lot of misinformation about vibration training. Yes, you can get a good workout in a very short period of time on a vibration platform compared to regular resistance training. However, you shouldn’t be doing this by simply standing on a vibration platform. This is just the first part of understanding what you need to do. Other questions we get deal with the number of calories one can burn through vibration training, or how long does it take to see results with vibration machines.
Vibration training fitness goals versus wellness goals
How you use a platform for vibration training is dependent on what you want to achieve. If you are looking for fitness or toning effects, standing on a vibration platform will not be the best way to achieve this. Can you see results? Sure, in the beginning stages. Any form of movement or activity will get you some initial results. Just look at people starting a weight loss program. They get results in the short term but it becomes a struggle long term. If you are looking at fitness effects, you actually need to position yourself in exercise postures so that your muscles are challenged. This isn’t anything new. This is common sense. Your body needs to be constantly challenged to have any chance of staying toned and fit. That’s why vertical machines have various exercise poses to be in. Surprisingly, pivotal machines also have the same exercises, although they tend to want to only promote the ‘stand on for 10 minutes and see instant results’ angle. If you are only looking to get some form of exercise to keep your body limber, maintain circulation and mobility, then standing on a vibration training machine for a few minutes a day may be suitable. However, you’d be surprised to learn that over 86% of the people that originally wanted to do very little, craved more after a few weeks. They started feeling better and moving better. Hence, they wanted to be challenged because now they were motivated. This is just a thought the next time you feel that all you have to do is stand on a vibration training machine. Our website was created to provide vibration exercise programs that constantly challenge you as you increase your stamina and strength. Embrace your new found mobility and well being and attempt to do more with your vibration training within your 15 minutes.
Ever wanted to know the amount of calories burned through vibration training? Last weekend at a health fair, I stumbled upon a vibration machine booth that was set up. When I was about to try their vibration training device, I was somewhat surprised at the claims they were making. According to this company, you can burn over 300 calories simply by standing on a vibration machine for 10 minutes. Does this sound like something you’ve read or were told? Then read on. It gets interesting
Are the calories burned through vibration training really 300 calories in 10 minutes?
After I finished with the vibration machine, I ran into a personal trainer I’ve known for awhile. She’s probably one of the best trainers I’ve ever met. I have never met anyone that keeps more up to date with the latest research findings than she does. While others read the latest fitness magazines, she spends her time proving the latest techniques with her clients. She’s all about action, and not just talk. However, that day she was rolling her eyes. She looked at me and said “Do you really believe standing on something for 10 minutes is going to burn 300 calories?” The answer was simple. Here are the key points that we discussed. I’ve had these types of discussions with a lot of trainers and health professionals and I can say they’ve always started off as being highly skeptical. That usually goes away after we discuss the key points on calories burned through vibration training:
Calories burned through vibration training: The real facts:
For those of you that want to burn ’300 calories’ by doing nothing, the real truth is that you can’t. I have actually measured this and will look to see if i can locate my findings and post in a future article.
Vibration training should fit you, not you fitting the machine
What vibration exercise DOES do is attempt to activate as many of your muscles as it can. The more muscles you use, the more they contract. That’s why it’s not about just standing. You actually have to be in ‘exercise positions’ when you are on a vibration platform. The amount of effort you put into it will depend on your fitness level. Are you not able to do a lot? That’s ok. Just keep it on a lower intensity level and do an easier exercise. If you are more fit, you can go to a higher intensity and do more. It’s that simple. Although some people do just ‘stand for 10 minutes’, they are often those that use that position as a warm up, are too inactive and sedentary to actually begin their real exercises, or use other forms of movement in that position to make the overall exercise more challenging.
Rather than look at calories burned through vibration training, look at the increase in metabolism over time
What I’ve found with a lot of my patients is not that you will burn more calories through vibration training, but that over time, the amount of calories you burn at rest will increase. If I had to choose between burning more calories while I exercise, or burning calories all day without doing anything, I’d take the second option. That’s exactly what weight lifting does. Therefore, vibration training is very similar to weight training in the effects it produces. Except for the fact that it can be easily done for the less fit and made harder for those that want a challenge.
Vibration training can increase heart rate
If you want to increase your heart rate on a vibration plate, you CAN do it. Remember, its about what YOU want to achieve. Once you know what your goals are, you can use a vibration plate and fit a program to your needs.
In summary, don’t pay attention to all the over promises of calories burned through vibration training by standing on a vibration machine. That’s false advertising and misleading to the consumer. That takes away from how effective vibration exercise really can be for someone that is looking to get fit or lose weight. Does the technology work? Yes. Remember that personal trainer I told you about? She’s been using vibration exercise for over 3 years and she believes it to work, if you have the right program that fits the right person. Vibration training is effective for weight loss, but make sure you work with a reputable company that can provide you with the right vibration exercise programs to fit your needs. Calories burned through vibration training should be the last thing on your mind since there are so many different ways to get toned, fit and lose weight with your whole body vibration machine.
I’m seeing more and more vibration exercise studios opening up. And this is not just in the big cities where having a niche business can survive among the popular trends of the time. These are in smaller towns and it doesn’t appear to be slowing down any time soon. I get a lot of calls from entrepreneurs that see a potential here. Let’s take a look at whether opening up a vibration exercise studio is a good or bad idea. We’ll expand into more detail in future articles now that there is more interest in this.
From fitness clubs to personal training studios to a vibration exercise studio: evolution of fitness
First there were the large fitness chains. After that, personal training studios began popping up. Some wondered whether they would work. The big chains all have personal training so why would someone go to a smaller place and sometimes pay more? The thing is, personal training studios offer certain things that the larger chains can’t. Perhaps a person likes the small areas and enjoys developing closer relationships with a select trainer. Whatever the reason, there is a niche for personal training studios. A vibration exercise studio that is looking to open up is no different. However, their niche is surprisingly different than a personal training studio. We’ve seen facilities open up right across from a fitness club (some that even have vibration!) and have these facilities do extremely well. The reason is, the technology lends itself to attracting a slightly different clientele than that goes into a gym. The following are some of the characteristics of a typical person that goes to a vibration exercise studio.
Five top characteristics of a vibration exercise studio customer
People that are intimidated by the young, muscled people in a gym.
People that may have physical limitations or disabilities that prevent them from going into a gym
People that enjoy a more personal exercise experience and enjoy the attention they get in a smaller environment
The baby boomer and elderly population that feels that interaction on a quieter and smaller scale is better
Those that lack time to exercise. These usually show up at a studio with their regular street clothes on and begin to do their exercise program.
A Vibration exercise studio needs to market specific niches
As you can see, a vibration exercise studio that markets to these type of people will do well. Always attract the baby boomers, the elderly, or the typical woman or man that wants to lose weight and start a program but may have physical limitations to do conventional training. We’ve seen studios with 80 percent of their members being 40 years of age or older. This is also one the most lucrative markets for fitness clubs. However, a vibration exercise studio can hit this market right away with the right message and right marketing. There is some initial marketing costs but after that, 80 % of your new members should be coming from referrals. This has not only to do with the unique features of vibration plate training, but also due to the personality and ambience of the vibration exercise studio owner and trainers. Successful customer service is one that caters to each customer’s own unique needs. You have to realize that you need to be a hands-on owner in the initial stages. Since this is a customer service driven business, don’t expect anyone else do to the job as good as you. With the right support and training, more people are becoming successful with their own vibration exercise studio.
When vibration training first broke through in North America, the only reference that was provided was that the Russian Olympic team used vibration platforms and got amazing Herculean type of results. Then came the vision that all you have to do is stick an athlete on a vibration exercise machine and you’ll have them jump out of the gym. So initial research studies were done, having very fit athletes stand on a vibration plate for 10 minutes, 3 times a week. Then they looked for results. They didn’t find many positive results. Then people started wondering whether whole body vibration training was actually beneficial for sports performance. Then other groups started doing studies. Instead of putting someone in a simple position, they looked more into finding the right frequency and amplitude, or integrating vibration training within a program rather than as a stand alone device. They started seeing some amazing results with vibration training.
Vibration training is a ‘tool in the toolbox’
What we need to take away from this is that whole body vibration training is another ‘tool in the toolbox’ for the strength and conditioning coach. All strength coaches know that a certain technology or piece of equipment is not magic. It’s the ability of a strength coach to integrate certain technologies at the right time within an athlete’s training program that will give that athlete an edge. If it was only the technology, then you can pretty much just hire a high school kid to run your sports performance division! If you have a bad strength and conditioning coach, and you give him or her a vibration platform, you will now have a bad strength and conditioning coach with a vibration platform. It’s HOW one applies vibration technology into their program that makes it successful.
Now that we know that it’s a tool, we can then set out how we want to integrate it. Vibration exercise has shown to be as effective, if not more effective than conventional stretching. Also, research is showing that the effects of vibration last even up to 2 weeks after one finishes, whereas the flexibility of those in a traditional program regresses after being stopped. The benefit is that the stretching takes only 30 seconds to a minute. Being able to stretch in a shorter period of time works well when you want to spend more time training the more difficult tasks and activities and less on stretching. Also, vibration has shown to increase body temperature in a similar fashion to an upper body ergometer. Therefore, we can quickly warm up an athlete in a shorter period of time. This may also be beneficial during competition. Some major professional teams have vibration platforms on the sideline for this purpose.
Vibration training is based on proper physiological principles and program design
For strength training, results have been mixed. Again, that’s because coaches are tweaking the proper settings, parameters and dosage to get the best result. We often hear some coaches say they will wait to integrate vibration training once someone finds the optimal parameters. Do you have optimal parameters for strength training? Or do you have a physiological basis of what to do, but have to tweak it for each athlete? Most coaches we talk to will admit there is no ‘cookbook’ and relies on various skills of the coach to tweak the program. We know that vibration training recruits more muscle fibers than conventional training. We know we can get strength gains from neurological adaptation. Applying it within a program and tweaking it through feedback will allow you to utilize it in the right way.
Vibration training and adding additional weight loads
Some coaches utilize vibration with additional weight loads applied. You may see the platforms under a squat rack. This basically creates a greater physiological load to the body than they can get with weights alone. This has been used with a lot of success. The key thing to point out here is this: This has been used with a lot of success BY THOSE THAT KNOW WHAT THEY ARE DOING!! If you don’t have much experience in power training or proper lifting techniques, doing it on a vibration platform will only lead to more harm than good. A key point is that this training is INTEGRATED within a whole program based on screening out the athlete’s deficiencies, capabilities and performance objectives.
Vibration training for postactivation potentiation
Other coaches utilize vibration as an added stimulation during rest periods in between exercise. Vibration training has the ability to produce postactivation potentiation. Simply doing 10 seconds of vibration during the rest periods may continue to maintain optimal muscle function. If an athlete is lifting heavy weights and usually fatigues after the third or fourth set, utilizing vibration exercise platforms in between sets may provide enough stimulation to prevent this fatigue. Again, frequency and intensity settings have to be modified for each athlete and feedback given to know exactly what the right dose will be for this athlete. The goal here is to prevent fatigue as an athlete performs a high intensity and high load exercise. If you can do that, you will provide an extra advantage to generate additional forces. Additional forces lead to lifting more, or lifting with more power. This is what every coach looks for.
As you can see, there are many ways to integrate vibration within a sports performance setting. Which way is dictated by the experience and abilities of the strength coach. Are they into power lifting? Or do they focus more on functional training? Use vibration training as an extension of your own skills and knowledge and if applied correctly, will give you the advantage over other teams.
Vibration exercise machines take less time
First thing people like about vibration machines is the fact that it can take around 10 to 15 minutes total time to do a good workout. Since using a vibration exercise machine is easy to do and is fairly quick, does that mean you get results faster? That’s the million dollar question to most people looking to lose weight, get toned, lose fat and get fit. The answer depends on some of the key points we are now going to discuss:
Vibration machines versus weight training
First decide what type of exercise you are comparing it to. If it’s weight training, then you’ll see results in a similar time frame. But wouldn’t you love to get more toned doing something for 10 to 15 minutes with no stresses on your joints? Trust me, weight training is great and I continue to do it. However, most people don’t’ have time or physically are not able to do a good high intensity type of workout. That’s where vibration machines come in. You aren’t going to get ‘big’ with vibration platforms, but you will get more toned and tight due to the very high repetition of vibration exercise. If you want your fat loss results to be similar to weight training, then your vibration training program needs to involve full body movements, just like you would get with a high intensity type of program.
Vibration machines versus yoga or Pilates
What if you were comparing it to yoga or Pilates? Again, change up your program to concentrate more on the right position than on doing something dynamic and in a rush. Just imagine doing a Pilates pose on vibration machines, where your muscles are now not only in the right position, but contracting up to 3000 times per minute. In this case, your yoga or Pilates movement is being amplified with the vibration. That in of itself leads to better and faster results.
In summary, vibration ‘amplifies’ exercise. If it’s the only thing I do, I will see results if I follow programs that are specific to my needs. That’s why you need to choose a vibration platform company that provides support through exercise articles, detailed videos and exhaustive exercise databases. You’ll never get bored with the same program on vibration machines.
Vibration plate research is one of the top reasons why someone purchases a vibration exercise machine
I talk to people every day about vibration training and exercise, so it’s only a matter of time that the topic of vibration plate research comes up. They come from many backgrounds, including consumers, therapists, doctors, strength coaches and researchers. One of the most common questions I get is ‘what does the research say about a vibration plate?’ This is an important question, because most people make their buying decision based on research that has shown to produce positive benefits. In fact, it always comes up in the top 3 reasons when I do a customer survey. However, can you really trust vibration plate research?
Vibration plate research past, present and future
I can remember looking for research articles on vibration back in 2002 and not finding much. The ones that I did find were from journals I’ve never heard of. This made me think that vibration exercise may just be a passing fad. Since then, more vibration research has come out in peer reviewed journals that are credible. Some research was done on pivotal vibration platforms while others were done on vertical vibration plates. Most of the vibration plate research has been generally positive, leading to potential for more studies. Initial research was generic. That means they took a vibration plate machine, put people on it in a generic way and wondered what would happen. Now that positive benefits are being seen, research is focusing more on what specific frequencies and intensity levels are optimal. This is a good direction to go because it allows vibration users out there to customize their programs based on these results. Future research will look more into understanding what parameters of vibration are the best. Does the quality of the vibration plate matter? Does weight capacity affect a vibration platform’s effectiveness?
Beware the marketer. They like to twist vibration plate research to fit their own agenda
Not all research is going to be positive and not all research is negative. That’s the same with any form of exercise or therapy out there. However, it’s disturbing to see some recent trends out there that a consumer should watch out for. This is when the marketing department of a vibration plate company quotes one article and sells it as fact. Or the fact that they point to certain parts of different studies to make their point. Research is not about picking and choosing. It’s about understanding the general trends in vibration research and using that knowledge to provide the best possible exercise or therapy program to the end user.
Beware the company that says their type of vibration plate is better than another
I’ve seen one company boasting their technology to be safe and every other technology being dangerous. They point to ONE article to make their case. I could point to another article that says the exact opposite. So the question is, who do you believe? And can you really trust research? To answer these questions, always keep the following points in mind:
- The type of vibration plate you choose depends on your needs and what you are looking to achieve. Are you tall? Are you heavy? Do you prefer more room to do more? Are you someone that wants a simple exercise a couple of minutes a day and that’s it?
- If a company pushes that their product is better than others (pivotal is better than vertical, or vertical is better than pivotal), be cautious. That’s not marketing. That’s called lying. It’s not that one ‘type’ of vibration exercise machine is better than another. It has more to do with the construction, quality, size, after sales support, and credibility of the company that matters.
That’s why objective, unbiased information is missing in this field. Whenever there’s something that is showing to be beneficial, there’s going to be a lot of misinformation out there that is based on making a sale at all cost. Make sure you know if the source of the information is credible, has been involved in vibration plate research or business for years, and backs up their claims with facts rather than scaremongering.
Can I get a cardio workout with vibration training?
Vibration training has always appeared to look like a strength training type of exercise with very little benefits in cardio, aerobic training. Everyone reaches this conclusion because of all the images of someone effortlessly standing on a vibration plate and doing nothing more. However, you CAN get a good aerobic workout with your vibration training. In this article, we are going to explain how this is possible. On one side of the equation, research has shown that vibration training is an excellent exercise solution to those with cardiac conditions (heart transplant) and that vibration training doesn’t stress their heart any more than the simple aerobic exercises that the patients are already doing. This is one side of vibration plates. However, slightly changing your exercise program can increase your heart rate. There was one study done by a university that took two groups of students. One did their exercises on a vibration platform with it off. The other did the same program with the vibration plate on. The one with the platform on had their heart rate go through the roof! These fit young volunteers also had trouble finishing the workout, which shows that the exercise can be intense.
How does somebody get a good aerobic and cardio workout with vibration training?
Simply changing up some of the ways you do your exercise program and drastically change the intensity and level of difficulty of the vibration training session. The following examples are based on feedback from a lot of the knowledgeable trainers that I’ve come across. These principles are no different from what they do with regular strength training programs. Follow any of these and you are certain to get your heart racing:
Decrease your rest time in between each exercise
Perform exercises with very little rest in between. For example, do an upper body exercise followed right away by a lower body exercise. Repeat this for a few times. In the training world, this is called ‘super sets’. You don’t need to rest as much because the muscle you just worked will be getting rest while you perform an exercise for the other muscle. By not taking much rest in between, your heart rate will slowly start increasing.
Start adding dynamic movements to your vibration training session
Most vibration exercises are in a static position. However, if you start doing them dynamically, that will increase your heart rate. One word to the wise though! Its very possible to continue getting a high intensity type of workout by only being in the static position. The goal is to first increase frequency and intensity levels. Then the goal is to slowly increase the amount of time you hold this position. Going into a dynamic exercise is one of the last things to do. You’d be surprised how intense the workout can become without having to do dynamic exercises. If you are going to begin dynamic exercises, make sure you do them slowly. All too often, our clients do the exercises too fast and end up moving out of the right position. Positioning is one of the most important parts of vibration exercise training.
Increase your vibration exercise time
We aren’t talking about doing a calf raise for 10 minutes here. Make it a habit of always doing the same amount of ‘total vibration time’ for each body part. For example, do 2 minutes of vibration per body part. If you do a 30 second set, then you will do 4 sets to get 2 minutes. If you do 45 second sets, then do it 3 times. If you do a 1 minute set, do it twice. See the trend? You’d be surprised on how hard an exercise can get when you have to hold that position for 1 minute.
As you can see, performing exercises non stop, with less rest in between, and progressing to dynamic exercises can all lead to an increase in heart rate. These are the same principles that a lot of the top trainers use with their weight training programs. It’s very possible to get your aerobic workout within a weight training session. It’s only logical to see that you can also achieve similar results with vibration training for your aerobic and cardio workout.
Vibration research is one of the top 3 reasons given when someone decides to buy a vibration exercise machine
I get questions everyday from people looking to purchase a vibration exercise machine. In order to know what you may need, it’s important to first know exactly WHY you are buying a vibration plate. So one day we sent out a survey to 200 random people that have bought. It wasn’t surprising that one of the top three reasons was due to the positive research for vibration exercise. We have always stressed vibration research as being important in finding a good vibration exercise machine. However, the most important reason why research studies are important is for the simple fact that the majority (actually, ALL) of the companies reference vibration research when they recommend that you buy their product. So basically the majority of potential buyers look at research, and all the companies reference this research. If that’s the case, then here are a few key points to remember when you look to buy a vibration plate.
A vibration exercise machine doesn’t need to have dozens of vibration research articles on it to be of high quality, although dedication to research is a must
Does a vibration exercise machine need to have dozens of research studies that were actually done it to be worthy of your sale? It would be highly recommended, but not the breaking point. The real key is whether the parameters used in research are similar to what you are getting on your vibration platform. For example, I had a young lady looking to buy a vibration exercise machine because she wanted something for osteoporosis. I explained how the amplitude and frequency on the vibration plate needs to be in the same range as the research. Once she knew that, she was shocked to find that a lot of the vibration machines she was looking at didn’t pass this test. Most of them were just high priced massagers disguised as vibration. She eventually picked one that was the right fit for her.
Compare apples to apples and oranges to oranges when buying a vibration exercise machine
We’ve seen vibration platform companies tell people that all the research was done with their type of machine and not the ‘other’ company’s machine. Notice the word ‘type’ because most of the time there hasn’t been any research done with that specific vibration exercise machine (for those companies that are proactive in the research community, I apologize). If you are into sports performance, and you read all the wonderful stuff about increased performance, then the platform you are looking at should be within the same range of frequencies and amplitudes as those used in research. We’ve seen some platforms that say they are used for sports performance, but their amplitudes are so low that it’s laughable. Just because your machine ‘vibrates’ doesn’t mean it’s made for everything.
Each vibration exercise machine may be worthless for one type of activity but may be good for another
Look at everyone’s website and you’ll see that their vibration exercise machine is good for rehabilitation, sports performance, fitness, weight loss, beauty, etc. There are some machines that may be good for all these categories, but some may not. One buyer had taken a look at a certain machine for his athletes. He found it laughable that a vibration exercise machine that weighs 100 pounds is going to withstand the pounding of his group of athletes all day. Yes the company was promoting their product for athletes.
If all you want is increased circulation and get a minute or two of muscle stimulation for your elderly father, who may have had a stroke, and needs some form of exercise, then you may not opt to invest in a large expensive commercial grade vibration platform. Maybe something small and compact is good. Look at what your specific need is. Is the company specializing in this niche? Does their product look like it can hold up to that niche? If they say you can use it as a health professional in the rehabilitation setting, is there support material that comes with it for the rehabilitation market? Or does it just come with a poster and a generic DVD video? If it says they use it for sports performance, check out the quality of the machine. Can it withstand the daily pounding of a sports team? Most of the new vibration research studies do provide a list of the parameters they used in their study. That’s why its important to know these settings and match them up with the type of vibration exercise machine you are looking for.
Vibration training is rapidly gaining acceptance and utilization in the sports performance field. The question on whether vibration training and exercise can increase strength may seem like a simple question. But for the strength and conditioning specialist, it’s a valid question. I’ve had so many different questions from those in the sports performance field that we’ve decided to start writing them down. The question is really a few questions rolled up into one. Let’s take a look at these questions and provide the answer we’ve given countless number of strength coaches, high calibre athletes and sports teams.
Common vibration training questions
Does vibration training add any value to my strength training program?
What additional benefit can I get from vibration exercise that I can’t get with other ‘cheaper’ products?
What type of strength gains can I see above and beyond what I’m already doing?
I don’t see any valid research to show that vibration produces anything more than results than what im already getting. So why should I consider using it?
These are all great questions. The following are some of the key points we discuss when we get these type of questions:
Points to keep in mind when looking at vibration training:
Stop putting vibration training up on a pedestal as a magic performance machine. When trainers get the right education on the use of vibration platforms, they get excited. They begin to think the vibration exercise machine itself is getting the results. Look a little deeper and realize it’s an extension of your own skills. Use it as a tool. Understand the physiology behind vibration exercise training as you would with any piece of exercise equipment. Then use that knowledge to develop the right program design for each individual athlete.
Power and strength training with vibration training:
Yes you can get strength gains with vibration. Are you from the camp that feels the only way to increase strength gains is to increase physiological overload to the body? Lift heavier and heavier and you’ll get stronger? Well, since vibration translates into G “Forces” on the body, adding additional weight loads with vibration (hence increasing physiological overload) will eventually give you more force on that body. It’s just another stimulus that the body has never seen. Anytime you add a new stimulus, the body reacts positively.
Functional training through vibration training:
If you are from the camp that feels ‘quality of movement’ (functional training) is important to the athlete in the real world, then your goals may be to address inhibited and tight muscles. Add muscle facilitation into vibration training and you can definitely increase the recruitment of muscle fibers that may have been inhibited. You can then place that athlete through functional positions with a vibration exercise stimulus. Now you’ll have a balancing of the muscular system which leads to a better ability to lift or push or pull. This is similar to what some strength specialists find when they stretch a psoas muscle and realize that the athlete can squat more. The body is now aligned and the athlete will generate better force, which itself will lead to greater strength gains.
A vibration training platform is only as effective as the competency of the strength coach or exercise specialist
If you give a bad trainer a vibration exercise machine, he becomes a bad trainer with a vibration exercise machine. There are as many techniques with vibration training as there are with any other equipment you may use. How many variations to an exercise do you know for TRX? You’d be surprised at the unlimited variations you can incorporate with vibration training.
The ability to increase strength gains for the athlete doesn’t come from just standing on a vibration machine and hoping for the best. Earlier studies did that. However, each athlete is an individual. Each athlete has specific needs and a specific training regiment. If you use vibration exercise as a tool to reach your training goals, you’ll soon start realizing the exciting potential this technology has for sports performance, and how effectively sports performance can be enhanced through vibration training.