From Madonna to Manchester United FC, Clint Eastwood to the Chicago Bulls, Hilary Swank to elite golfer Rocco Mediate, it seems as if everyone is using vibration training (or Whole Body Vibration) to enhance their health, appearance or performance through what the market leaders Power Plate term ‘acceleration training.’
 
So how does ‘Vibration Training’ work?

Well firstly you can perform three key types of exercises on a vibration training machine; strength training, stretching and mobility work, and massage:

Strength training:

You know when you’re going up in a lift and the lift first pulls away? You feel some additional force placed upon your legs due
to the acceleration of the lift up towards you and the associated g-force applied. Often you’ll feel your knees soften a little. This is exactly what the Power Plate is doing every time it vibrates up towards you. The base plate vibrates up and down between 25 and 50 times per second (on Commercial Series Machine's), i.e. they operate at frequencies between 25Hz and 50Hz. So if you’re using the platform at a 50Hz setting, you’re getting a force like you got in the lift but 50 times every second and 3000 times in a one-minute exercise set! The higher the setting on the machine, the greater the level of acceleration of the surface of the platform and the greater the g-force applied to you.

What are the benefits of this?
It is interesting to note that numerous studies have shown that while strength gains derived from conventional resistance and ‘vibration training’ are comparable, the gains in power or ‘quick strength’ are markedly greater when using vibration technology.

Vibration and muscular development:

Can you build muscle on the Vibration Training (Whole Body Vibration) Machine?
Relatively detrained individuals will certainly see gains in muscle size as a direct result of ‘vibration training.’ In already well-developed individuals, simply performing bodyweight exercise on a Power Plate will be unlikely to develop additional muscle. However, if they were to use vibration training in conjunction with their conventional strength training there are numerous additional benefits, many already discussed, which will enhance what they are already doing. One of the world’s leading bodybuilders, Jay Cutler, uses Power Plate to enhance his performance.

Cardiovascular training:

Vibration training, like conventional resistance training, can be structured to be quite cardiovascularly demanding. If you imagine a circuit training class with short rest intervals between sets, Power Plate sessions can be structured in a similar fashion. Furthermore, from a metabolic perspective, the incredibly rapid muscular contractions have been likened to shivering. The body brings about shivering in order to increase metabolism markedly and thus generate and waste as much heat as possible. The effects upon individual metabolism should thus be evident.

‘Vibration Training’ is now hugely popular and here to stay.

How do you get your hands on one? 
Forward-thinking fitness clubs nationwide have already cleverly invested to provide this futuristic workout method on their gym floor. Virgin Active are now running Power Plate® Group Classes in Sydney & Melbourne and Fitness First have commenced their Phase 1 Power Plate® Roll-out Nationwide (See 'Plate Locator' for details of your local fitness club or studio featuring Power Plate®). 

Power Plate® is the 'Rolls Royce' of Vibration Training/Whole Body Vibration. The cheap ‘wobbleboards’ you see on sale at the supermarket and mall are not going to stack up when compared to a more expensive machine.  The vibration they give is likely to be quite rough and irregular and thus only be of detriment to the body, inclusive of your joints and internal organs.

Not all Vibration is created equal and there is no substitute for Power Plate® Technology.

In other words, if you want results from a Vibration Training (Whole Body Vibration) Platform, you need Power Plate® !!