We’ve had many first-timers at the Vibra-Train studio where I work. I’m wondering if people are looking forward to summer and know that now is the time to improve their fitness and strength; and look great.

Last week’s customers all had questions about Vibration Training or they had specific desires, several wanting to only work out their upper body, telling me that they did a lot of running and that was all they thought they needed for their legs.

These customers are “the best” – they haven’t just come along because they’ve seen an TV advert for Vibration Training or an article in a magazine and come to try us out for a few visits, kind of like trying the latest flavour of icecream and then off to try some other fitness facility – they’ve come because they’ve already done some research or talked to a friend who’s getting great results – these are serious, long-term, new customers and they want their questions answered.

Those who are regularly walking or running need to understand how different Vibration Training is; how training on high-force, lineal machines builds muscle and is considered a form of resistance training whereas running is for cardio fitness. They soon realise that despite frequent running they must follow the full Safety Program to get the results.  If they vibration train regularly two or three times a week they soon be telling me how much easier their running is becoming because they’ll have increased their overall fitness; those who sprint get faster and those who walk or run longer distances find they have more stamina and don’t tire so soon.  An advantage runners and regular walkers have over other “newbies” is that their leg muscles are strong so they manage the squat positions very well.

We often talk about the different machine types and brands available and the Vibra-Train difference.

I worked on Sunday, and two new customers had specific back injuries that required me to make decisions about their ability to follow the standard safety program.  I have the option of giving them fully assisted (side vibrating handlebars) squats so that their lower back, hips, knees and ankles have even more support and allowing them work through the whole program; or, if necessary, they can do only the side handlebar assisted squats, that’s if their medical condition or severity of injury suggests they will be unable to do the regular program.

I have to make the choice.  I’ve gained experience in this and I can always refer back to Lloyd Shaw, the owner of Vibra-Train if I am really unsure but he expects me to be competent in this by now.  Sometimes I wait and and then decide  from how well they handle Position 1 – The Basic Squat – getting them to use the side handlebars instead of front ones, but even before that very first first position, I’ll be thinking and deciding as they’ve filled in a questionaire and we’ll have discussed their health or injury concerns.

Confidence is the thing -  I can make the right decisions for these customers.  I can decide if they can follow a Training program or is they need to start with Vibration Therapy.  It’s really not hard to decide!  I err on the side of caution but I don’t want to send a customer away disappointed because they could have done more.

So, yesterday’s customers – one had a severe lower back problem and had expected to have surgery but was declined by our national accident insurance system.  Despite her injury being the result of an accident there was an element of degenerative plus overuse issues.  She was hoping her private medical insurance would help pay for the needed surgery and told me she was currently unable to lift up and carry her 18 month old toddler.  It was quickly obvious that she was not able to work through the full program so she did a simple set of side handlebar assisted squats and will come back in few days to tell us how she felt afterwards and then we may increase what she does – She did Vibration Therapy.

The other customer with lower back and knee pain arrived later in the day.  Her injuries resulted from years of working in childcare squatting on the floor while she played with children and picking them up from the ground.  I thought she would be able to do the full Safety Program using the side handlebars for support in the squat positions.  Then as my boss walked into the studio I decided to ask his advice.  Lloyd (my boss) took over and put the customer through the program and I observed.  She did the full program – Vibration Training. I noticed she was putting her body weight onto her toes not balanced onto heels and toes.  This was what was causing her back and knee pain as it was the way she regularly squatted down when playing with young children.  Lloyd pointed this out to her and told her how much she would benefit from the Vibra-Train Safety Program; with an instructor supervising her sessions she would quickly learn to keep her heels down and take the pressure off her knees, also keeping her back neutral and relaxed.

I love it when I see Vibration Training giving such benefits that will change a young person’s life so dramatically. I’m excited to be able to watch this new customer’s progress.

We use a Safety Program specifically designed to give a safe workout with excellent results. Customers are fully supervised and quickly learn the steps to get into and maintain perfect position on the machines.  Over time, however, people tend to cheat a little, usually unintentionally, and their body moves slightly out of position making the workout easier (and less effective) so I still have to watch them.

Early this morning I had many regular customers in the studio; ones that I don’t have to watch too closely.  One couple come regularly every Monday and Thursday morning on their way to their office.  They started at another Vibra-Train studio five years ago and have been coming into the Auckland City Studio for about a year so they know the program very well, so well they could just about do my job and instruct others BUT this morning I, foolishly, left them alone for a few minutes while I cleared rubbish bins in another part of the studio.

Walking back into the room I laughed as I saw them both struggling with a position that involves having a mat on the platform while doing the position.  They had both chosen the wrong mat; one that fits our larger, “Bullet”  machine platform so it overhung the “Vibra” machine platforms they were using.  I asked them to look at the platforms and the mats and both said, “the mat doesn’t fit;  it was hard to hold position”.  They still didn’t realise they’d done anything wrong yet  they had both walked accross the studio and taken mats from beside another machine instead of using the ones right by them, ones that perfectly fit the “Vibra” platforms they were using.

Maybe they’d had a busy weekend and had Monday-itis!

I also enjoy travel – usually this is just a quick weekend away; an “escape” from home and work and all the stresses of daily life.  A two or three day weekend out of town is excellent for relaxation, for trying new activities, going to a show, or sightseeing.

Last weekend I was in Sydney where I went to a show, “West Side Story”, and did some shopping.  It wasn’t really a rest travelling from Auckland early Saturday and back Sunday night but it was a very much needed break.

So where do Vibration Machines feature in my short weekends away?

There’s the increased fitness and strength to power me through up to 24 hours from when I get up at 3am until I get to bed in Sydney the following night.  With a two hour time difference and lots to do and see I can be active for a very long time with my only rests being the waiting time at Auckland International Airport and onboard the aircraft for three hours.  Once I arrive it’s all go!

The Vibration Training benefit I appreciate the most when I travel is that of increased circulation. I try to train immediately before I travel, at least the afternoon before.  Then I can sit for long periods of time without discomfort in my legs and my risk of d.v.t. is decreased.  I try to stand up at least once during a 3 1/2 hour flight but having a window seat can prevent this; it’s easier to stay put than clamber over two other people to stand.

If I have travelled over three hours by car or aircraft my first stop apon arrival is the local Vibra-Train or VibroGym Vibration Training Studio.  There I work through the Safety Program which again gets my blood circulation stimulated and my mind alert and ready to go (Shopping !)

Unfortunately The Vibra-Train studio in Sydney is too far out of town to visit on a weekend trip and there’s no alternative.  I hope that one day we’ll see High-Force, Lineal Vibration Machines available for use at Airports with Instructors to guide travellers through the session.  Premium Speed Pivotal machines would also be useful as they can be used to mimic the natural walking gait and relieve the backache that comes with long periods of immobility.

So here’s a business idea that someone might want to run with – a Vibration Training Studio within an airport complex – There’s certainly enough people about to make it commercially viable if the owners do the setup right and provide suitably experienced Instructors to work with customers.

One of the sellers of low energy, cheap to manufacture, machines has banned me. That means I can’t ask any questions on his auctions or give any reply when he misleads potential buyers by his auction wording or in replies to questions asked.

This seller trades on TradeMe as Fitness Hire Ltd or razzel1 and they use the brand name SiTrek Vibration Trainer. They say its one of the most sold vibration machines in the world.  This is true, it’s the well know, CrazyFit Massager. Read a little about them: Click here

I wrote of how this auction seller of new cheaply made, low energy, pivotal machines advertised them in a manner that made them sound equal to high force Studio platforms and even said, ” don’t waste your money going to a studio”.  They say that for benefits equal to working out for an hour at the gym all you need to do is STAND on the machine while you watch TV or listen to music”.  Then you’ll get increased circulation (that’s partially true), increased metabolism and burn more calories both during your time on the machine and after. Well that last part is a big stretch, I can’t say it’s totally untrue but really? increased metabolism after standing (that’s standing not performing any exercise positions) on a machine that moves you up and down, slightly see-saw style about 12 times a second? Maybe if you weigh over 400 pounds it might be a helpful start to movement.

I’ve tried it!  On one machine I got bored, on another that had faster and very random sideways movement as well and the see-saw up/down I got sea-sick.  To someone unaccustomed to exercise or vibration machines It can feel, well, like movement, so it is possible to get a good sensation and a belief that, yes, this machine is going to make you fit and strong. This is how so many people are happy enough to buy this type of machine.

It really can feel exciting. After all, it was one of these low energy pivotal machines that I first tried and decided it was, 1. dangerous (it was a bigger, faster, uncontrolled movement, pivotal machine), 2. soothing to painful shoulders when I knelt and put my hands on the platform so I pondered its value for massage and healing, 3. exciting enough to make me investigate more about other uses opf Vibration and other types of machines.  I thought it had “potential” but that, something was very wrong with the design of the machine I tried.

The rest is, as they say, history! I am now one of the most prolific advocates for high quality Vibration Training and Vibration Therapy.  I’ve seen what it can do and the proven benefits in my life and so many others.  I’ve written many published articles and debated with people worldwide on the topics of machine types, quality, benefits and more.

There’s no way I am going to stand aside and watch as unethical traders use whatever advertising words they choose and attach the benefits of high energy, high quality machines to the auction details for their plastic, low everything, machines.  I’ve said many times that some of these low force, pivotal machines can have benefits for some people; massage value to the legs, slightly increased circulation and very slightly increased metabolism in overweight, very unfit or unwell, or those who do no exercise at all.  The degree of benefit depends mostly on the machine but also on the needs of the user. 

There is no way a person can build muscle and get the physiche of the people shown on infomercials or in pictures attached to these machines just by standing on one, ten minutes a day, or even by following the supplied exercise chart.  Heck, I couldn’t even get into some of the yoga style poses that are shown on some of the exercise charts but I’ll grant that performing the poses on or off the cheap, low energy pivotal machine might increase one’s flexibility (and you don’t need the machine for that).

I’ll continue to warn about the rip-off’s of the Vibration Training Industry and equally importantly, I’ll continue to promote the use and benefits of good quality machines, of varying brands and types. Banning me from questioning an auction’s details gives me greater reason to suspect the seller of being knowingly dishonest and unethical and I’ll yell loudly against that every time.

Note: This blog post is my personal opinion. All buyers of Vibration Machines by auction, in stores, from or as-seen-on-tv sellers are advised to seek advice, use Google, and make their own educated decisions.

It explains how Real Vibration Training works in a very simple to understand way. Covers the contruction of the platforms and how to create a true eccentric contraction.

It is presented by Lloyd Shaw, the developer of the first proper Vibration Training platform.

Watch it here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kPUQji9RPsA

It goes on to say “Just 10 minutes on the SFT can equal up to 1 hour of exercise… Reduces unwanted fat on the hips, waist and abdomen… Improves muscle tone and flexibility” and more

Other sellers suggest that their machine is equal to the ones in Vibration Studios and they quote academic study results from larger, higher force machines, often ones that have a completely different mode of action; studies from lineal (upright vibration) machines are frequently attached to low cost, low energy pivotal (see-saw action) machines.

Specifications are very often incorrectly stated, copied from the manufacturer’s papers which are in poorly translated English and confusing, but that, in my opinion, is no excuse for stating obviously incorrect figures.  Online retailers frequently state that a small, home model pivotal Vibration Therapy machine runs at 50Hz, that it vibrates 50 times a second or that it has 50 speed levels. This is blatently incorrect and if they thought about it for even a minute they would realise that the 50Hz relates to the power supply to the machine which in New Zealand is at 50Hz.  Some  even state alongside the 50 speed levels that it vibrates at 5-20Hz or similar.  I’m left wondering how they can state two conflicting figures alongside each other.

Then there’s one online New Zealand retailer that adds a disclaimer to his TradeMe auctions: IMPORTANT – we do not accept returns if you have simply changed your mind on this item or the item does not meet your expectation of what you orginally thought.

Retail Stores, such as fitness equipment stores, often advertise using the same incorrect specs and wording.  I’ve gone to stores and asked questions about machines and got responses telling me how amazing the (very low force and quality) machines are and how I will get fit, lose weight, gain muscle and become almost super-human in no time at all if I buy this machine.

I’ve written previously about T.V. advertorials – the same misinformation  is presented, along with testimonials; sometimes from people we recognise and thought we could trust.

It’s very much a matter of: Buyer Beware!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

I’m going to suggest they are either

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

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

Teneka recently took part in an video advertorial that’s showing quite often on morning television.  She states how much Vibration Training has done for her and credits it to the advertorial machine  – the Gymform Vibromax (a lowspeed pivotal machine, much like the VibraSlim, see: www.vibration-training-advice.com/machine-reviews).

We all know that advertisements contain hyperbole and infomercials are rarely to be believed but I’ve been told that this advertorial looks credible; being promoted by an obviously fit, slim, competition winning, personal trainer. In fact the whole advert is deceptive and it’s format lacks any integrity.  It is aimed at people who need to lose weight and gain fitness and says this is possible by simply standing upright on the machine while watching television.

That is not true; It isn’t going to happen and it’s important to set the record straight.

Read my full article here:  www.vibration-training-advice.com/you-just-can-t-trust-anyone

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

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

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

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

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