Do power plates work?

skypie123_2

There is one at a salon near me and I got the full spiel from the lady there about how great it was. But....do they work?

jenniewb

I think the jurys out. I am sure you have been educated on what they are supposed to do but the way I see it, its just a way to make you exercise and do things you normally wouldn't.

Say you never do lunges, squats or press ups, now instructed to do so on a machine your not only doing something you rarely do, your doing it regularly and often with good form and posture meaning your getting the benefit from an exercise which will help improve your muscle tone.

The thing with the Power Plates is though, that they have no cardiovascular (CV) element. Meaning they do not raise your heart level (unless you intensify your movements on the machine). This means as much as its helping you build muscle, its not going to burn any calories whilst you use it. BUT what it can do is help you build muscles. Once you have built up your muscles your body will require more calories to keep them going. (Careful though- its nowhere as much as you think!) These additional muscles will help you burn calories whilst doing other exercises and day to day things but you must keep using the powerplate or weights or whatever you chose to maintain them or they don't get used and wont burn the additional calories.

So, lets see, you have a machine that you workout on by building muscles where you'd not normally build muscles at all otherwise -or may but not to the same extent/not with the correct posture.
You then have to maintain these muscles by either continuing on the PowerPlate or other resistance based machines in the gym/free weights.
Your in essence doing an additional workout every day/otherday/week and as a result your building muscle and moving around more then you otherwise would.

So yes, the Powerplate can work- but so can using freeweights, kettleballs, gym machines... the jury is still out as to weather the PowerPlate really does that much more then other machines but it does offer a unique workout that no other machine can offer as it is an unstable surface in a whole new way! It can therefore train your core muscles (as long as you remember to turn them 'on' as you work and not use your clenched thigh muscles to take all the strain!).

I use the Powerplate at my gym for stretching- I feel it gives me a deeper stretch and also find I stretch for an appropiate amount of time- its common for people to hold a stretch for as little as 3 seconds then walk off! I find 1-2 mins per stretch on the powerplate is excellent for stretching out my muscles and it also increases my ability to stretch quite far too.

There have been various claims made by the machine, I can say that it does not decrease cellulite (well not in me anyway). It does not cause fillings to fall out (not tested veneers though!- someone else on here mentioned her sisters veneers fell out after using the powerplate!). I have not noticed any big changes in the past 6 months of regular use, but 1 month ago I started using the weight machines and did notice a big change- it appears weight machines build my muscle at a faster rate! The more you use the PowerPlate, the better you become at it, the longer you can hold positions for and the less the vibrations get to you (it makes my skin on my ankles itchy!)

Were you thinking of paid classes or using it at your gym?

skypie123_2

I don't go to the gym at the mo (sadly just can't afford it!) it was just at a salon near me. I was thinking of going on it a few times a week to tone up (I am not really fat but not toned) and liked the idea but didn't know whether to give it a whirl or not.

cinzano

i have been using a power plate at my salon twice a week since may. im not really fat but i wanted to tone up for my hols in august. i was also sceptic about this at first, but i have to admit i alternate between a full body tone and my underarms and i can see a difference especially to my bingo wings, they are still there but not as wobbly! i have been wearing shorts over the w/end and i have noticed that my legs are starting to tone up. i use speed 50 for a full body tone and speed 40 for my arms. i will continue to use this until my hols and have recommended it to friends who have commented on how i look. Give it a whirl and enjoy it. i must admit it is an unusual experience when you first step on, but you will get used to it, go for it skypie123

welshdent

Its bloody hard work doing core exercises on it!

Lobell

I used to do power-plates 4 times a week with a personal instructor who took me through a 15 minutes session which incorporated cardio & whole body toning. I did it for 2 months and did notice a very slight difference in my muscle tone. I also lost weight but I was also following a calorie controlled diet at the time.

If you go to one of those salons that just has a machine in the corner and a list of positions stuck to the wall for you to follow yourself, I don't think you will get the results you're after.

To be honest, I have had much better results from going to the gym and doing good, old-fashioned cardio and resistance (weight) training - I've been doing that for 3 months and there is a marked change in my shape and muscle definition, as well as weight loss.

You don't have to join a gym if you can't afford it - council owned gyms/leisure centres will allow you to 'pay as you go' and should only cost about the same as a power plate session per use.