The Hypergravity platform: More whole body vibration nonsense.
Whole Body Vibration (WBV) training is a recent fad that has been foisted upon the public by fitness marketing types. In recent years several different types of these vibrating platform contraptions have hit the market.…
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26 - Lloyd Shaw
Lloyd Shaw
January 25th, 2007
Discrimination against the overweight with some weight loss machines ?
Are companies producing low quality Vibration Training units discriminating against obese people by having low ” dynamic load ” specs ?
This is the point where the machine loses speed and amplitude due to a load threshold being exceeded.
I will be looking at this closer in the future. With tests on popular brands being released. One brand already coming up short at only 80kg.
In the mean time a discussion around the ethics of this would be valuable
27 - Greg Hammond
I found this blog which might help some of you work through all the info. Alot of people are talking with NO credibility here. I suggest you read the research link at the bottom and see what the doctors and scientists are saying. Also what NBC News and the NFL say also.
The Whole-body Vibration Exercise Program Review & Update
For the past few months I have been reporting my findings on vibration exercise and gathering more research. I have now talked to many people that use this program to get fit and to lose weight. At first I was skeptical of this theory but after doing this research I was impressed enough that I ordered a machine for myself. I looked at many machines ranging in price from $1700 to $13,000, including: Power Plate, VibraSlim, K2, M-power and the Pila-vibe. Some of these machines are geared more for professional use and are too big and heavy for home use and some are just out of my price range.
After comparing features, quality and price I decided on the VibraSlim. It seems to me that many of the machines out there, are over priced and I could not find any reason to pay more than $1700. This machine is well built, quiet, has lots of settings, easy to use and has a two year warranty.
Now that I have the VibraSlim in my living room my wife and I have been on it for 10 minutes about 5 days a week. We both have become addicted to this machine. The funny thing is that our friends thought we were nuts until they got on it for the first time. It is funny the reaction people have with vibration exercise, at first they get on an laugh as they vibrate away, then they start to get into it as they feel their muscles working. Once you get on this machine, you are hooked! When the 10 minutes is done everyone gets off of it with a euphoric feeling. You really need to try it to understand.
The results so far are impressive. We have both lost weight and gotten stronger in just a few weeks. My wife has seen a reduction in cellulite also (she will kill me if she sees this!). I will continue to report back our results over the upcoming months to keep everyone informed. Our biggest problem now is that our friends keep dropping by to use our machine!
NBC News did a story on the Oakland Raider using whole body vibration as part of their regular training program which is worth watching.
watch it here
Until next time!
Kevin Rellis
Links to Vibration Machine Suppliers: VibraSlim Power Plate Pila-vibe, M-power K2
Research on Vibration Exercise
28 - Lloyd Shaw
Lloyd Shaw
February 3rd, 2007
Just to let everyone know. We have an issues here in N.Z.
A certain so called “non-profit” organization ( Fitness N.Z. ) has given a retailer of fitness products the following.
(1) The CEO made a supposedly independent statement in a high profile fitness mag. ” this company is the only one that employs qualified staff ” Knowing no qualification exists in this field.
(2) A ” Preffered Suppliers ” award.
(3) A place on their board.
This particular person has been on our banned list for unethical business practices for some time , and was turned down for a purchase of a studio because of my concerns, which includes.
(1) Selling cheap Therapy units under the guise of Vibration Training.
(2) Although being a landlord , saw fit to go into direct competition with a Tenant. ( highly unethical )
(3) Knowingly useing other companies trademarked names to shift products.
(4) Using results from well known Training units to sell cheap asain Therapy machines to both Gyms and home users.
As having high business ethics could not have been the reason for these moves by Fitness N.Z. As one would expect with a ” non-profit org” . I will leave it up to the readers to guess its motives.
But I think it would be fair to say , that Fitness N.Z. is not moving in a good direction.
An update on this soon.
29 - Lloyd Shaw
Another dedicated Vibration Training link
30 - Lloyd Shaw
The writing on the wall.
31 - Lloyd Shaw
PowerPlate founder has propery confiscated...
32 - Lloyd Shaw
Greg Hammond.....
For you to mix up a Pivotal unit with a Lineal Machine can mean only one thing.
You are a marketer for Vibraslim.
After your claims of plenty of "Research " this could could not have been an honest mistake.
Better luck next time.
33 - Lloyd Shaw
Yesterday I won a judgement by the Ministry of Justice against Power-Plate by a District Court Judge.
The ruling was to help me clarify I was indeed Power-Plates Product Manager ( 2003-2004 ).
Power-Plate had recently tried to defend itself from my exposure of their unethical behaviour by claiming I never worked for them.
That was found untruthfull by the courts.
The good that can come from this , is people around the world who have a legal case against Power-Plate can now call on me as an expert witness.
34 - Lloyd Shaw
Acceleration Training and Vibration Training/Therapy is the same thing in case anyone hears the term from a marketing company and is confused.
35 - Lloyd Shaw
VibraSlim a U.S./Canadian based company has been involved with Plagiarising an entire website for marketing purposes.
Absolute proof that this company is dishonest in nature and should not be trusted.
36 - Lloyd Shaw
Power Plate in trouble again. This time being caught using a world leading researchers name on their so called Medical Advisory Board.
This person has publically denied being involved or supporting the company.
They have been forced to take down every name from the list.
The academic community will not be happy with this and the backlash should come as a timely kick in the guts for a company that seems to know no ethical boundaries.
37 - Lloyd Shaw
Real Health Concerns Regarding Vibration Training
The unrestricted/unsupervised use of Vibration Training equipment has been a concern of mine since I first started writing orininal material in 2003. As Product Manager of Power-Plate I saw the potential for abuse of the units in several ways. Some of them being.
(1) Overuse
(2) Incorrect poses
(3) Incorrect Fq
I will list the reasons for these concerns and why I believe the sooner the "real" industry starts talking to each other and laying down some restrictions , the better.
Overuse
Symtoms....
(1) Chronic Fatigue....
This can cause everything from just plain tiredness to a massive drop in your immune system. Which can lead to other health disorders. This one is simple , you ask you body to do too much and it can't keep up. Think about this , in an average Vibtation Training session you may do approx 30,000 seperate movements. This is like running a marathon for most people, and because it is actually do-able for most people, it is primed for abuse. But your body simply can't expend that amount of energy and keep going for long. You will get sick eventually.
(2) Hyperthyroidism....
This is a state where your regulatory glands are over activated causing a large fluctuation in your hormone levels. This can lead to fluid retention , problems with hormone sensitive organs such as the ovaries (for woman). To its extreme this condition can cause multi organ failure.
Note: I have had one case reported to me so far from South Africa where a lady was using a plate for over 40mins a day. And she was following her instructors advice !! So this theory was not a fancy-full idea as was put to me when I first aired my concerns.
Unfortunatly I expect to hear about more such cases before anything concrete is done.
Tissue breakdown....
This is when the healing cycle is not allowed to complete itself. And your body breaks down more cells than it can rebuild before you re-damage the area. Long distance runners have always had this problem with their knees.
Incorrect poses.....
This one sounds self explainatory but it is obviously not, from what I have seen on many a Vibration Training poster sold with machines and on the net.
Your joints are only designed to work at high use at precise angles , moving away from these angles can cause unnesessary wear and tear. It can also cause neck injuries. That is where a good instructor is very important , they will recorrect you during your time on the units so no problems occur.
Incorrect Fq....
This is a tricky one as so may of the units available go to the lower Fq , hense people believe it must be safe. The fact is lower Fq should only be used for limited Physio programs due to the unsafe nature of what they call resonance Fq. This is where waves bounce off each other causing a disturbance in an area. In this case in your internal organs give off their own resonance and matching these is not a good idea. They range from 5Hz-20Hz. Again mis-use could cause distrubance to the organs function. Keeping away from these Fq by a factor of 10 should allow safe use of units over a lifetime.
Note: Some cheaply built units are NOT doing the Hz setting showed on the display. Some are slowing down with only a load of 20-80kg. One major brand was tested unloaded at it was still slower by 13hz than its advertised specs.
Now this article was not written to scare anyone off Vibration Training , just to show how serious we are about putting up this type of training for scrutiny . We will never create a safe industry by burying potential problems as is the normal procedure for marketers and corporates .
38 - Lloyd Shaw
This is of grave concern….
PT-ON-THE-NET which is included in Power-Plates website sent me an e-mail after I inquired about if they understood what Power-Plate had done in the past and if they would reconsider their support.
The message I got back was very clear. They have seen the proof , they understand , they do not and never will care what Power-Plate does to the consumer. No matter how bad. It is just business .
A quote from the e-mail…
“and we are not in a position at this point to say anything publicly or would ever anyway ”
Got to love their dedication to good old fashioned greed and lack of ethics.
Outstanding guys.
39 - Kevin Smith
Dear Sal,
Thanks for your critical piece on WBV. You should dig deeper into Clint Rubin's work, however. There are a number of studies that have been done over the last several years on earth w/ various populations, human and animal, young, old, post-menopausal, etc. Some of the results are very promising, some ambiguous, some contradictory - clearly much more research needs to be done. However it is clear that something is going on here . What's unfortunate and dangerous is the number of companies which you rightly excoriate for exploiting the promise of the field for profit while giving lip service to proven results and research.
40 - Adam Condyle
I have a Ph. D. in clinical psychology. I have owned
the Soloflex vibrating board for about 9 months.
I have gotten more relief for stiffness, aches,and
pains than anything else I've ever tried. I bought it
for about$450.00. I wouldn't sell it for a $millon
41 - Lloyd Shaw
Yes the Soloflex is a decent therapy unit. The problem most have with the company is their false claim it is a training unit.
Just creating a vibration does not make "Vibration Training."
42 - Lloyd Shaw
The Notice for PowerPlate N.Z. Ltds liquidation has appaired in the N.Z. Herald on 25th October 2007.
I the Plantiff Lloyd Shaw will complete this action on the 12th November in the High Court .
This kind of action in and out of court will continue until PowerPlate has either...
(a) Apologised for its past behaviour and negotiates a settlement for those effected by it unethical practices.
(b) Is dismantled globally.
I will do what it takes to give our industry an example of what not to do.
43 - Bill Herbert
This interesting powerpoint presentation tries to summarize the current state of research
44 - Di Heap
Yes, that presentation is interesting (I've seen it before) but it doesn't give any conclusions. It's hard to know what point the author is making. It's kind of flat.
45 - Lloyd Shaw
Kevin Barclay Webb , a man who also worked for, then stood against, PowerPlate in the U.K. has been targeted in a law suit , over the advice given out to some gyms about Powerplates dodgy dealings.
To help this guy out I would ask anyone who has tested the PowerPlate and found it failing its advertised specs to please contact me ASAP.
Even breakdown rates would help.
Thank you.
46 - Lloyd Shaw
The company VibraSlim that was caught plagiarizing commercial companies material and attaching it to cheap Chinese imports for home use , is now trying to hit gyms and health centers.
If you know anybody looking at a commercial purchase , please tell them to look before leaping.
47 - Jon H.
Well after all of my critiques on other products, its finally time to put mine to the test. As of next week I am gving my MVPRO demo unit to a University run Kinesiology department for testing. Don't worry I will make sure that the studies clearly state that its my product being tested. Lets hope I don't end up helping companies who take credit for testing they have never had done on their own products.
Also two new machines have come out from BOSCO-- origionator of many of the studies on WBV. Some of these machines measure each individuals frequencies and adjust accordingly-- Sounds very nice. HAs any one been on a BOSCO machine yet?
48 - Lloyd Shaw
We had a Nemes studio in Auckland last year , with a unit that tested your individual Fq. I tried it and found it Ok.
I understand the theory behind this practice but I did not find it matched up the hype.
I did not also like their anti-competitive nature in saying ONLY Bosco systems worked.
49 - Mark R
Have read through these comments, just wanted to point out that a certain man named Tesla is probably one of the first people to have looked at WBV. Have not tried it myself, but once you have read a little about Tesla, you are less likely to to disagree. I believe that his original comments were that its application should be as a therapy unit. BTW you would not be reading this without Tesla !
50 - Lloyd Shaw
Note: Sal is not a big fan of inventors.
I actually think Tesla would have loved working on constructive and destructive kenetic Fq and its effect on biological matter. His dedication to forwarding science would have come in handy around about now.
His inventions where not motivated by corperate greed. Just the need to make things better.
51 - Lloyd Shaw
Industry news...
Consumer protection site vibrationtraining.net threatened with legal action by VibraSlim.
Articles pointing out true prices of units from China along with misleading information used by that company to sell machines must be taking it toll.
52 - Lloyd Shaw
Industry news...
VibraSlim have released the following statement...
” BEWARE of Chinese machines, they will fall apart”
They are the same people that supplied Chinese made units for extreme prices.
They plan to release a new machine called the “EuroPlate ” , to feed off the anti-Chinese backlash they have helped create.
53 - Greg
I have worked with vibration training for almost four years now. Since may 2004 the results i have found have been quite remarkable. The article i read ignores a few very key facts.
1. Vibration training is NOT done statically, its not as simple as standing on a platform and jumping off 12minutes later. the exercises have to be performed.
2. The research from NASA and the Russian Space program is widely publicised. Just check the NASA website for further details.
3. The article doesnt point out the benefits of vibration training.
4. As for the comments about sentences and spelling mistakes, the author of this article should go back to his "research" and take note that some of the research was gathered in Holland where the native language is Dutch. Now this might sound like a silly point but DUTCH DOESNT TRANSLASTE INTO ENGLISH FLUENTLY!!
The research (which spans 45 years and not the "few years fad" in which this article claims) has proven time after time that vibro training out-performs standard gym trying every single time.
Not only this but it has been proven to not only reverse symptoms of MS, but has been PROVEN to reverse Osteoparosus, Fabromyalgia, Arthritis and dozens more ailments.
My advise to people reading this article to dismiss the selected information, the unsupported arguments found in it. The author has ZERO experience working with Vibration Training and has obviously rushed out an article to meet a deadline. Very Very poorly written article.
I have a Phd in sports science, have worked with the Montreal Canadiens, Toronto Maple Leafs, Tiger Woods, Liverpool FC, Manchester United and EVERY single NFL team......they all use them to great effects
54 - Lloyd Shaw
Scientific America report , Jan 2008......
The reports starts out by saying " Exercise takes energy , and presumably that combats obesity."
Good start....
Scientists at Stony Brook University found that Vibrating mice for 15mins every other day reduced Body-Fat% by 27%. The body fat mainly decreased in their torso. They also had significant reductions in fatty compounds linked to type2 diabetes.
No other changes to the mices environment where made.
55 - Lloyd Shaw
Why is the Vibration Training market so hard to understand ?
This is a question I am being asked constantly now with most people getting very confused as to what to buy , why and from whom. I will quickly explain below the concerns I have and how the confusion surrounding this industry is deliberate and why I am so hard on those selling dodgy machines.
(1) If a machine is not built to a good standard not only will it not work for long ( reports of broken units coming in hard and fast lately ) ,but it may not work at all. Combine that with the injury risks from uncontrolled 3D units or machines running at incorrect Fq its just not worth it.
(2) Simply creating a "Vibration" is not Vibration Training , if it was that simple then we would have had this science up and running 100yrs ago , correct ? The only people you will hear say otherwise are the same marketers/manufacturors that would sell you fake Aids drugs .
(3) If a machine is built to the level of a proper Vibration Training device the correct postures needed when in contact with the unit becomes so important that unsupervised use actually becomes irresponsable. ( education of the buyer is very important here )
(4) If the program does not match the unit , even the best machine can become an injury trap.
Why is this not told to you....
To some involved in this industry , taking your money is just a game , with the fact they are selling you a health product to be used on your body not even considered. They risk some capital , you risk your spine , and the expanding obesity crisis comes second to their expanding bank accounts.
This is the game they are playing with you and why it looks so confusing from the outside......
In chess you have 3 stages to a game.
(1) Opening
(2) Middle game
(3) End game
Opening....
In the opening players set up their defences and potential attacks. If a photo of the game around move 10 was shown to most other players they could basically work out whats going on even if they had not witnessed the game up till that point.
Our opening was the "real" industry building good quality units , testing units , doing R&D or opening places to access them safetly.
Middle Game....
This is where you will see pieces scattered all around the board in what appears to be a random order, a photo of a middle game would tell an outside player little as to others stratagies and past movements, this is YOU the consumer at the moment , looking at a middle game and wondering why it looks so disorganaized.
This is where the marketers like to step into the game , making off the confusion and doing their upmost to make out they are a part of the "real" industry , relying on the presumption you will just get tired of hearing conflicting information and flow like water to the nearest/cheapest dealer. Their mantra of " but at least at this price you arnt risking much " sounds logical, except for the risk to you future health that is not being discussed.
The dishonest marketers/manufacturors ( about 160 out of 180 at last count ) have relied on this confusion period to be of 5yrs minimum from the introduction of Vibration Training to your country, so they can make back their investments. They fully understand the risks to you.
My aim is this , to shorten the " Middle Game " buy releasing so much marketing free information to the consumer as to collapse their plan and give them a very expensive lesson at the same time. And yes I am aware how aggressive and condescending this sounds.
The end game is yet to come....
A group of us have made it our relentless endevour to have a clean industry where the end game has no losers but those who should not have been playing with your health in the first place.
If you are still confused , my advice is to wait for us to finish our work. In the mean time education is your only weapon. Keep reading , keep asking.....
Kind regards Lloyd Shaw
56 - Lloyd Shaw
Be wary , the new Europlate is made in Tiawan. And sold by the same company supplying cheap machines from China before.
But this from their new "Euro"plate website....
Our vibrating machine is NOT made in China. BEWARE of Chinese vibration exercise machines, they will fall apart.
Talk about dodgy...
57 - Lloyd Shaw
Confirmation....
Europlate pays ..... $208 ( U.S.)
How much are they trying to charge .....$1699 (U.S.)
Do you really think a $200 machine is going to work ?
58 - Lloyd Shaw
Industry news....
The new HyperGravity range is getting good reviews. These machines really are a step up and I believe the commercail units will do very well in the gym market.
Power Plate have just been caught again....
Claiming their machines to be Class 1 medical devices , only one problem.....
Both KEMA and TUV the organizations responsable for such listings say a Vibration platform has to be a class 2A , class 1 is only for low risk medical device like plasters and bandages.
It is obvious Power Plate are bending the truth again to fool the consumer.
Truly earning the title as the most unethical company our industry has witnessed.
59 - Lloyd Shaw
Mark Minter , Managing Director of Power Plate has recently signed a statement ( 12/6/2008 ) basically saying that......
(1) Their machines have never had any problems with not running to their advertised specs , and everyone else is lying including "apparent" technicians that performed the tests .
(2) If their machines do not work as advertised for some reason then that's Ok by Power Plate standards.
(3) Power Plate deny all knowledge that the machines did not operate to spec and only admit they has noise problems.
(4) Power Plate are allowed as a "right" to use other companies and machines test results to sell their products.
(5) They deny swapping photos on research reports and "if they did" they do not believe this to be dishonest.
(6) It was not dishonest to use Dr Marco Cardinales name without permission.
(7) They deny tricking a disabled person to do an advertising shot for them , and this person never complained or called then "unscrupulous marketers " .
(8) He then goes on to say that because they can use celebrity endorsements , a disabled persons endorsement does not register in the same "context".
We can take from the above denials and accusations of other people lying that Power Plate have learnt nothing from their past mistakes. So we must continue to warn the consumer that they are still highly unethical and cant be trusted .
60 - Lloyd Shaw Vibra-Train
Ok , Now a researcher David Bazzett-Jones has released the actual g-forces the Power Plate machine he used gives out we will look at the figures.
Note: This tests was done unloaded ( no-one on it )it would get worse if tested with someone standing on the plate.
The research lists that the machines set its top setting of 50hz and 4mm . The engineering tests show it ran at 5.83G
But working backwards with certified Vibration Analysis Software from CTC ...
(1) If the amplitude was correct at 4mm then it was only running at 32Hz instead of 50Hz ?
(2) If the Hz was correct then it was only running at 1.64mm to get 5.83G , instead of 4mm ?
So it either had lost 36% of its speed or 59% of its amplitude before someone jumped on it. That is even worse than other tests I have seen on the Power Plate that showed it running at only 38Hz on its 50Hz setting.
When I reported this years ago I was accused of tampering with the machine , when other parties including an Olympic sprinter got similar results they " refused to acknowledge " them.
I think the time has come for consumers to understand this company.......
(a) Will never be honest in their advertising.
(b) Actually cant build a good machine.
They lack the skills and integrity to do either.
61 - Sam
I would just like to know which machine or machines "Lloyd Shaw" would personally recommend?
62 - Di Heap
It is very difficult to personally recommend brands or specific machines. So many factors are involved: the geographic locality of the person asking determines what is available. Do they want to go to a Studio to use a machine under the direction of an Instructor. Do they want to buy a machine to use at home?, what results does the person want to achieve?, have any injuries, health problems, age maybe, sex maybe, weight definitely needed. And after all that there are very different types of vibration machines and the person may have a preference. Let's not forget that if it's a home machine the placement of it needs to be considered.. and even more.
If you seriously want some help, go to Vibration Training. Read the articles in the help section then if you still need advice, ask there.
63 - Cat Mac
Has anyone heard about the Wave..... is it any good???? It is made in Canada.
64 - Chris
I'm open minded. I suspect FV is being tried faddishly by people for the enjoyment, but 'fitness' is a valid excuse for adults to spend time on what is really an amusement toy.
I doubt that FV substitutes for serious training, but may have benefits for the less athletic and thsoe with heart conditions.
Not for the serious athlete, though.
Can someone trace the Russian studies?
65 - vibration training Plate
In the United States, exercise machines, vibration technology start, Pop-up in gyms, fitness center and even homes.Whole Body Vibration Technology has been propagated as the next generation and exercise of weight loss machine.
66 - Giovanni Ciriani
@Chris message #64.
You don't need to track the early Russian studies. There is much more research on vibration training done now in one year than probably in the last 10 altogether. Click for instance on this bibliography selection.