Archive for the ‘Women’ category

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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

The Dumbass Guide … to getting Back into Shape

March 23rd, 2010

I found this website today: The Dumbass Guide … to Getting back into Shape. It has lots of  information in six, short, humorous, easy to read blogs (articles).

I couldn’t say it better so click through if you are serious about losing some fat.

Basic Squat on Bullet Vibra-Train MachineA tip for any Dumbass (and all you sensible types too): Vibration Training on high quality machines can be the easiest, fastest way to kick-start an exercise habit.  Of course I say “easy” in a rather “tongue in cheek” way as we all know that no real exercise is easy and the studio group that I recommend is Vibra-Train.

Note the name Vibra-Train, not Vibra-Massage.  It’s all good, really, anyone can do it, larger size is what this brand was originally designed for so you’ve got nothing to lose; well nothing except some fat (and you get strong, small, well formed muscles that support your bones and help you burn even more fat).

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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

Does Vibration Training really work?

March 4th, 2010

Checking the statistics for my website this is the term most searched for.  So I could simply answer, YES,  it really does work  but that doesn’t really answer the question does it?

Does Vibration Training work for _ _ _ _ ? You, the reader, need to insert the missing word here.

I’m so passionate about Vibration Training and what I see on a daily basis as an Instructor that I’m inclined to say YES, YES, whatever missing word you insert, Vibration Training works  BUT, in reality, I’m not so naiive.  I’ve even heard a lady ask if doing Vibration Training will cure her body of cancer.  She seemed to think that the vibrations might re-set her body onto a healing path.  Alas, no, while her theory sounds good there are some things that Vibration Training cannot do or if it does we are not willing to take the risks involved to find out.  Vibration Training is not recommended for people with active cancer as it improves blood circulation throughout the whole body and while that carries nutrients it also possibly increases the risk of spread of disease.

Vibration Training is also not recommended for people with pacemakers.  This is in line with keeping away from electro-magnetic currents.  I know the machines I work with at Vibra-Train have sheilded motors, nevertheless this is an industry safeguard so we simply don’t these people to use the machines.  And we don’t allow women who are pregnant to use the machines, not that we have any evidence that it’s dangerous but we simply don’t know.

So, leaving aside these known contra-indications and all the short-term reasons not to train (like influenza, recent surgery, recent broken bones) I can confidently say, Vibration Training is great, it works!

But again, it works for what?

Firstly what do you want to achieve? Is it gentle stimulation of a previously injured body part?  Is it muscle strength and power?  Is it speed or endurance to help with your next sports event? Is it general fitness and feeling good?  Do you want to bulk up yet strip off fat?  Are you a busy mother wanting to simply lose a few pounds of weight and increase your sense of well being?

Your results are determined by various factors -  including the type and quality of the machines you use and the program of positions you use on the machines.  I recommend the Vibra-Train Safety Program for use with lineal (upright) machines in studios and at home.  It can be difficult to do some of the poses if you are using a small, low to the ground home model but as far as possible you can follow the program and I am happy to help with any questions.  An essential accessory for home (and studio) machines is a rubber mat to place onto the machine platform to protect hands, elbows, and sometimes even the feet from the rough or bubbly surface that machines have and to assist with grip and placement.  To choose the right machine type or brand and when deciding to buy a home machine or to use a specific vibration studio or possibly a machine in your local gym or health studio I advise people to get all the information they can get before committing your money.  Read the relevant articles on my website and others and ask lots of questions of salespeople, then check their answers against what you already know and as trite as it sounds, use common sense.  If the claims are beyond belief, they are most likely, untrue.

Then it’s up to you – Follow the safety program three times a week or maybe twice if you already have an intensive weights program that you use.  Eat sensibly without going into excesses of dieting or supplementation.  Your results will be exciting, make sure you track them by a diary entry or a short note in a notebook.

Yes, Vibration Training works – It works very well. Making it work is up to you, the reader, by choosing the right equipment for your needs, following an excellent whole body vibration training program, and being dedicated to your workout sessions.  You can even get away with pizza for dinner occaisionally.

Links: Vibra-Train Safety Program, Vibration-Training-Advice

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Posted in Experiences, Programs, Vibration Training, Women

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How to Lose Muscle and Gain Fat

February 25th, 2010

I work-out regularly, three times a week, on the lineal vibration machines at Vibra-Train where I work.  That is except for the past three weeks as I’ve had an ongoing infection that required me to take antibiotics, which in turn upset my stomach.  I’m all okay now but during the time I had active infection I didn’t use the vibration machines, except for an occaisional squat position.  It was very hard watching and instructing customers while personally obeying the rules which say, “Do not use the machines if you have active infection”  There’s good reason for the rules and in the case of active infection the machine might cause increased blood pressure or temperature, or irritate the infected area.

The interesting thing is what happened to my body during the three weeks I stopped vibration training.

Yesterday I was using the B.C.A. (Body Composition Analyser) machine to get current body measurements for a customer and I decided to use the machine myself.  I saw right away that I’d lost just over 1kg in weight which in most people is not worth noting but as my weight had remained stable from early December through Christmas and to my previous B.C.A. test three weeks ago I was pleased.

Looking over the full printed results of my test I lost my joy completely.  Sure, I had lost over 1kg in weight but I had lost a full 2kg in muscle.  And I had gained 1kg in fat.

Without the B.C.A. machine my change in weight, even as little as 1kg when I struggle with weightloss, would seem to be a victory BUT knowing that three weeks of almost no vibration training had caused 2kg of muscle loss is upsetting.  The corresponding fat gain during a time I wasn’t eating much due to sickness even more upsetting.

The value of the B.C.A. machine showed more when looking at other results: My B.M.I had dropped slightly (looks good but is it?) It’s an outdated measurement that also didn’t show the correct picture as my Resting Metabolic Rate (B.M.R.) had dropped also.  That means that although I am now slightly less overweight I am not burning as many calories each day.

It’s not a good result at all!  A small Weight Loss that is actually a Time Bomb for Weight Gain of the worst sort – FAT.

Worse still, as I am mid-aged female, I would continue to lose muscle mass and bone density if I don’t go back to a resistance exercise program, be that Vibration Training or a weights program soon.  Today I am back into the Vibra-Train Safety Program and I’ll increase my protein intake so that I’ll soon gain back what I’ve lost.

I encourage all women to work-out using a high quality lineal (upright) Vibration Machine if available or at least buy some free-weights and a book similar to this “Strong Women Stay Young”.  Next time I am unable to use a vibration machine I’ll be looking in the back of the cupboard for my box of free-weights.

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Posted in Other Articles, Vibra-Train, Women, health

Serious Problems of Ideal Body Weight Formulas

February 16th, 2010

I’m back on track this month with regular workouts and following a well designed eating plan.  I have a goal weight in mind but when I looked back over the personalised plan I’m following I was horrified at the goal weight set for me:  52-70kg.

There’s a wide variation in those figures and at first glance it looks reasonable.  Many women would simply accept the goal, go hard-out in diet and exercise toward the lowest figure and then cry when they fail to reach the target.  Continued food deprivation and yo-yo diets can lead to morbid obesity and so worsen the situation the hapless person finds himself in.

So what’s wrong with that goal?

Simply, it fails to take into account ethnicity and muscle mass amongst other factors.  For me an eventual goal weight of 68-72 is attainable and healthy (and that’s the upper limit of the plan I am following).  The lower limit of 52kg is just too low and could deplete my muscle mass to a point where my bone density would lower putting me at risk of osteoporosis or easily breaking bones.  My metabolic rate would fall and with that my energy level and mental acuity.

My Personalised Eating Plan

The diet and exercise plan I’m using as a guide to plan my eating this year was written specifically for me by a highly respected nutritionist whose advice and articles I value.  It was based on my age, sex, height, weight, waist measurement, and my opinion of my body type which I entered as “muscular”.   The results that came back were fairy accurate compared with the results I get from the Body Composition Analyser machine at Vibra-Train where I work.  The estimated metabolic rate was lower than my actual rate but the BMI measurement was correct. (Note: BMI is another outdated measurement that fails in usefulness because off ethnicity and muscle mass differences).  The report said I am Obese based on my BMI (Body Mass Index).  It then gave dire warnings of health problems that accompany obesity.  These would be enough to scare anyone into eating better and exercising regularly and so are good for people to read although in my case, again they are overstated as my BMI does not reflect my real state.  I know my actual muscle mass percentage from the Body Composition Analyser machine and as it’s high it skews my BMI.

In a personalised diet plan where does the goal weight come from?

Many websites give “Ideal Body Weight” using arithmetic formula that was designed for medicine dosing, (NOT for weight control).  One such formula is that of Dr BJ Devine who in 1974 converted a formula already in use based on inches of height and pounds of bodyweight into metric figures.  It gives ideal (or expected) bodyweight as

Men: Ideal Body Weight (in kilograms) = 50 + 2.3 kg per inch over 5 feet.
Women: Ideal Body Weight (in kilograms) = 45.5 + 2.3 kg per inch over 5 feet.

These figures suggest a Body Mass Index of about 23 for adult men (this is rather high) and for adult women of 20.8 which for many women is too low and suggest an ideal body weight for most women seriously close to lean body weight (organs, bone, muscle, with no fat).

Although Devine’s formula was updated in 1983 by Dr JD Robinson and DR DM Miller, their formulas still have serious faults.  And even before the Devine IBW formula the insurance company, Metropolitan Life was, in 1943, using medical dosing weight formula to set height/weight tables.

The flaws in these formulas when used for Ideal or Best Body Weight are just too high to be used today.  Years ago on a battlefield or in a hospital when a person’s weight had to be calculated immediately to give dosage of life-saving medications (like theophylline, digoxin, gentomyin) these estimations or expected weight were invaluable but not so today.

What is your Real Ideal Weight?

My advice to women (and men) wanting to know their true ideal body weight is to be very wary of online formula and even ranges on a diet plan made for you.  Your ideal weight is the one at which you are feel well and are active. It’s the weight at which you feel at your best! You know what this is and a quick glance in the mirror shows if you are carrying muscle or fat.  A test using a Body Composition Analyser (a machine that uses a light electric current to take measurements) can be helpful as it gives a printout of your measurements including Body Fat Percentage and Muscle Mass Percentage and an overall fitness score, a starting point to work from and then a repeat test three – five months later to show your progress.  In Auckland Central there is a BCA machine at Vibra-Train, in Victoria St West.

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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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Lazy Women! and

December 3rd, 2009

welcome, summer!Yes, you’ve read the title right. It’s Springtime here in New Zealand and each day new customers come into the Vibra-Train Auckland City Studio for their first, free, trial session.  Some have heard about vibration training from their friends or workplace colleagues and they know what to expect.

Others have seen adverts on TV, on internet or in magazines.  Some come in commenting that they have bought “as seen on TV” fitness equipment before and it now sits in the spare room or a corner of the lounge unused except as an extra clothes hanger.  I assure them, we don’t sell home machines; we have very powerful commercial grade platforms in our studios where they will receive completely supervised training.

Sometimes people come in to try a studio machine before they consider buying a home model they’ve seen elsewhere.  I am able to give them a “no-sales talk ” free, trial session and also tell them of websites and people to talk to about their choice of home machine or continued studio sessions.

Where does “Lazy Women” come into this?

Some newcomers who have read about vibration training in magazines or on internet and specifically about PowerPlate brand have seen advertising which says, ” a revolution in health, anti-aging and beauty, a new way to receive health, strength and physical well-being, a wakeup call for your body and soul, 30 vibrations a second”  or “I lost 4 dress sizes in just 21 days”. It sounds so easy and many of these new customers are looking for a quick fix, no effort, easy answer to their lack of fitness or weight woes and they are genuinely shocked at how hard it is to hold perfect position on Vibra-Train machines for 60 seconds, not the wimpy 30 seconds on low force, plastic machines that some other companies offer.

There’s good reason for the program to be intense and hard work.

Vibra-Train machines are high force lineal platforms that cause a strong muscle response.  It must be this way to give the results that people want to see; toning, fitness, muscle build that supports the bones, fat-loss, and more.

We don’t have an option for people who want it easy!

So, why have I labelled this post ” Lazy Women” ?

A suprisingly high number of newcomers this Spring expect vibration training to be easy and simply dont continue coming when pushed to hold positions correctly.  Some complain that it’s too hard and continue expecting an easier option even after the physiology of  strength and muscle build is explained to them.  Maybe they were misled by false advertising of some other vibration companies but the biggest reason is pure laziness. Some women are mentally as well as physically weak and no amount of cajoling or presenting them with the truth that their lack of activity is going to seriously endanger their lives, makes a scrap of difference.  I can’t help these people.

In Vibration Training as in all fitness and sports – No Pain, No Gain – is the truth and it’s those who work hard that see great results.

Vibra-Train, Vibration Training Studios are in Auckland and throughout New Zealand.  Also in Perth and Townsville in Australia, and Bedfordshire, U.K.
Click here for studio locations.

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Posted in Benefits, Marketing, Vibration Training, Women, health

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It’s Just Not Working!

November 20th, 2009

It’s just not working anymore!  This is what a regular customer told me last week when she came in for her vibration training session.

Starting six months ago, soon after I began working for Vibra-Train, this customer initially had exciting results.  She had a specific goal; fat-loss and toning, with increased overall strength and she found that vibration training, specifically using Vibra-Train lineal machines, really worked for her.  I looked forward to her studio visits and helping her train hard.

We’d chat about nutrition somedays and I often had to encourage her to eat more, not less, and help her understand that weightloss would not occur in a starvation situation, there being a huge difference in how the human body copes with calorie deficit compared with real calorie deficiency which was what she was doing and so causing her body to protect itself  by laying down fat stores rather than releasing fat to be used as part of her workout energy source.  All too often her energy “batteries” were empty.  But as we progressed this customer, who I’ll call Sue, gained strength, lost fat and a few dress sizes.  She told me how she was wearing designer jeans that she’d kept due to their cost but hadn’t been able to fit for three years.

A vacation with lots of eating-out and the long, hard winter in New Zealand bumped up Sue’s weight a little and she was expecting vibration training, which she’d kept on with three times a week except during her vacation time, to deal with it and get her back on-track and slimmed down for summer.  She wanted a body that would look amazing on the beach and she’d was working well toward it, restricting her calorie intake and occaisionally taking a walk.

dreamstimefree_10053288_questionSo what was going wrong ???

Sue had progressed so well in her ability to do the program that she did it alone while I instructed less able or newer customers.  She was supervised though, as are all our customers, and I corrected her positions occaisionally.  I also noticed that she’d dropped down to the level 2 machines whereas

» Read more: It’s Just Not Working!

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www.vibration-training-advice.com

September 28th, 2009

Remember to visit the industry’s new Vibration Training Advice Website:

www.vibration-training-advice.com

There’s articles for consumers, about studios, types of machines and exercise positions. Also lots of vibration training advice about buying a machine for home use, and a section dedicated to Instructors and Studio owners.

There’s also a discussion forum where questions can be asked to clarify what’s written in the articles or for special information needed.

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Posted in Benefits, Brands, Experiences, Industry, Lineal, Marketing, Pivotal, Programs, Vibration Training, Women

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