Lloyd Shaw - Vibra-Train - February 2012

For about five years I’ve watched Lloyd Shaw follow the IVTRB Safety Program on Vibra-Train brand vibration machines – three times a week, every week. Well not quite, there’s been a few times he’s taken a break, just a week off, usually just one or two sessions. A short amount of time off any exercise training program is good, it allows the body to completely rest and still growth and gain continues.

I’ve posted a few pics of Lloyd in previous articles, Click here to see them .

Lloyd’s been following the Safety program for six years now. If you clicked through to the older pics you”ll see that Lloyd has lost size  – he no longer carries the bulk he had a year ago. This is an interesting change, he still eats burgers but I think he’s been a little more careful with food quality lately. I rarely see the pizza delivery man at the studio now. Nothing else has changed; Lloyd still eats when he’s hungry – and that’s an important point, he doesn’t overeat. He also doesn’t take supplements or steroids (never has). His protein intake is increased by a serving of pure pasteurized eggwhite (Eggcel) most days along with a few Vitamin C tablets and some Magnesium. He maintains a healthy gut and elimination with a spoonful of a fibre mix.

And this is the result, a slimmer, healthy body, with excellent muscle definition. Body Composition Analysis Machine test results put Lloyd in the highest category for muscle quality. His body fat level absolutely normal, right on the line.

When I think of the owners and marketers of many of the well known vibration machine brands I sometimes wonder what sort of results they are personally getting – from vibration training alone (its the only exercise Lloyd Shaw does).

I could name many who are young to mid aged guys. My challenge is – show us what you’ve got, show us a picture and tell us your program.

Lloyd Shaw’s program – click through to YouTube

New Zealanders and our many visitors from all over the world have been glued to their seats at match venues around the country or at their homes or local bar and eatery, rising only to star jump in adoration at a try or to yell at their team, pleading with them to win.  Its funny watching our men screaming at their TV sets almost believing the players can hear them and respond by beating their opposition.

And then there’s drinks time – we celebrate with drinks, frequently alcoholic  – and food, or we commiserate if we lose; that’s done with drinks and food also.

True exercise time over the rugby weekends has been minimal for most people. Sure, some took taken the fan trail to their match venue, a  4km long walk and a very good way to avoid the push and shove of crowds scrambling to get aboard the trains but ambling along with a drink in hand does not count as exercise.

NOW, it’s time to get back to real life and real exercise!

The past week has been very busy – customers I haven’t seen for weeks have come back in, many complaining of how much weight they’ve put on or how unfit they are feeling.  The weather has turned warmer; we are all thinking that Summer has arrived at last, and so it really is “exercise time”

Customers have been asking me how they can optimise their sessions to get fast results. The real answer is they shouldn’t have stopped coming – consistancy is the best way to maintain and improve fitness but okay, so you’ve slacked off, what to do now -

Firstly, make sure a trainer watches you as you get back into the program. If you are using a machine at home get someone to check your positions are perfect and work through the full IVTRB Safety Program carefully – following the step by step instructions.

Perfect Positions held for the full time (60 seconds for most poses) = The Best Results

Secondly, make your sessions a priority in your week. Write them into your calendar if you need to and try not to miss a session.  Buy a monthly concession, pay for your sessions up front. Whatever you need to do to ensure you turn up for the sessions – Do It! Making sure you train every second day/ 3 times a week ensures your body responds well.

Eat well, don’t skip meals. We don’t recommend any special diet plans, just sensible eating – that means going easy on the chocolate muffins and having them only as a special treat. It is important to eat before you train – a banana is good, it elevates your blood sugar and provides the energy you need.  Ensure you have had enough to drink, especially if your session is later in the day. And after training its good to drink water and to have some additional protein at your next meal.

Within a few sessions you’ll be back on track with good results again very quickly.

Low Speed Pivotal Massage Machine

I have three pivotal machines in the  studio where I work.  Two are used for therapy poses to increase blood circulation, help with relaxation, and improve proprioception in customers who because of medical or physical disability are not yet able to use the lineal Vibra-Train machines.

Premium Speed Pivotal Workout Machine

One machine is larger and is a true workout model. It’s used mainly for physio/therapy use also but can be used for full workouts. We find out customers here, when given the choice, prefer the lineal Vibra-Train platforms.

There’s also the embarrasment factor of the pivotal machines when used in a semi or deeper squat poses – the action of the side to side motion causes the user’s butt and thighs to wobble noticeably; also in some people their hips show  movement also. This is all totally normal when using this type of machine but, oh boy, does it look funny. You might have seen it in internet videos and on television where it looks amusing when the model on the machines is a tiny size 6 or 8 (N.Z. size) but can you imagine the look when a 250lb (120kg) women uses the machine? I’m asuming of course that the machine copes with this larger sized person – many pivotal machines degrade in performance well below that weight.  Even a regular sized woman, say 140lbs, doesn’t look good wobbling away on the pivotal machines. But, of course, the advertisers use attractive, tiny models to promote their products.

Jumping to their defense – vibration training isn’t about looking good in the studio while doing your work-out, it simply doesn’t matter, but the wobble is not a good look!

Another defense of the “wobble”, though completely wrong this one – I’ve had people say, “oh look at their butts wobble. They MUST be losing lots of weight!” Others come into the studio and ask if our machines are like the ones they’ve seen on TV, the ones where you wobble and get slim and fit.

Is it true – can you lightly wobble your way to a new slender you? Technically any movement burns more calories than sitting still so the person on the pivotal machine is getting some benefit from it. Many “weight-loss” books tell us to move about a lot, move legs about when sitting at the office desk and fidgit with your hands. By doing this you burn a few more calories each day and a small, measurable amount in a year. Okay, its better than being sedentary but it does very little toward the goal of  fat reduction and fitness. I’m amazed by the number of people who are confused by this.

To demonstrate the difference in machine types I put the questioning customer onto the large pivotal machine for a one minute semi-squat at low speed. Then they do the same position at a higher speed, again for a minute or two. You can see their thighs wobble and they feel this as a gentle activation. Those who want to can do the squat pose at high speed; 22hz is about the top before the users feet begin to slip on the (non-slip) plate. I then invite them to rest and then repeat the squat once or twice on a lineal machine, using the basic level 2 beginners unit. This machine gives a strong muscle contraction in the quads (front upper leg) when the person does a simple, deep (110 degree) squat for just 60 seconds.  That’s all it takes to show the very major difference in the machine types. Watching the person on the lineal machine they appear not to be moving at all, there’s none of the “wobble” but, in their own words, they tell me how much harder it is and how much deeper they feel the muscle contraction.

It’s not possible to wobble yourself slim using a pivotal vibration machine. It might be a way to start out but its not going to work for long. Wobbling fat – wobbles fat, it might give some benefit as it will mobilise fluid and improve lymphatic drainage but real toning comes from real training – and that’s impossible on almost all pivotal machines.

I’m reminded of the slogan we use when customers complain that the training program is hard work; we tell them the sign over the door says “Vibra-TRAIN” not “Vibra-MASSAGE”

Even worse than believing that by using a low speed pivotal vibration machine, you can lose weight, tone, get fit and look like the model on the advertorial on TV or internet is the promotion of simply standing upright on the machine while you watch TV.  I read an advert this week, an auction on New Zealand’s TradeMe site, where a low speed pivotal machine was being sold with the instruction to simply stand or sit on the machine and watch the pounds slip away.
IF ONLY IT WAS THAT EASY! Only the lasiest of consumers would believe that – and as I’ve written before, they seem destined to be ripped off but that sort of marketing does a lot of harm to the whole vibration training industry.

Glossary:

Lineal
A solid platform that moves straight up and down, all across the surface at the same time.

Pivotal
A Platform that tilts from side to side , so one foot goes up , while the other goes down.

• How long do I keep doing this?
• Can I stop once I’ve achieved my goal?
• It’s too hard to get to a studio and I’ve lost weight now, so I can stop, right?

It’s something we tell customers when they do their first session; this is training you need to do for the rest of your life.

Why?

It’s the benefits – fitness and strength, circulation improvement, toning and weight control, bone density, hormonal balance, and so much more.

What other way can we achieve these benefits, safely and effectively, in our 20’s, 30’s, 40’s, and into our 60’s, 70’s and 80’s also.  The oldest customer at the studio I work at is in his mid 80’s and he does exactly the same program as everyone else; in fact he does more. His age and his medical conditions do not in any way stop him.

Some customers come in regularly for many months, even for a few years, and then they stop coming. When asked they give terrible reasons for this; it’s not boredom (they enjoy their sessions), it’s not that they are not challenged enough as they know we always have ways to make the program harder if they really have mastered it, it’s not even the cost.  Sometimes people just decide to do something else (another fitness method) but more often they’ve become lazy and stopped all exercise and come up with excuses like, “I’m too busy now”. I heard this just yesterday, from a 40’s aged woman who works for a corporate just across the road from the studio.  I asked her, what about coming at lunchtime or even in a bathroom break as the basic, (results based) safety program can be completed in just 15 minutes.  She still replied that she really didn’t have time.

Some of the customers who have stopped coming in are personal trainers and fitness instructors who work at the gym up the road and others who have their own small fitness centres close to the Vibra-Train studio.  Some of these even brought in their own clients last year as they realised how much benefit they got from adding vibration training to their prescribed gym programs and in the case of clients with injuries or disabilities they’d learnt that vibration therapy really helps.  Now, they also, tell me they just don’t have time, they are very busy with clients!

I even make that same excuse some days as I do my own training after I finish my shift (which can stretch out many hours longer than my set hours) and after I’ve caught up with personal and business communications and more.  I sometimes feel too tired to train. But I’ve learnt that except the rare times I am truly fatigued it’s very easy to eat a banana (bananas are like secret weapons due to the way they rapidly enter the blood stream, raising sugar levels and energy alike) and Just Do It!

At the supermarket and on the street I sometimes see people who have stopped coming. Very often they don’t look “good”; 30’s – 50’s aged women tend to put on fat, it’s like that last muffin went straight to the hips. Even the fitness people, the trainers look fatter, less toned.  I know they might spend hours lifting weights and running or swimming but I can truthfully say, they looked better when they added in vibration training – for these people it’s the “icing on the cake”, the little extra that piles on additional benefits.

Guys are no exception to this “not looking so good” situation. Some of the guys who start vibration training do so because they’ve given up whatever sport or youth activity they used to be involved in and so they’ve lost muscle strength and gained fat. They spend months getting fit again and then stop – it doesn’t make sense does it because they rapidly de-train and end up looking flabbier than ever.

So, what about this idea – Vibration Training for the rest of your life – is it attainable?

What about increasing age and maybe illness? Well if you exercise regularly, you generally get less age related illnesses and you keep your strength and maintain your mobility so yes, you can still train.  If for whatever reason you do become less able there are vibration machines available that allow for this, you would then do vibration therapy which keeps your circulation efficient and maintains bone density and more.

Its personal choice really; go to a vibration studio and train under the supervision of an instructor or you can buy a high quality home machine and use it regularly,

Or you can, as so many do, use vibration training to get fit and strong, then go into “cruise mode” and stop attending sessions, or if you have a home machine sell it on so someone else can benefit. You can pretend you are so strong that you don’t need to exercise anymore but the truth will catch up with you quite quickly –

You need to keep training for the rest of your life!

If you really don’t like using a vibration machine then find a fitness method that you enjoy and that works for you; something you are happy to keep doing every week of your life.

Taking a train to Parramatta, an hour trip out of Central Sydney I’d barely begun my degradation into sales mode when I saw a stand in the walkway with a guy selling exercise equipment.  My son, Brad, pointed out a vibration machine so I walked over to see what type it was.  The salesman asked me if I was interested and had I used one before.  He was a really nice guy so I wasn’t going to let him do a sales talk, I told him right away that I worked as an instructor with high energy lineal machines.  He actually seemed relieved and asked me to tell him about them as he’d only recently learnt that there were others than the type he was selling.

We talked for about an hour, a time really well spent as this salesman who could have insisted his machine did everything that anyone could want or need, instead wanted to be educated.  He even asked about the machine he was selling which was a home machine, quite expensive (but aren’t they all). It was a low speed pivotal (side to side motion) and definitely not the worst I’ve trialled.  The sales guy said he was using the machine at home and wanted to know how to use it effectively to get the best results possible. He could see the possibilities of Vibration Training for fitness and weight-loss but no one had even told him how to use the machines he was supposed to be selling.

The salesman was a bit overweight so I first pointed out that the machine was barely coping and he’d do better on a higher quality machine.  We then went on to talk about poses that can be used. (there was a poster on the wall with about 30 positions many of which were a bit like yoga and totally impossible and impractical for either me or the guy to attempt).  I went through the IVTRB Safety program with him, using the pivotal version and we discussed the speeds/frequencies to set the machine for each pose.  I was able to actively demonstrate most of them.

We then used my son’s large screen cellphone to watch the YouTube video of Lloyd Shaw’s work-out – again it’s the IVTRB Safety Program but with a few extra poses, using the Vibra-Train lineal machine with side vibrating handlebars. David, the sales guy, was getting excited and then watching the Full Body Triceps Dip position using side handlebars he realised there was no way to translate this to anything that could be done on his machine.  He now wants a Vibra-Train brand Lineal machine.  We even had a talk about how Vibra-Train now lease machines for commercial use.  I really felt a little sorry for him – he saw what was possible and now he wants it and I’m sure he went home that night to talk to his wife about a trip to Auckland to try out the whole program.

I continued with my shopping but I’d lost interest; instead I was “buzzing”, excited that I’d been able to help someone learn a little more about vibration machines and how to use them. And very happy to have met a salesman who, instead of pretending he already “knew it all” wanted to extend his knowledge.

Lloyd Shaw at the start of the Vibra-Train test

Picture 1: shows Lloyd Shaw in 2004. Back then he loved his gym workouts – 1 and 1/2 hour sessions six days a week.  Add in cardio sessions three times a week also, sprints and swimming.

He looks good but decidedly chubby. His muscle definition was better than the average gym goer but there’s no way he would take off his shirt and pose back then. And look at his arms; there’s muscle there but they have a covering of fat.

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Lloyd Shaw Vibra-Train

Picture 2: Two years into a self test, using only Vibra-Train brand machines and the Vibra-Train Safety Program for workouts; this picture shows a very cut look. It was taken on impulse and looked so good the background was added for use as a poster. Lloyd’s only gym visits were once every few months to check out his strength which was increasing.

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Picture 3: Fast forward to 2011. The picture below of Lloyd Shaw taken April 7th, 2011 – a slimmer profile showing amazing abs and a completely balanced look.

Lloyd Shaw Vibration Training Muscles April 2011

The picture is completely unedited and was taken on a whim. I thought it was so good I had to publish it.

It’s now 5 years since Lloyd Shaw began his “Vibra-Train as only exercise” test using himself as the test subject. This look was achieved solely using Vibra-Train brand Vibration Machines. I know Lloyd well and can attest that his diet isn’t always great (too much fastfood) although he has cleaned it up somewhat this year.

Individual results vary of course; some people are badly hampered by hormonal or overweight/fat issues, stress or injury.  Some people respond very quickly to this form of exercise while for others their body goes through other changes first but for everyone results begin to show after just a few weeks and are ongoing.

Here’s Lloyd Shaw’s  personal Vibration Training Workout: www.youtube.com/watch?v=PikfQv7uwwo

and the Vibra-Train Safety Program:

Vibration Training Safety Program for Lineal Machines

Vibra-Train exists to help these people before it’s too late.

Of course all other people benefit from Vibration Training too but if we can save lives by providing a very safe and effective means of exercising for people who are too large to even walk to the letterbox and those just mildly obese (catch them before they become morbidly obese) then Lloyd Shaw the designer of the machines has suceeded in his purpose – that people stop dying unnecessarily.

Here’s the video clip:

NZ\’s expanding waistline poses challenges for health service

and for those who can’t access video clips in New Zealand, here’s a text version:

NZ’s expanding waistline poses challenges for health service – text

All the studios in New Zealand and Australia are busy with regular customers and lots of “newbies” – people who come in for a trial session; some buy a concession card or membership right away, others go away and think about it; all are thoroughly impressed at how hard it is and can see right away that it’s going to be effective for their fitness and strength training.

HARD – Yes I used the word Hard

This year’s new customers have taken the time to find out what they’re in for – most already know its going to be exercise which is, as we all know, hard work; you can’t get results by just messing about. The Vibra-Train safety Program (used in Vibra-Train and many other vibration studios worldwide) is exacting; we insist that customers maintain perfect position throughout the time duration of each pose.

Can it be too hard for some people? This really isn’t a problem as the Safety Program accounts for all the aches and injuries a person might have while still allowing advanced users to “go harder”. There’s four varying levels of the “Bullet” (Vibra-Train’s lineal vibration machine) in the studio I’m working in plus there’s the “Vibra” machines with side vibrating handlebars that are used both for extension work and for simpler, greater support for those who are less able or have injuries.

So, what about Guys?

Well, this year there’s been a lot of guys coming in for trial sessions. Some already know they are going to have to work hard; others, especially those who come with their girlfriend or partner, have the idea that vibration training is for the girls (they’ve seen an advert for a cheap machine or maybe seen a video with pretty girls on a light machine) and they come with an opinion that its not really serious exercise.

Guys with this attitude are a lot of fun for the trainers – it can take just 60 seconds to change their mind and by the end of a 8-10 minute session they leave exhausted. Of course we have to be careful not to injure the male’s fragile ego by making the session too hard while their female friend just gets on with it without complaint but we do make sure they leave suitably impressed.

Many of the guys who are already fit and carry extra muscle mass find the workouts on the Vibra-Train machines to be really hard. I’m training some very strong guys at present, one in particular who is a Personal Trainer himself and is using Vibration Training to add that “extra” to his program.  There’s another who was becoming quite fit and had lost a lot of stomach flab but he definitely over-indulged over Christmas and came back in a lot heavier – he came back in saying he was “afraid” of me. He knew I would insist he worked through the sessions correctly and safely and work very hard to get back into shape. He’s already getting great results again after just three weeks ( 9 sessions).

Guys who have never exercised in their lives do well with Vibration Training. On the vibration machines they are working with their own body as resistance so they can handle the program just as well as those who are already highly trained or fit. Of course it all seems very hard at first but that would be true of any exercise.

Then there’s the runners and those who regularly cycle long distances. These guys have strong legs; they can easily hold the squat positions but they fail in the upper body work. Vibration Training on high-force lineal machines such as the Vibra-Train or Vibro-Gym helps to even out their training and give them overall fitness.

Any guy reading this who still thinks vibration training is for chicks is welcome to come into a Vibra-Train studio for a free session.

People with Type-2 Diabetes are encouraged to exercise yet many don’t even try.  One of the reasons is that they are often overweight and get painful knees, hips, or back if they try to run or even walk for more than a short distance. Gyms can seem very daunting despite their advertising and often very sucessful transformation/weightloss programs.  And really, many people are just lazy – they don’t want to exercise, especially if it means they have to make any sort of effort beyond pressing the buttons on the TV remote and lifting the glass of Coke to their lips.

Training on high force vibration machines is safe and effective for Type-2 diabetics. At the Vibra-Train brand studios there are machines with side handlebars to hold onto; the person’s knees and hips are well supported. Vibration Training causes a rapid drop in blood glucose levels and so can be used to manage glycemic control.  It’s highly effective strength and fitness training and by raising the metabolism and building muscle strength body fat is decreased.

It also helps with muscle uptake and storage of glucose and can sometimes mean the difference between “medicinal” or “lifestyle” control of type 2 diabetes and, very importantly, it helps those with impaired glucose tolerance (pre-diabetes).  My own experience has been exactly this. My blood sugar at fasting or spot checks is now absolutely normal.

Some Vibra-Train customers are Type-1 diabetics. This requires different management. These customers always eat before training (it’s the Number One on the “Rules @ Vibra-Train” list for everyone anyway). They test their blood sugar before and after and tell me just 10-12 minutes of training using the Vibra-Train Safety Program really eats through their blood glucose.  We ask these customers to make sure they bring a snack with them and whatever other supplies they might need. Some vibration training companies list Type-1 Diabetes as a contra-indication to training but I can’t see any problem with it as long as the person has some stability and control over their condition. Obviously their doctor will advise them if exercise is not suitable for them at any time.

I have a current customer who has fairly recently been diagnosed with sudden onset, adult, Type-1 diabetes. This is less common but it happens. She told me that she was incorrectly diagnosed as Type-2 at first and now that’s been corrected she’s setting into the correct regime of injectable insulin to manage it.  She’s enjoying coming in to Vibra-Train’s Auckland City Studio – it’s fast, effective excercise she can do and I’m really interested to watch her progress.

Vibration Training is an excellent addition to lifestyle modification for people with Diabetes.

Please remember to inform your instructor. They will then be more aware of subtle signs that show if you’re feeling dizzy; if your blood sugar drops too suddenly. Also that in the very unlikely event that you do faint, they know to call for medical assistance immediately.

A medical study: Efficiency of vibration exercise for glycemic control in type 2 diabetes patients

Many New Year Resolutions are broken by the end of New Years Day or the end of the first week of the year but achieving better health and fitness isn’t so easily set aside as we all know how important it is. Vibration Training is an excellent way to get into a fitness habit and I’m seeing that many people have realised this as there’s newbies in the studio every day.  There’s still a habit to establish but that’s quite easy as Vibra-Train can be rather addictive – it’s person versus machine, maintaining perfect position and getting through that whole minute while the machine seems to kick back harder each time.

So who are these new customers? It sounds like hard work, doesn’t it? And, Yes, it is hard work – we have a saying that the sign over the door says Vibra – TRAIN  not Vibra – MASSAGE.  All exercise is hard work, there’s no short cuts to looking good and feeling great no matter what some advertising might tell you.

This years new customers have been all types of people. Early morning I’m getting fitness instructors and gym trainers, people who are already strong and are adding Vibration Training to their program because it gives them that “edge”, that little bit of extra muscle firmness especially for those who are heading into competitions, boxing, wrestling, body building, even running and endurance events.

Some other new customers have been people who have moved into new buildings near the Vibra-Train studio. Most have relocated but some are new not only to Vibration Training but also have new jobs this year and what better time is there to get into shape and feel better. These people are all different ages, shapes and sizes and I’m really enjoying working with each one to help them make vibration training a fitness habit that they keep on with all year and then more.

All they have to give now is a little time to make the habit and in a few weeks time when they start seeing the results I’m sure they keep on with it. Vibration Training is one New Year Resolution that gives excellent results.