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Vibration Training, the new fitness frontier?

by Ryan Hogan | Sunday, May 31, 2009

The following post was written by international presenter and educator, Steve Schiemer.

Having lived in Europe for the last 12 years, I have watched this type of training explode onto the fitness and rehab scene. It first hit the fitness market about 6 or 7 years ago. Vibration training is the act of passing a vibration through the body to elicit a series of responses, in particular to activate the deep core muscles of the body, to stimulate the nervous system, increase strength and power, reduce pain perception, increase bone density, improve circulation and lymphatic drainage and improve proprioception. The two most popular ways to do this are to either stand on a vibrating plate, such the Power Plate, and allow the vibrations to enter the body via the legs, or to use a handheld oscillating device such as a FLEXI-BAR, which is a long flexible fibreglass bar with weights on the end and a handle in the middle that you push/pull to get the bar to swing back and forth, allowing the vibrations to pass into the body via the arms.

Since the launch of the Power Plate and the FLEXI-BAR, vibration training has become one of the hottest training techniques in Europe. German physiotherapists have been using oscillating devices for 20 years to treat all sorts of neck, shoulder and back problems, as well as conditions such as Parkinson’s disease, with great success. Vibration training works via a process called the Tonic Stretch Reflex, where the vibration stretches the muscles out of equilibrium, which then sends signals to the brain via the nervous system for the muscles to contract and pull back the other way; it does this, but the vibration forces it to 'overshoot' and go too far, causing the process to happen again. Depending on the frequency of the vibration, this happens from hundreds of times per minute, to thousands of times per minute. This process also uses up to 100 per cent of a muscle’s fibre, which is why recommended training times are just ten minutes a couple of times a week. It also forces the agonist and antagonist muscles to do exactly the same amount of work, automatically addressing any muscular imbalances that may be present.

The results of training like this are pretty spectacular and explain why it is so popular in Europe. Injury recovery times are much lower, core strength increases are very rapid, and because traditional exercises such as squats, lunges or deadlifts can be performed while the vibration is passing through the body, it is a great addition to functional training programs. Research is also growing in this area. While still a little sparse, more and more is coming out, most of which seems pretty positive in regards to injury rehab, core strengthening, balance/coordination improvements, increased bone density, and reduced falls in the aged.

One of the reasons I am so into vibration training is that I suffered with a bad shoulder injury for two and a half years. I was eventually told I had torn the head of my bicep at some point, which caused painful neck spasms if I did a push-up or bench fly. Two years of treatment did nothing to really help, but within a month of playing with a FLEXI-BAR, my shoulder was fine and I have never had a problem since. It has also done wonders for my lower back. I know a couple of people who have suffered with 'slipped discs' for ages, but found the introduction of vibration training to their regime cleared it up in a few months.

Having quite a few friends who are personal trainers in England, kit such as the Power Plate and FLEXI-BAR have completely changed how they train their clients, and how they deal with injuries, both new and old. I even have a couple of friends who have bought their own stock of 20 FLEXI-BARS and now teach conditioning classes at the gyms they work at – and get paid more money because they supply the apparatus for the class! Plus, there are Power Plate studios where people attend conveniently short 10 minute classes. Vibration training is quite hard work, but it’s a lot of fun (especially trying to stop your wobbly bits from wobbling!). If you haven't tried it yet, give it a go.

Have you experienced Vibration Training? Do you train your clients using any sort of vibration equipment? Do you have any thoughts on this hot topic? If so, use the comments feature below to get a discussion happening!

To contact Steve directly or for more information visit www.flexi-bar.co.uk.

 

 

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