vibrating toning machine - anyone tried one ?

mishkanorman

I was flicking through the channels last night and got stuck on the shopping channel (my remote doesnt always work:rolleyes:)

anyway they were selling this and it looked really impressive,

has anyone one had good results from one ? all opinions welcome


TIA

mishka

Mrs_Hedgehog

I've got one ... and yes I use it .... as a handbag rack

to be fair, I haven't given it a proper chance... after the novelty of vibrating in every position I could, I fell off my diet wagon, and haven't gone on since. I do intend to get back on it soon - honest!

from the research I did, yes, you do get results if you use it regularly. I bought a lanaform power tonic and luckily picked one up from Ebay at £30, which makes me feel better than not using it as I was going to pay the £150 retail cost!

people will say that it's no susbtitute for real exercise, and this is completely true, but I think give it a go!! Good luck if you do...

Mrs_Hedgehog

jemima1_2

I have a reebok one that was reduced to £1000 from £2000. Best money ever spent, its a fab machine but realise if you are trying to lose weight that muscle weighs more than fat and i havent lost but toned up a great deal. JEM

jenniewb

I used to use one at the gym when I went to my nice deluxe gym. My new cheap gym asks you to pay £10 for 30 mins now- they are good, but not that good!

I think IMO it does matter which type you get- the more expensive it seems are the better, I have sampled the cheaper ones and they simply do not vibrate at a high enough frequency- they just seem to shake you about a bit. Risky if you have bone problems.

The thing you need to remember and think about if your thinking of getting one, is why you want one.

They will NOT make you lose weight- unless your skipping meals to use the thing and so eating less overall.
What they can do is help you get a certain degree of muscle strength which could if used a few times a day (30 mins a day is the recommended advice personal trainers give) help you obtain more muscle so working out at a harder and faster cardio level is more obtainable and so help you develop more stamina so you can workout for longer. (Cardio= spinning, running, circuit classes...etc). But you need to do all that work to lose weight, the machine really does very little in that respect- train normally on any cardio machine and you will also develop the muscle to work out harder next time.

Power plates are good at helping you stretch- something many people overlook and most people do not do enough of. You should be holding each stretch for up wards of 30 seconds. An ideal number is 2 minutes but few people do this. Most people wont even take 2 minutes to do all their stretches- let alone one per 2mins! The power plate/toning plates can vibrate over a set time, say 60 seconds, and if you hold each stretch on the machine, per 60 seconds, you know your doing something right!

Another myth that people have is that they can lose weight just by standing on it- I lose count watching people who stand on the machine, and start to text someone, or chat with someone, or just stand, lopsided waiting for the time to go past. What you need to be doing is tensing up your muscle, as hard as you can, and if you can, adding weight from a dumbbell or your own body weight (eg a sit up or tricep-dip). The machine will double up on what your doing, if you do nothing, well double nothing and what do you get?

Muscle toning on the machine is the same as off the machine- fat sits on top of muscle, you can do as many sit-ups as possible, every day of your life, but if there is a thick layer of fat on your stomach, you will never see all the hard work you have done for your abs. You have to lose the layer of fat to see it- and to lose the fat, you can only do so with a healthy, balanced calorie reduced diet, and cardio-exercises (ideally 3X 60 sessions a week- not including the time spent in the shower!).

Toning, weights and toning machines will not make you burn calories as you work, but as a result from having the extra muscle, you will be able to burn more energy.

Thumbs up for the machine from me, but only if you use it properly!

mishkanorman

thanks really helpful replies,

im not trying to lose weight as such because even though im overweight im actually happier with the size i am now. however ive had 2 children 20 months apart and put on 5 stone each time, leaving me with a permanent baby bump. Id like to loose some of the wobble and trim down my shape a little so that i can buy a size 14/16 and know its a comfy fit. Im very active and walk quite a few miles a week but do no other exercise.

I was wanting this machine to make it easier to tone up and to be able to do more in less time,

mishka

naisygriff

I bought one off ebay over a year ago, cost £100, its rubbish as most of them are, unless you buy the one they have in the gym, cos i tried that first, and it was great, but expensive to do.
the one I have is obviously chines made as the leaflet show an oriental using it, but on ebay the head is not shown in the picture.
It made me feel sick to use, as it doesnt vibrate, but more of a 'rock'.
So be careful what you buy, you could always have mine for £50, I live in Bath so you would have to collect!

Fire_Fox

I am a qualified fitness instructor - I wouldn't use a vibration machine without proper supervision, as there has been a query over whether the vibrations are safe for everyone. Alternative ways to use vibration technology in your fitness regime are the Bodyblade or Flexi-bar both of which were invented by physiotherapists and both used by serious sportsmen and women. I would not buy a copy bar - I have tried two at fitness events and they were pretty rubbish TBH!

I am qualified to teach Flexi-bar which you also sometimes see on shopping channels. I have been very impressed with the results of my clients and by the results of the studies that have so far been translated to English. The bars are fairly priced (£60 including DVD and exercise poster) and safe as your body only produces a level of vibration that you can handle.

Just to add I am not affiliated to the Flexi-bar company at all - simply an enthusiast who can vouch for their good customer service and knowledgeable staff. I have never used the Bodyblade so unable to compare the two.
http://www.flexi-bar.co.uk/
http://www.bodyblade.com/

rocketchimp9

I was thinking of getting one has anyone got a medicarn power plate, they sell them on ebay and amazon was just wondering if anyone had tried one.