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Happy New Year – 2010 Vibration Training

January 6th, 2010

It’s a NewYear – 2010 – for me the days surrounding its arrival were a noisy fracas of upsets and stress and not the partying, happy time we all plan it to be but the New Year has come.  What will it hold for the Vibration Training Industry and what’s ahead for me?

As I look back, my personal joys of 2009 were many; working for Vibra-Train gave wings to my dreams and then brought me down to earth with a thud, the responsibility of being an effective Vibration Training Instructor is both exciting and seriously demanding.  It’s my job to ensure that customers get the benefits they are paying for.  I also had several articles published online on magazine websites.

My son and daughter both graduated from their respective universities;  my son completing a post-graduate year with high distinction in Computer Science and my daughter graduating with a Bachelor of Communication Studies degree.   My son will soon be moving to Sydney, Australia to begin his PhD research and other studies  involving robots and artificial intelligence.

2010 will be, I believe,  a year of consolidation for the Vibration Training, Vibration Therapy, and Vibration Machine companies.  Those who are solid and ethical will join forces to present a united group.  This will allow for better use of resources (informational, people, and maybe even machines) and even better than before, articles online and in print to inform and teach the public as well as keeping the current and new training instructors and proprietors well taught in safety program use and methodology.

Many new people will get to benefit from Vibration Training.

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Is your Workout still Working?

November 6th, 2009

Vibration Training, on high quality, high force machines, is quite different from other exercise in that it never gets easier.  Quite the opposite, as I tell new customers, the more you relax and maintain the perfect position for each of the poses the more the effect that the vibrations have.

bullet basic squatIt doesn’t get easier but it does become “comfortable”.  Customers who come in to Vibra-Train’s Auckland City Studio regularly, two or three times a week, sometimes find that they can work through the program fairly easily and they are  getting great benefits but mentally they crave for a change or a challenge.  Other customers continue week after week and get ongoing results; with moans and groans about how hard the program is.  These aren’t looking for a change or challenge but they get it anyway.

Customers of other brands of machines and those with home machines often find that they plateau; they barely maintain their fitness gains and no longer make any real progress.  This is a problem and not always as easily solved.

So, is your vibration workout still working as well as you want?  How can you take it to the next level?

For Vibra-Train customers, we encourage them to “mix it up a bit”.  That is, we direct them to do the program on a different machine to the one they “always” use.   As we have distinctly different models of machine within the same levels we can tell a customer to use a different model of machine.  They will be working at the same vibration force level but their body is “shocked” by having to respond to a machine with a slightly different “feel”.  This simple change can bring about increases in fitness and muscle strength.

If a customer is proficient in keeping perfect position throughout the program including the two minute Super-Squat and wants to advance we can move them up to the Force Level 3 Machine or above that to the Sports Level 5 platform.

Another option for customers wanting to extend their training (and again they must be able to hold perfect position) is to extend the time for some positions from 60 seconds to 120 seconds/2 minutes.  There is no inbetween; it’s straight up to double time!  This can be done firstly in position 1, the Basic Squat and later in other positions.

http://www.dreamstime.com

This increase in time can also be a way that users of other brands of machine and home users might be able to push through a plateau and get further benefits but it is also dependant on the force and quality of the machine being used.

More is Not the answer to all things in Vibration Training and we know that more often “Less is More” – - that is, customers get better fitness and muscle build using a short (10-15 minutes), intense (60 second positions) program on a high force lineal platform (Vibra-Train is the best), three times a week rather than a longer time (30min), short period of 30 second poses, or dynamic movement positions on other machines.

I’ve had new customers come into the studio where I work and tell me of the programs they’ve done at other vibration studios where the machines are lower force than the ones we have.  Some are, at first, incredulous that they will get a really good workout when they see our short, intense program but, as I always promise them, they leave quite exhausted and return a few days later very happy at their change of provider.

I do wonder, if the results they were getting elsewhere were so good, why did they even try us?

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Posted in Benefits, Experiences, Instructor, Programs

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Monkey Business

October 1st, 2009

monkeyIt’s been said that a monkey could be trained to be a Vibration Training Instructor.  So does that mean instructors don’t ever have to think?

Not at all!  The statement that a monkey could be taught to instruct reflects the simplicity of the 1-2-3-4 steps that are necessary to get into each position on the machine.

Push Up:

  1. Kneel in front of unit.
  2. Place hands on outside edge of mat.
  3. Drop pelvis so a straight line is made between knees and shoulders.
  4. When machine starts, drop body halfway towards plate.  Make sure hands are in line with chest, not shoulders.
  5. Look down towards knees (very important) as looking up even for a second can cause stress to neck area.
  6. Hold pose and relax for duration of exercise.

The Instructor’s job begins before the customer ever gets near the machine.  For a newcomer there’s the pre-training health screen to be filled in and discussed, then a quick introduction to vibration training before the customer begins their session.  Regular customers get a greeting and a quick catch up if they haven’t been in for a while.

It’s very important that customers tell the instructor of any injuries or health concerns they have so the instructor can be vigilant in watching over them in poses that might impact on those areas; if necessary correcting them or even moving them to an alternate version of the position, or to another machine.   An example of this is using a machine with side handle bars for support when a customer has a knee injury; when using the Safety Program the position, known as “Ski the Slopes” (the position resembles a skier going downhill) replaces the regular “Super Squat”.  Using side handle bars allows the customer with knee injury to maintain perfect position and get full benefit from training.  With a perfect 110° vibration training squat they are helping their knees to heal and their core to strengthen.

So could a trained monkey work as a vibration training instructor? Just to assist most customers into correct position, the answer would have to be, yes!

One big difference between a trained monkey and a good instructor is the ability to ensure customers with special needs get the attention they need and so get all the benefits of vibration training or therapy without risk.  I doubt a monkey is able to do this.  In the future will we see studios with just one human instructor and a staff of intelligent androids?

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I know it all now – yeah right!

July 1st, 2009

dreamstimefree_698447In 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.

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Busy Day and New Customers

June 8th, 2009

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!

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When the going gets tough

May 28th, 2009

It’s winter in New Zealand. Auckland temperatures are mild but it’s a lot harder getting out of a warm bed at 5am.  And after two months in my new job the honeymoon period is over.  Settling in was easy; the morning clients are so friendly and the first ones each day are suprisingly wide-awake and ready for their Vibration Training work-out at 6.30am on cold, wet mornings.  One brings me egg sandwiches or chocolate meusli bars for breakfast twice a week.  Others tell me what they have happening at home or work but mostly they just want to get into their session as their time is limited.

dreamstimefree_1357055Somedays I drift back to sleep when my first alarm rings and wake with a jolt 5 minutes later when the alarm on my cellphone sounds loudly.  I’m fortunate to be living very cose to the Vibra-Train studio where I work so mornings are not rushed.  Some days I eat breakfast before I leave, other days I arrive at work early, make coffee, cereal and yougurt and relax for 5 minutes; then a quick clean and tidy of the studio, checking the control units, placing the mats near the machines if they were left out the previous night, set the music volume, open the blinds, unlock the door, take a deep breath of cool clear winter air, and the first customers arrive. » Read more: When the going gets tough

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30 something with kids

May 22nd, 2009

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.

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Loving It!

May 12th, 2009

dreamstime-happy-womenThe title says it all.  I am loving my job at Vibra-Train.  I’ve been thinking of how we sometimes travel paths that seemingly do not add to the realisation of our dreams, then later we look back and “see” that the way we’ve travelled has enriched and taught us what was needed.

At the start of this year I began to wish there was another area of the health and fitness industry that I could find a place in.  I loved being involved in Vibration Training and I’d take any opportunity, just to be in a Studio where I could learn more and whenever possible, observe at a distance (customers don’t welcome onlookers, of course) but it seemed unlikely that I’d soon work in the industry.  Being almost fit to return to work after injuring my shoulders I began updating my resume to apply for jobs in health insurance sales or claims.  I could not however shake off a strong feeling that my future was alongside that of Vibra-Train.  This was confirmed in small, almost supernatural, ways which I could not ignore but did not tell anyone.

It was the best surprise ever, receiving a phone call offering me a job at Vibra-Train, beginning April.  I was very excited, then feelings of inadequacy and trepidation plagued me.  Reading over articles,  making sure I remembered all I needed to know, then working alongside Carl, who I was to replace, put me at ease.

Now, I love it!  Changing from a late-night person who rarely slept before 2am to a 10pm bedtime and up at 5.30am has not been as hard as I’d expected as each day is so exciting, bringing new challenges in the form of new customers and watching over “regulars”.  Making other changes to my life has allowed me to regain the strength of character and confidence I used to have, needed to correct the positions on the machines of even the most stubborn customer when necessary.  They are paying for a quality session and I ensure they get it, everytime.  Feedback has been all positive.

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Position Position Position

May 7th, 2009

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.

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Posted in Experiences, Instructor, Programs, Vibra-Train, Vibration Training

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Fair, Fat, and Forty

April 28th, 2009

That rather disparaging title is descriptive of some of the newcomers I’ve been privileged to introduce to Vibration Training over the past month.

It’s a group I’m very excited about and I want to make their first visit to Vibra-Train a positive experience.  Alas, I can be too soft and that’s a huge mistake!  Of myself I’d mess up by maybe expecting less, allowing less than perfect position on the machines; the result being that these people would not get the first work-out experience they could and then would not understand the amazing benefits they can gain from regular visits.

So, now, I understand why my boss has been so hard on me!

I’m very hard on myself and in the past I’ve expected top performance from others, so much that in one workplace I was horrified to find I was feared by my assistants.  I’m fast regaining that strength of character, not to bully but to insist on the very best performance.

Beautiful FortyIn my job this means that every newcomer gets to experience Vibration Training as they should, just as we advertise it to be!  By being hard on me, insisting I learn the  instructions word perfect and in the correct order; that I’m emphatic about correct positions on the machines, no matter how hard that seems to the customers; and that I lose the softness that has crept into my training style, I can now ensure each customer gets  a quality training session and reaps all the benefits that Vibra-Train gives.

Thank you, Lloyd

pic © www.dreamstime.com)

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