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.
Customers have varying expectations for results from their vibration training sessions. Some want generally improved fitness so they have the stamina and strength for everyday life. Others use vibration training as an essential part of their sports or fitness training program. Still others want to see fat-loss and maybe to have a bikini body by next summer. And there are other motivations as well.
Regardless of the reasons for coming to Vibra-Train there’s a secondary motive that makes a difference to results attained. That motive is basically how much the person is prepared to push themselves (how much effort they will make) and how compliant they are to instructions.
As I’ve written in previous articles getting into and remaining in Perfect Position is non-negotiable. We have ways to make it simpler for customers who really have difficulty and for those who just wont do it right, they also have to take those options. The alternative positions, if you can call them that » Read more: What do I need to do to get the Best Results Possible?
This is a comonly asked question. In fact it’s often one of the first questions people ask when they come for their first Vibra-Train session.
The answer depends on a few factors.
The first and main determining factor is the machine that will be used. Then next is the program. But let’s step back a little; It’s important to ask the customer what results they want to see. Only then can I give an honest answer. A very overweight guy who wants to see a six-pack by next week is simply dreaming! Likewise the runner who’s worn her body down with overtraining and wants to regain fitness before her next event, two weeks hence. She will see some improvement but there’s no miracle cure.
Now back to the machine being used. For muscle growth to take place the customer must use a high energy, lineal machine. Other results are possible » Read more: How Soon will I see Results
In New Zealand we have a saying – It’s “Yeah Right!” It means “No, I do not agree!” and it’s used in a humorous or satirical manner. A favourite of mine is when students tell their teachers, “I’ve been studying all summer”. The repy is, “Yeah Right!” Or when your partner says, “of course I’ll clean up the flat” when you know he’s going to be watching the match on TV all afternoon. We laugh and say, “Yeah Right!” New Zealand’s Tui Breweries has run a very sucessful billboard campaign using the “Yeah Right” slogan.
So, of course, the title of this article is a joke!
I’ve been reminded this week of how little I actually know; how much there still is to learn. I’ve learnt how to put customers through the Safety Program correctly, making sure they get into perfect position and correct as necessary so they stay in position and get all the benefits the training gives. I’ve updated the knowledge needed to assess a new customers needs based on their answers to medical and injury questions on the Health Screen they complete when they first come into the studio. I’ve worked with customers to achieve great results ranging from fat-loss and fitness gains to injury recovery, core strength and more.
Yet each day I come across a situation I am tested in. A customer with knee pain, a customer who feels faint during the program, children who find it difficult to play quietly and instead try to run about the studio; these are the simple conditions I deal with each day. The more difficult ones like medical conditions that might affect how a customer copes with the vibration training program or how they are affected afterwards, things like auto-immune conditions, then I am able to ask for help from Lloyd Shaw, who is my boss and the owner and developer of the Vibra-Train brand of machines. All the Vibra-Train studios have the same access to help and even other brands of vibration machine owners call from all around the world to get advice in specific situations.
This morning was very busy in the Vibra-Train studio where I work. It’s Monday which although steady isn’t usually my busiest day and I can do some cleaning and catch up on learning/keeping up to date in the times between customers.
But, not so this morning! The studio was buzzing with customers right from opening time of 6.30am and didn’t let up for the next three hours. What a great way to start the week! I’ve said before; the morning customers are a friendly, lively lot even those who rush in, rush out on their way to work. Sharing a laugh always “makes my day”.
I finally booted up the computer at 9.30am but before I got online a lady came in who hadn’t done vibration training before. As she filled in the health and information form she told me she had some problems with bone density but through simple weight training and diet this was improving. I was so happy to be able to tell her that Vibration Training using high energy lineal machines such as the ones she was about to use would also help her. As we worked through the Safety Program she proved that she was much stronger than I had judged her to be. She was quite “body aware” and very particular about perfect position on the machines so she was easy to work with. As she left she told me that she had enjoyed the session and that she had also been “trying us out” to see if her sister, who is quite overweight, would benefit from coming in. I’m looking forward to seeing her again later in the week and hoping her sister will also come along.
Each day fills me with excitement as I learn more and more and get to use these skills to instruct customers. I’m privileged to be working with amazing machines at Vibra-Train and I get to see the benefits that customers gain, increases in overall fitness and health and specific problems improved or healed. Obesity and low bone density are both conditions helped very much by Vibration Training!
The lowest temperature recorded in Auckland this morning, June 4th, was -2 degrees C. A big chill has been over the country for a few days now. The sunshine later in the day is very appreciated. This morning though was unusual as Auckland temperatures rarely fall below 4 degrees C. Today some places in the North Island recorded lower temperatures than the chilly South Island. Ice in Auckland isn’t nice but I’m dreaming of white snowy mountains, Ruapehu in the North Island and Mt Hutt in the South being my favorites.
This morning, at work, it was a little slower than usual for a Thurday and it wasn’t until my son, Brad, called me with the above temperature details that I realised why. Only the “Vibe Junkies” had left the warmth of their homes and offices to come in and train.
We received the best compliment from one customer; she told me that she was going to the gym for Spin class after her Vibra-Train session and that she’d come in feeling stiff and sluggish, wondering if she would cope but after her work-out she felt “alive”. She said she’d not only warmed up but her whole body felt invigorated and stiff muscles had relaxed. She left saying she was going to recommend vibration training to her Spin classmates.
I must look again at my job description – no one told me it included being a Nanny.
Each day I welcome moms and their toddlers into the Vibra-Train studio where I work. Maintaining and increasing fitness is essential to these moms who are “on call” 24 hours a day looking after their children. They tell me how much they gain from the short (10-15 minute) work-out time.
Weightloss, fat-loss, improved muscle tone and strength, re-balancing hormones naturally, reducing stress and raising serotonin levels in the brain (helps us feel good) are among the benefits gained; also the “time-out” from their busy day is a bonus and these ladies really enjoy their visits. They tell me both they and their children look forward to coming into the studio especially as I not only watch over and guide their training, ensuring they do the program correctly, but I also entertain their children while they train.
When I started working mornings at Vibra-Train some of mothers asked if we could get a playpen or set up an area where their children could safely play while they worked-out. This works very well in some studios. This studio is Head Office, workshop, and sports clinic, as well a regular Vibration Training Studio in a limited space so a different solution was needed.
It was easy, the solution was a ball, not just any ball; the previous instructor had brought in a big bouncy ball, which big bounced out the door onto the roadway all too often, but a light 500gram weight ball. It doesn’t bounce but its heavy enough to be “different” and the kids love it. The other toys I’ve added are a bright well-made plastic truck with a man who can be placed into the driver’s seat, and a simple coloring book with large, easy to hold crayons.
We strongly discourage children from climbing onto the machines, even ones that are not being used. Playing around any moving equipment and that includes vibrating platforms isn’t wise so I’m pleased my simple toys and a little attention makes this studio a very welcome place for mothers with young children.
Many articles have been written about the importance of starting in, and remaining in correct position on the vibration machines throughout the entire 60 seconds of each pose.
Despite perfect position on machines being non-negotiable in Vibra-Train studios some customers still complain, telling me that standing with feet hip width apart and straight (toes pointing ahead) is not possible, not natural, or not “some other excuse”. I agree that it feels “odd” for those who have done dancing, military training or stood “at ease” for long periods of time at school assembly, outdoors, in the hot sun, daydreaming about the cute new boy in biology class instead of listening to the Headmaster, but correct foot position is essential so that in the squat the body is symmetrical and balanced allowing the vibrations to target the muscles accurately.
Being out of position on a High Force Vertical Vibration Platform has the potential to be dangerous. If the knees are forward of the toes in a squat position the vibrations are not targetting the girth of the muscles, as purposed, but are affecting the knees.
Recently I’ve experienced how “being out of position” can even affect Trainers. Somedays I help new customers by placing my right leg up onto the machine for stability while I help them with the superman squat, supporting their balance by holding their arms up for the last 10 or 20 seconds of the position. This should not cause me any discomfort but somedays I’ve developed a sore knee. I have a cartilage tear in that knee and healing is helped by the vibration of the machines so I’ve been puzzled why it has been painful. It was very simple - by placing my foot onto the platform at a slight angle rather than straight in front of my body, I was “out of position”. Trainers must be aware, at all times, never becoming complacent or careless around the machines. I’ve corrected and have no knee pain.
Two other tough guys who come into the Vibra-Train City Studio and are worthy of congratulations as they work-out very hard.
The first is an elderly frail looking Priest. Yes, you’ve read it right. Remember Vibration Training is for everyone!
And we can also provide Vibration Therapy for those who need rehab or a less intensive workout due to injuries or health concerns. Not so with our Priest, he works out harder than most, only some athletes could be said to train harder.
The first time I watched over him (he loves the attention and I’m sure he fakes forgetting which position comes next) I was scared, watching this 80-something man hold good position on the machine and cunningly set the dials to 120 seconds instead of the regular 60 seconds. He’s been given permission to do this but only on some positions and he really is very sneaky. A real character, I now look forward to his visits.
It could be said he brings some balance to the studio as he leaves saying, “God Bless You”. I smile as I hear Lloyd in the background yelling at a customer, telling them to “tough it out” and telling them “God’s not going to help you”, in response to plaintive cries of “Oh God, God, this is too hard!” Hard training and maybe God’s blessing keeps our Priest very fit and strong.
The other “tough guy” I’ve had in the studio recently was a “newbie”. This guy’s attitude preceded him as he walked in the door. He was, “I know it all. I did vibration training years ago”. He told me he used to sell another brand of machines.
I warned him that Vibra-Train machines had a much stronger force than the ones he’d used and they would seem like toys in comparison as they were suitable for therapy and light training, not enough for a muscle-bound guy like him. The first 60 second basic squat was all the proof needed. He changed his story, telling me actually hadn’t used the other brand machines often and although he had helped with sales, this was only weekends and it was “years ago”. Working through the “Safety Program” and he trained hard, completely failing several times, not able to hold the positions correctly. He loved it. Showing him the higher level machines (the Level 3 and Level 5-Sports Model) I overlooked telling him that all Vibra-Train machines use same frequency, 43Hz, that’s not the factor controlling the “force” of the vibration as some other brands say.
A final “pull-up” position (only possible on machines with vibrating, side handle-bars) was the clincher, he paid up for a concession card right away.
A few friends have asked how I get on instructing fit,strong guys or even flabby beer-gut guys. Another asked how I cope with guys who have an attitude problem, that is, they do everything super fast and badly and they certainly aren’t going to be told what to do by a female instructor.
One friend, who knows me well, said, “I bet that’s the ones she likes the most!”
That’s right. Guys with an attitude problem – bring it on!
I really enjoy working with them to create win-win vibration training sessions. They win when they leave the studio happily exhausted after training hard-out on the machines, maintaining excellent form, correcting, and not losing it as the timer counts downs. I win when I see them position perfect (as all must be) and I gain their respect when I insist on this and don’t allow them to rush through, neglecting form.
I had such fun one afternoon when a regular customer brought in a friend for a trial session. Both guys are kickboxers and they had just completed a 10km run. » Read more: Tough Guys
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