Vibration Plates - do they work/can they be harmful?!

waterwatereverywhere

Hi,

We have inherited one of those "vibration plate" machines from a relative. It is one of the cheaper end of the market, not the really expensive ones. We've yet to try it out but just wondering if anyone has any experience of using them for exercise / to tone up and if they do actually work. Also if they can cause any harm if overused?

Any general advice/comments would be very gratefully received as it's a big chunk of machinery and if it's not going to be much good we'd sooner not have it taking up much needed space!

If on the other hand it can tone flabby underarms and other flabby bits and bobs with minimal effort then I'd be all for keeping it!!

The "manual" shows all sorts of posiitions you can get into apparently to tone different parts of your body. I remain a bit sceptical....

heartbreak_star

I really like them - are we talking VibroTrim where you just stand on it or PowerPlate where you do exercises on it?

If it's a PowerPlate, you have to put effort in to get results. If it's a VibroTrim, I didn't really find that they did much.

If it is a PowerPlate and you get rid... let me know, ha ha

HBS x

ariba10

Why is it that some people think that they can exercise without doing any physical effort?

Fire_Fox

Depends on the product, my response to a recent thread on this
http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showpost.php?p=56915221&postcount=2
Ones that are powerful enough to actually do something can be harmful if misused yes.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18923291/ns/health-fitness/t/shake-your-way-skinny-experts-fear-risks/#.UKU154fgnE0

jenniewb

Power Plates (or vibration plates or whatever else they are being called) will help you build muscle and stregnthen your core IF you use it properly- it can be not used properly and I've seen it all too often! You can't just stand on the thing and have it 'vibrate' the weight off- it wont move any weight, it will only build muscle if that.

If you build up your muscles, it will require your body more calories to survive but its a very marginal difference and easy to ruin by eating just a little bit extra without even realising so make sure your diet is in order first- eat a healthy balance of decent quality foods and drink enough water. Keep a watch on your portion sizes and how much things weigh.

With regards to the power plate, get a proper class or instructor to teach you how to use it and also spot-check that your holding the correct posture and training the correct muscles.

There is a long list of "do not" when it comes to using the machine, things like being pregnant or having heart problems or a pace maker, having cancer or being in treatment for...the list can normally be found alongside the machines if they are at your gym or the instructor should know what's what. Always ask first.

You'd be best advised to do some cardiovascular exercise alongside to help yourself if your aiming to lose weight. Cardio meaning things that leave you out of breath and even sweat, again get advice on this from a professional as it can really depend on what your personal medical or physical health situation. What's right for one person may not be right for someone else.

waterwatereverywhere

Hi

Thanks for the helpful replies. In response to first post, no it is not a powerplate just a very basic vibration machine. The manual just tells you what positions to get in to and it talks about the machine stimulating/exercising the various muscle groups.

In response to the unhelpful reply about exercising without doing physical effort, plenty of physical effort is put in with regular jogging and cardio workouts - the question was whether these machines actually work to improve tone/tone up as the instruction manual suggests is possible - which I had doubts about and that's why I was seeking people's experiences of using them.

Diet is fine and no medical reason not to use it, just wondering if it's actually any use, for example in toning underarms etc. - which the manual suggests it can do, but it would do wouldn't it!

Fire_Fox

waterwatereverywhere wrote: »

Hi

Thanks for the helpful replies. In response to first post, no it is not a powerplate just a very basic vibration machine. The manual just tells you what positions to get in to and it talks about the machine stimulating/exercising the various muscle groups.

In response to the unhelpful reply about exercising without doing physical effort, plenty of physical effort is put in with regular jogging and cardio workouts - the question was whether these machines actually work to improve tone/tone up as the instruction manual suggests is possible - which I had doubts about and that's why I was seeking people's experiences of using them.

Diet is fine and no medical reason not to use it, just wondering if it's actually any use, for example in toning underarms etc. - which the manual suggests it can do, but it would do wouldn't it!

To be fair the person who said about no effort has a point. Muscles (including the heart) strengthen in response to being overloaded, if you don't overload you will not get fitter/ more 'toned'. Most women put in far too much time and not nearly enough intensity, so don't get the results they are looking for. Not because they are lazy but simply because they have no real idea of what they are capable of.

What is most effective CV wise is interval training, with strength work it is compound moves (many muscles at once) and spending more time on the move than on the rest, going to failure (cannot do another repetition with good technique). Working a lot of muscle mass at the same time to a decent intensity is uncomfortable/ painful. The exercises you are often encouraged to do with vibration machines are isometric - so you get down into a position and stay there, one long repetition with no rest.

You can strengthen the small stabiliser muscles with a feeling of minimal effort - tiny muscles only have tiny nerves to scream at you - *some* Pilates or balance type exercises are like this. But you will not hit the large visible muscles without discomfort/ pain.

If you want real results the diet needs to be more than fine, it needs to be clean and regimented. Your body shape, health and fitness are more about nutrition than activity. So not fair.

meenah

I've tried doing muscle (core) excersice on those plates, and I did quite like it. But just like you said I was a bit worried if they can be harmful. I don't think it would matter if you used them ocasionally, but using them constantly... I couldn't imagine that would be good for you. Just think about all the contractors who get vibration damaged hands from their power tools...

Yorkie1

I've got one of these machines (another of those 'good ideas' from eBay ... ) and happened to spot a similar one on QVC shopping channel when surfing on the TV (so to speak).

So, I watched to get some idea of the exercises! They seemed to be suggesting decent lunges etc, but only for about 3-5 minutes per day or every other day to start with. You can work up the times once you've acclimatised to the vibration.