Posts Tagged ‘Women’

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Can you use Vibration Training in Pregnancy

April 28th, 2010

I was looking at the search terms that led people to my website.  One of these was the question, “Can you use Vibra-Train in pregnancy?”

The answer is No, we don’t allow pregnant ladies to train at Vibra-Train.  We also don’t recommend using your home machine, of any type or brand, while pregnant.

There’s no definitive reason for this and no long-term studies on any possible risks  to the mother and baby of  controlled whole body vibration exposure with exercise during pregnancy – it’s not something most people would be happy to test so our information comes from exposure to vibration in industrial settings, workplaces etc. where the vibration exposure often exceeds guidelines and has been indicated to be of possible risk.  We just can’t compare industrial vibration to the fully controlled vibration used with exercise but we must list pregnancy as a contra-indication to vibration training and vibration therapy as we simply don’t know what risks or problems it could possibly cause.

A question is sometimes asked by customers who plan to become pregnant. They ask if it’s okay to keep using the vibration machines.  The answer is, Yes, in fact it is recommended to continue with exercise to increase your strength and fitness.  Just stop as soon as pregnancy is confirmed. We have had customers not know they were pregnant for a few months and they had no detrimental effects but we do insist you stop training, right away, when you know.  We do not allow you to continue.

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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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Child Brides in New Zealand – how far have we really come?

March 17th, 2010

Watching a TV documentary last night I was horrified to learn that in my country, New Zealand, some young girls are being forced into marriage at 14 years of age or even younger at 12 years old.  This is within the Muslim society and although the leaders said they don’t know of it happening there were interviews with young girls and with those who have helped them escape from these forced and often cruel and violent marriages.  The weddings themselves are huge community celebrations so they are hard to deny.

In New Zealand the age for consent of marriage is 16 years (with parental approval) and 21 without so these forced marriages are not legally viable but they are fully accepted and enforced within the religious community and it’s not uncommon for these girls to have two or three children before they reach the age of 16.

We could say, “hands off”, it’s not our lifestyle so we shouldn’t interfere and anyway these girls have reached puberty and so are able to marry but it’s all the other factors that are not okay; informed consent is not there, although the girls do agree to the marriage, how could they refuse?  They have no escape and those that managed to get away tell of going into hiding with their children always fearful of being found and returned to their husband or family.  They tell of violence and control, of not being allowed to attend school (yes these girls are still required by New Zealand law to be in school), not allowed to see their friends and more.

So, is there any good news? Yes, there are specific “Women’s Refuge” groups set up to help these girls and also publicity of what’s happening alerts their communities to New Zealand law and what’s expected when they live here.  Also if we all know what’s happening we will look out for out neighbours and schoolfriends and speak out when we see wrong.

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International Women’s Day

March 11th, 2010

March 8th was International Women’s Day.  I didn’t see any reports of celebrations in New Zealand but over the week or two before I did notice women in situations I felt were less than desirable.

The first situation I noticed was at the Auckland International Airport as I came through Immigration and Customs.  A few families arriving on a flight from China had been moved to one side for additional questioning.  Among the group was a mother who was heavily pregnant.  Her shape suggested she would give birth very soon.  I was surprised as I know airlines have regulations covering travel past the 32nd week of pregnancy.  This lady seemed to be very uncomfortable.  Of course I have no way of knowing why she was flying.

Then going to the supermarket to stock up on groceries after a week away I went through the serviced checkout ( too tired to “fight” with the self-checkout that particular day).  The checkout operator was, just like the previous lady, very heavily pregnant and although she was seated she was barely coping with her job.  I was left pondering what domestic situation she was part of that meant that she was working in a supermarket so late into her pregnancy instead of preparing for and resting before her baby’s birth.

New Zealand was the first country in the world to give women the right to vote and women have equal rights with men in law.  Women may work in any industry and we’ve had women in the top roles, as Prime Minister and other government ministers as well as in managerial positions in almost every business.  Yet, sometimes I wonder how far we have really come?

PostScript: Some people have reminded me that pregnancy is not an illness.  I totally agree but I stand by my belief that there is a time to work and a time to take a little extra rest and in both cases I’ve written about the pregnant mothers looked very tired.

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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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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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Basic Rules for using a Vibration Machine – Part 2

August 19th, 2009

Back to the question asked in the previous post;  “how to prevent getting headaches after using the machines”.

I’ve covered the eating “rules” so now to a few other causes of headache, neck, shoulder, or head discomfort, and vertigo or dizziness while using a vibration machine or soon after.

bullet basic squatLet’s look at the machine and the program being used.  There are many articles available about finding a studio that has quality machines or buying a home machine so I will assume that this has been considered and look at the program of positions used.

An excellent Safety Program for use with lineal (upright vibration) machines is available on the Vibra-Train website  with step by step instructions.  It’s freely available to be printed out.

Some studios, those using PowerPlate machines are one, get people to move about on the machines.  » Read more: Basic Rules for using a Vibration Machine – Part 2

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