What is vibration
plate training?
Vibration plate
training is simply a phrase covering any use of a vibration platform -
including just standing on one. What vibration training achieves is to
stimulate your muscles into a repeated involuntary stretch reflex. An
involuntary stretch reflex is controlled by the spinal cord. Conversely,
conventional training involves voluntary muscle movement controlled by
our brain. Activating an involuntary stretch reflex provides a number
of benefits:
- The repetition
rate (number of stretch reflexes per minute) is very high, thus the
achievable repetition count is far higher in shorter expanses of time
then is possible with conventional exercise routines.
- Involuntary muscle
contractions engage around 97% of your muscle fibres compared with only
40% under conventional exercise conditions. This really opens the ceiling
on your fitness potential.
- The repetition
rate is finely user adjustable, allowing you to use the vibration machine
to achieve a complete range of benefits including improvement of balance, massage, joint rehabilitation, toning, deepening your stretches, weight loss, strengthening in static poses (i.e. yoga), developing involuntary muscles (i.e. your core) and building of muscle - all the time boosting circulation and lymphatic flow.
What actually
happens during the involuntary stretch reflex?
1. the movement
of the platform causes a body position change
2. the change is detected within the muscle spindles
3. the muscle generates impulses which travel to the spinal cord along
your nerves
4. the spinal cord activates and coordinates the muscles for balancing
movement
5. the platform levels
6. the change is detected within the muscle spindles
7. the muscle relaxes
The cycle repeats
at a high frequency, resulting in accelerated exercise
What are the different types of vibration machine?
The most common
type of vibration platform generates a vertical vibration. What's distinct is that the vibration is equal at all points of the plate. We call this type of machine a 'linear' system.
A few machines induce
a solely horizontal movement, designed to move only the feet while the
user remains reclined. This is not whole-body equipment and there is only one posture to assume when using the device.
Increasingly, there are vibration machines
that move in 'three dimensions', but ultimately this equipment is still linear even though promotional material and web copy may mention the word 'oscillate'. In fact we consider it critical that non-pivotal equipment moves in multiple dimensions as the piston-like action of a single direction of movement is acting on the body like a pneumatic drill - an action associated with conditions such as carpal tunnel syndrome.
Often the way that multi-dimensional vibration is produced is with the use of an uneven wheel. The idea is to greatly de-stabilize the user but without generate too great a level of discomfort. Ultimately however, the de-stabilizing is successfuly meaning that you aren't effectively training involuntary muscle - only muscles you voluntarily activate when using the machine. This means that such devices can be use for 'massage' by sprawling your body over the platform in any way imagineable, but there is no functional mobility in the joints and your involuntary muscle support system is left to relax whilst your voluntary muscles train out of harmony with your whole body.
The oscill-8 whole body vibration platform produces an oscillating motion rather
then a solely vertical vibration. We call this type of machine a 'pivotal' system, and it is sometimes referred to
as a side-alternating or oscillating machine and can be compared to the action
of a see-saw.
The platform tilts
from side to side over a central fulcrum, lifting one side of your body
while at the same time displacing/dropping the other side. This pattern
is switched to and fro at a frequency set on the control panel.
Unless the machine has a fulcrum and an alternating pattern of movement it is effectively linear.
What all machines
will have in common is that the movement will likely stimulate circulation
and provide a degree of massage to the areas of the body close to the platform.
But the many other benefits of vibration technology may never be attained
by many lesser machines, especially those that don't really know what
type they are, and ultimately don't control the plane of movement through which they effect the user.
The effect of vibration
that is easiest to understand is muscle contractions. Both pivotal
and linear equipment can effectively induce high frequencies of the involuntary
stretch reflect. However, the sequence in which this is done differs greatly. |
