Archive for the ‘Benefits’ category

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More FAT people, Morbidly Obese people need help.

June 17th, 2010

Wow, I expect to get flack for even daring use this title for my article but it has to be said often so that we all take notice – In my country and in many others we have a serious obesity problem.  No, let me rephrase that – we have a seriously large number of clinically and morbidy obese people and that causes many problems – actually for those people and for us all.

It’s no good criticising a person who is obese, that solves nothing!  How they got that way isn’t the issue. We do need to look at the causes and move to prevention but for those already obese, they need help to lose fat and regain control over their lives.

Last night I watched a New Zealand TV documentary about the need to provide stomach stapling operations.  They have a high sucess rate and are life-saving for manyof the people who have them.  The program profiled some of the people who are unable to get this operation because they live in parts of New Zealand where the district health board does not provide it and no matter how much they plead neighbouring health boards will not agree to help them.  This “sucks!”; to use a local slang term. These people are not able to get the potentially life saving help they need.

Well I have some good news for people who need help to lose fat; all who are overweight, clinically obese (as I was just a few years ago), and those who have become morbidly obese – Vibration Training can help. It’s really effective as a start to exercise and then ongoing to provide strength and fitness.  Depending on the quality and type of machine used results vary and I recommend that people try to get into a specialised studio but not every area has Vibration Training studios.  Home machines though can be great as a start if you buy the right one and there’s lots of help and information available.

Vibra-Train Vibra MachineA good place to get info is www.vibration-training-advice.com There are many articles for consumers and also more detailed ones for those in the fitness or health industries and anyone who wants to understand more. There’s also a forum where questions can be asked so that info in the articles can be explained if needed.

Of course, my website also has many simple, short articles that provide entry level information.

Vibration Training is safe and effective for overweight and obese people.  It is however essential to get the help of a trainer who works with these machines or to learn about the positions and safety before using the machine at home.  Never be afraid to ask for help and don’t just rely on the page of instructions that may come with the machine you might buy.

For upright vibration/lineal machines the Vibra-Train Safety Program is the standard.  If the program is too difficult or a simpler start is wanted, the user can do an assisted squat, holding onto whatever handlebars the machine has, and simply repeat that position a number of times. It’s all about getting started, increasing blood flow and mobility.

For pivotal/see-saw motion machines there’s no standard program; the user can simply stand on the machine, perform a slight or deeper squat or other positions that they are able to hold.

Read the websites, ask for help and get started. Some Vibration Studios even offer sponsored or subsidised sessions for people with morbid obesity or other life-threatening conditions.  The first step can be just a phone call.

Depending on the quality and type of machine used results vary and I recommend that people try to get into a specialised studio but not every area has Vibration Training studios.  Home machines though can be great as a start if you buy the right one and there’s lots of help and information available.A good place to get info is www.vibration-training-advice.com There are many articles for consumers and also more detailed ones for those in the fitness or health industries and anyone who wants to understand more. There’s also a forum where questions can be asked so that info in the articles can be explained if needed.

Of course, my website also has many simple, short articles that provide entry level information.

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Posted in Benefits, Vibration Training, Women, health

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Do I have to eat after Vibration Training?

May 24th, 2010

I was asked the question, “Do I have to eat after Vibration Training”. They said it was hard enough to eat before coming in when I reminded that we require customers to eat, at minimum, a banana and a coffee, right before using the vibration machines or to have had a full meal an hour before.  We’ve gone over the reasons in previous articles; it’s to ensure that blood sugar levels are high enough to cope with the demands of training on Vibra-Train’s high-force machines without feeling dizzy due to Hypoglycemia.

strength on Vibra-TrainBut, what about after vibration training? The customer wanted to gain fitness and strength and lose weight. We went over the difference between weight-loss, which can be fat, water, muscle, even bone density, and fat-loss which is what she really wanted and includes maintaining the other measures or even increasing them.

The short answer is, Yes, it’s important to eat within an hour of doing your Vibration Training program.  And what’s more, it’s important that you eat the right foods to aid your muscle recovery, lift the fatigue that comes after exercise, and aid muscle and fitness increase.

Let’s get a better understanding of what to eat and why

Vibration Training can be looked apon as Reistance Training, similar to doing a heavy weights program.  Many people find that immediately after their program they feel amazing, revitalised and happy but within an hour fatigue sets in along with a heaviness or dullness in their thinking and lessened ability to do regular tasks or make decisions.  This is a completely normal response to hard exercise and Vibration Training when done on a high energy machine is really hard exercise.  The same rules as weight training apply – one day training, next day off for rest and recovery.

Understanding this helps to answer the question, “Do I have to eat after my Vibration Training session?”

Yes!

It is important to choose the right foods to eat; a chocolate muffin and a cream topped mochachino is, sadly, not the right food and it will add up to 600 calories to your daily total while providing little goodness, just lots of fat.  Definately not recommended unless a person needs to gain fat and then there are better ways.  We recommend eating a meal or snack containing mostly protein within an hour of your workout session. This can be two eggs on toast, a tin of tuna or salmon, chocolate milk, or similar.

A fast option for people who train during their lunchtime is to have an Eggcel (pure, pasturised, egg whites) shake, made by mixing Eggcel with chocolate milk or with fruit juice or pulp for those who don’t want to have milk. Many Vibra-Train studios stock Eggcel for your convenience or it can be bought in bulk packs online in New Zealand.

It can be helpful to eat some carbs also after exercise as this provides the immediate sugars needed to continue the days tasks and prevents protein breakdown in the muscles so you can eat a  peanut butter sandwich as well as your Eggcel protein drink.  Some trainers also stress eating a little protein with carbs before exercise and say a protein shake or turkey and cheese sandwich is good.  I don’t personally do this but I always have a banana and a pre-workout carbs drink.

To get the very best results from any training program your diet (what you eat) becomes important.  People start out wanting to gain strength, build muscle, lose fat etc and we don’t talk about their diet, they simply do their Vibration Training sessions.  Within a few weeks customers tell us they feel good and have started to look at their diet.  They make the necessary changes without help or if they ask we can give them simple guidance.

Whatever your goal, what you eat helps you attain it. This is especially true when doing Vibration Training on high-force, lineal machines, such as Vibra-Train, as your metabolic rate increases and remains activated for around 48hours after training as your body builds and replaces lean muscle tissue, giving you strength increase.  For those wanting to lose fat its worth remembering that for every pound of lean muscle you build you will use up 35-50 extra calories a day just to maintain it.

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Vibration Machines for Sale on TradeMe

May 19th, 2010

I often look at the auctions for Vibration Machines for sale on TradeMe, New Zealand’s popular auction site for new and re-sale items – It’s similar to Ebay.

There’s a question/comment field and at times I use this to educate and correct sellers on the specifications and uses of the machine they are trying to sell as there’s so much misinformation.  Gymform Vibromax Pivotal Vibration Machine

Cheap, low energy pivotal (teeter-totter/see-saw) machines are frequently listed as “amazing workout, builds muscle, lose weight. The same machines as in studios, just smaller”.  This is, of course, not true and those machines are Vibration Therapy machines useful for helping increase blood circulation and helping free up movement, depending on the actual machine – some are only useful to use the arms as a clothes hanger, not really much use at all.

Vibe Trainer Whole Body Vibration MachinesThen there are mini lineal/upright Vibration Machines.  These can be quite useful especially for warm up and cool down before sports or going for a walk.  They can even be a good start into exercise and fitness, again it depends on the actual quality and type of machine.  You can’t generally trust the brand name of the machine as these change each week; huge runs of machines come off the production line in China and the same machines get stamped with many different names.

strength on Vibra-TrainI have little sympathy for people who get duped and buy a home Vibration Machine for a few hundred dollars believing it will be just as good as the heavy, steel platformed, high energy lineal/upright Vibration Machines that are in Vibra-Train Studios.PowerPlate Vibration Machine

Even the medium energy PowerPlate machines and FitVibe, Fit-X , and some BodyGreem machines that are found in studios, gyms, and beauty clinics are absolutely superior to the low price home models that are available on auction sites.

There are some workout quality home machines available – they cost more along with other differences and it’s essential that people do some “homework” and learn about the varying types of machines before they buy a home machine, carefully matching their needs and what results they want with the machine they choose to buy.

Expecting a $300 machine from TradeMe that is advertised with the same wording of advantages and results that accompany $20,000 Studio machines, to truely deliver those same results is a little crazy in my opinion.

One point that is made in almost all of the re-sale machines for online auction is that the seller hasn’t used the machine at all or used it only a handful of times.  Why, if it gives great results, don’t they use it? They even tell you sometimes – “I don’t have time to use it”.  This, I find laughable.  Programs for Home Vibration machines take 10 minutes or even up to 30 minutes three times a week.  For the pivotal (think Crazyfit brand or the currently advertised Gymform Vibromax) machines they tell you to stand on the machine for just 10 minutes every day.

(A little info here: make sure you are using the right program and frequency for the machine type you buy for home use)

So, the sellers of machines can’t find 10 minutes three times a week or, for pivotal machines, 10 minutes each day to use their machines so they are trying to sell them to you, telling you of all the supposed, amazing benefits you will get?

I’m going to suggest they are either

  • Very lazy, too lazy to exercise at all?
  • Involved with other exercise or sport and know that their low quality machine isn’t going to benefit them.
  • Have used the machine about ten times and realise they were lied to, that it isn’t going to give the results they want and so they are trying to sell it on to you, complete with those same lies.
  • They’ve started going to a Vibration Studio or they are using a machine at their gym and they know their cheap (well they might have paid quite a lot actually) unit is not so good as they thought when they bought it.

There are, of course, genuine sales; people moving overseas or long distance, those who really did use their machines and now have some other activity involvement, those who cannot contine for true medical reasons or pregnancy.  I hope those sellers honestly state the specifications, uses and benefits of the machine they are selling, sadly many exagerate.

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Posted in Benefits, Brands, Marketing, Programs, Vibration Training

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Effect of Long-Term Whole Body Vibration Training on Visceral Adipose Tissue

April 30th, 2010

I’ve previously written about this study and how excited I was at the results.  Now it’s been reported in “Obesity Facts – The European Journal of Obesity Vol 3 – issue in progress”

There’s a short abstract plus a link to the full (purchase) version of the study.  I haven’t got the full version yet but the results are mind boggling – in a very good way!

Vibration Training on high force lineal or, as in the study, on medium force lineal Vibration Machines is very effective in achieving fat loss.  Dietary help was also given to participants in the study and I’m sure everyone agrees, what we eat greatly affects our health and weight.  We need the right nutrients to build muscle and to assist in burning fat during and after exercise.

What’s even more exciting than the statement “Vibration Training reduces Fat” is that visceral (or belly) fat reduced the most in the Vibration Training plus Diet group compared with the Fitness plus Diet group.

I wrote an article about this study in May, 2009 when the first press release was out:

Public release, 8th May, 2009, by the European Association for the Study of Obesity, an association established in 1986 and now with 2500 health professionals from 29 member countries, on the results of a controlled study performed at the Artesis University College and the University of Antwerp in Belgium states: vibration exercise machines may help you lose weight and trim the particularly harmful belly fat from the organs. Participants of the study who were part of the vibration training group lost 11% of their body weight and retained their loss at 10.5% after 12 months. They lost an amazing 47 square centimeters of visceral fat maintaining that loss at the final follow up.

Public release, 8th May, 2009, by the European Association for the Study of Obesity, an association established in 1986 and now with 2500 health professionals from 29 member countries, on the results of a controlled study performed at the Artesis University College and the University of Antwerp in Belgium states: vibration exercise machines may help you lose weight and trim the particularly harmful belly fat from the organs. Participants of the study who were part of the vibration training group lost 11% of their body weight and retained their loss at 10.5% after 12 months. They lost an amazing 47 square centimeters of visceral fat maintaining that loss at the final follow up.

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Someone buy me a belt please

April 1st, 2010

Well, I decided a pre-winter “Get Fit” program was needed so for the past three weeks I’ve taken my training to a new level.  I work at Vibra-Train so I have all the equipment I need.

My goal was to increase my strength and overall well-being before the winter cold and rain hits New Zealand.  Also to lose some fat, maybe some weight.  I’ve got good muscle mass, not that I’ll complain if I build more – it supports the bones and also increases one’s metabolic rate = more fat calories burnt each day.

I’m using the Vibra-Train Safety Program, the one I know so well and instruct customers in every day.  I’ve been precise about position and obeyed the rules by always following the step-by-step instructions for getting into perfect position.  Then maintaining that “perfect position” for the 60 seconds of each pose – for me that’s the hard part.

Every time I train I’m strict on myself,  just as I am on customers, to ensure a safe and effective workout but if I slow down and are very precise I find areas where I can improve.  There’s the times I transfer weight onto my toes (cheating to get away from the burning feeling in the quads) whilst doing squat positions on the machine.  This is, I know, a natural response to it being hard work (your body pulls away from situations that hurt) but it stops me getting the best muscle response which is by targetting the girth of the muscle. I’ve been correcting myself, it’s a situation where “stress” (in the quad muscles and in my perception of pain) is there to give a good result.  Remember that stress is not bad, it’s how we respond to it that creates positive or negative results.

It’s taken me just two weeks, that’s six sessions, to feel stronger and that I could push myself even harder.  It’s not that I haven’t trained for a long time but I’d taken two weeks off then had another two weeks where I’d trained only once a week as I felt unwell otherwise.  We do not allow people to use the machines while they have active infection.  Also it’s been a long, hot summer, perfect for relaxing and beach walks and too hot for serious exercise.

I’m now at the end of week 3 and I’m doing great.  I’ve increased my vibra-training to two days on and one day off, a pattern that is okay for two weeks only as it overloads the muscles to serious fatigue.  Any longer and there’s the risk of overtraining and muscle breakdown instead of building.

Vibration Training is a form of resistance training so to balance that I’ve added in some extra cardio work, more than my usual walk home or along the seaside,  I’ve been using a stationary exercise bike and a treadmill.  Twenty minutes of incline walking at a comfortable pace on most days.

So, to my results:  We have a Body Composition Analyser in the Vibra-Train studio so after just three weeks I re-tested and yes, I have lost some weight.  More importantly I’ve lost fat and more important than that is that I’m feeling great, that is except for one annoying point; my new jeans are loose and are almost falling down.  My (also new) black work trousers are loose also. Can someone please buy me a belt?

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Posted in Benefits, Experiences, Programs, Vibration Training, Women, health

And now the Good News for Women

March 18th, 2010

Developments in technology and social awareness have, in the most part, made life more comfortable for everyone; women and men.  With this “ease” of the hard work of simple daily living where it’s not so common to have to chop wood and carry it in for the fire (cardio and strength work), walk, run, or ride (horse or bike) five miles to the town or walk to a local store and carry groceries home, or do large loads of laundry, carrying it outdoors to hang on long clothes lines while also looking after small children, cooking large meals and deserts, and then being “available” at the end of the day for whatever the male of the household decides will be the evening’s activities, many women are no longer getting the excerise their bodies need for full fitness and strength.

The Surgeon General, American Heart Foundation and those in other parts of the world, and many places like The American College of Sports Medicine have stepped in and given recommendations for exercise training, currently this is 30 minutes or more of moderate-intensity physical activity on all, or most, days of the week.  They promote active lifestyles and regular physical activity through advertising campaigns, newspaper articles and in schools and colleges. Despite this more than 60% of American adults are not regularly active and 40% are not active at all. (1999 report). Many who start sports or exercise programs do not continue past the first few weeks.   I used to see this when I working in a gym. People would sign up to a six month or year’s membership and then after a few weeks would ask for the ways (clearly stated on the forms they signed) to get out of the agreement.  They would say coming to the gym takes up too much time or it’s too hard and they simply don’t like it.  Sometimes  they were just being lazy but whatever the reason they were not going to continue, even if that meant paying a fee to break their contract early or having to continue paying and not attend.

Regular readers of my blog will know what I am going to say next but there’s no way I can not say it; Vibration Training is an excellent way to improve fitness, strength and overall health, almost everyone can do it, it’s time sparing, it’s hard work (why would you want it any other way?) and it’s just the most amazing, fun thing to do.  Girlfriends come into the studio and work out togther and have lots of laughs, some girl time-out (chatting), get to listen to the boss’s 80′s techno dance music (along with modern and older tracks as well), get told exactly what to do and how to act around the machines (this might sound harsh but it’s essential for an effective, safe workout) and while having all this fun they work out hard and gain so much.

Size, shape, age, and current level of fitness do not matter.  We get people who are dangerously obese (and that’s exactly the ones the Vibra-Train brand was initially set up for), those who are very fit athletes and just about everyone inbetween, including unfit and overweight teenagers.  For some it’s a very intense, personal training time, for others fun and hard work mixed together.  Either way, we get great results and adding in some walking, swimming or dancing gives a full balanced workout that exceeds recommendations.  For some Vibration Training is all that’s needed as their lifestyle gives enough movement for cardio benefits or they are unable to do other exercise.

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Posted in Benefits, Vibration Training, Women, health

Disabilities and Vibration Machines in the Studio

February 18th, 2010

Some of the customers at the Vibra-Train studio where I work have disabilities.  No, I don’t just mean they don’t listen when I instruct them or forget the poses from one session to the next I mean they have real physical and/or mental disabilities and they come in two or three times a week (same as other customers) to workout on the vibration machines or to do a vibration therapy session.

One of these customers has been very regular lately, coming three times each week no matter if he’s feeling well or having a “bad” day where he can barely get out of bed.  On Wednesday he came into the studio very slowly, stooped over and saying he hadn’t come the previous day as he’d been too unwell but he didn’t want to miss his session so he’d come in today despite quite bad muscle aches from his condition.

While I can feel some empathy I didn’t dwell on his illness instead telling him firmly, “Okay, now get onto the machine and let’s do your work-out”.

Later he thanked me and said that’s the reason he’d come in despite feeling very achy.  He knew he’d get no special treatment or allowances from me but would be expected to do the Safety Program to the best of his ability.  In his case he is only able to do a Basic Squat position supported by holding onto the side handlebars of the Level 2 Vibra machine.  Because of his condition he can’t always manage the 60 seconds of the squat so we do as long as he can hold the position perfectly with three repeats.  This means he drives his car or gets someone else to drive him 20km across town for just three times 30-60 second squats.

What does this tell you?  Obviously Vibration Therapy is working for him.

And yesterday he thanked me for pushing him so hard, for expecting him to put in his best effort and for not dwelling on what he can’t do but on what he can.  He’s come to understand that he will feel discomfort during the squats on the machines but that this is no different to what every customer feels.  In many ways he’s simply a regular customer. And the bonus of expecting his best effort yesterday, he asked for and was able to do a fourth squat position instead of the three he normally does.  He left feeling fatigued but mentally enlivened, knowing he’d have to rest for a few hours but would feel more flexible and alert the next day.  This is the benefit for him, not a cure but a way to strengthen weakened muscles and a path to improved overall fitness physically and mentally.

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Posted in Benefits, Instructor, Uncategorized, health

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Position Position Position

February 8th, 2010

A reminder to all users of Vibration Machines - Being in Perfect Position on the machines for the whole time period is ESSENTIAL to achieving great results.

In fact you could be wasting both your time and your money if you settle for anything less.  The very people who grumble that “it’s too hard to keep in position” are the same ones also grumble when they don’t see the results they are expecting.

No, it’s not “too hard”, but it is “hard” and that hard work pays off with excellent results.  I don’t know of anyone who can’t do the Vibra-Train Safety Program correctly (we are able to assist those with disabilities of course).

Trainers need to take note: It is not cruel or mean to insist that your clients do the workout program exactly.  They are paying to work-out hard and to get great results!  In Vibra-Train studios we remind customers that the sign over the door says Vibra-Train not Vibra-Massage.

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Vibration Training – not just about looking good

January 29th, 2010

Want to know more about me?Fern Frond - strength

Read My Story at:

vibration-training-advice.com/vibration-training—not-just-about-looking-good

One morning I was explaining to a customer how Vibration Training helps with fat-loss and she remarked (with a grin) that maybe it wasn’t working so well for me. Then the next day I read a forum comment about an Instructor who looked like they ate too many “pies and gravy”. While this wasn’t directed at me I began to think about what Vibration Training really does for weight-loss and what it had already done for me. I’ve experienced life changing results so I’m not fazed by these comments but I want people to know the truth …

Will Vibration Training help you lose weight? What can you really expect?

vibration-training—not-just-about-looking-good

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New Year – Back to Vibration Training Part 2

January 19th, 2010

Who are our Customers?

Happy People JumpingOver the Christmas weeks the Vibra-Train studio where I work remained open each day with  short hours in the morning and afternoon so customers were able to continue their training  sessions.  Many took advantage of this and have continued through into the New Year.  Others went on holiday or had time off their training to be with family.  This group included many mothers as Christmas/New Year coincides with 5-6 weeks of junior school holidays in New Zealand.  Some of these moms have returned to the studio now; some bringing their children along and I’ve found them all to be very well behaved; the children that is, the moms don’t always do as they are told!

Most of our customers who work in local businesses and come to train in their lunchhour have returned along with those who train before or after work and students who come on  their way to university.  I’ve heard many grumbles that “it’s hard” but the grumbles are usually accompanied with laughter as customers know the first few sessions back show some de-training after only two or three weeks off.

New customers this year already include just about every age group and sector of society.  I’ve noticed an increase in athletes and sports people who have chosen Vibration Training as one of their training methods.  Some new customers are not new to Vibration Training but have moved house and now live in our area.  Most are familiar with our safety program as they’ve been regular at other Vibra-Train studios or studios that follow the Vibra-Train program.

Just a few customers from other vibration studios have needed extra instruction to learn the Vibra-Train Safety Program.  These customers find their body and minds at first rejecting the new ways but they always have opportunity to ask questions, to learn why we do the positions as we do and it takes only two visits before they start seeing the benefits.  One older couple who are very fit and were experienced with vibration training are now so happy, almost ecstatic with the benefits they’re getting from a slight change to the program they’d beeen using.

All customers are being thoroughly watched over this month.  Even though training is always supervised long-term, regular customers can get slightly out of position as they strive to workout harder while their body responds by trying to cheat and make it easier to hold the positions.  Little tweaks to get back into perfect position mean better results.

It’s been a fun start to what’s going to be an amazing year.

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