The Beeble Test: Power-plate
For those of you who have not yet heard of the power-plate you can see from the picture that it is a futuristic looking piece of equipment with no weights, pulleys or obviously moving parts. It is a platform that you stand on or perform a range of exercises from whilst it vibrates. Exciting! I have been using the Power-plate for my clients’ and my own training for more than a year now. So what are the results? I hear you cry.
First A Little History Lesson
The Power-plate has been around for a while now and works on vibration technology. It was originally developed by a Russian scientist in 1975 for the space program. They found that by getting their astronauts to use this technology they were able to spend much longer in zero gravity conditions and therefore spend more time in space. This doesn’t mean they are going to open up a chain of gyms on the moon but it has had surprising results on planet earth. In 1998 it was developed by Dutch Olympic trainer Guus van der Meer and the Power-plate was born. You can read more on its history at http://www.power-plate.com. It has had an amazing impact on the world of exercise and is now one of the most demanded pieces of kit for gyms and homes alike.
The Principles
The Power-plate vibrates at 30 to 50 times per second. This means that when you are performing a static exercise on it your muscles will contract and release at the same rate. This is an involuntary reaction of your body, which does not sound nice but is vital for your body’s function. The better you get at the Power-plate the better you will find your co-ordination, reactions and strength. The guys at Power-plate say that in normal training we only employ about 40% of our muscle fibres per muscle used, whereas the Power-plate employs 95 – 97%. I will be honest – I cannot tell you if this is the case as I personally have no way of proving it either way. However I can say with absolute certainty that with all exercises performed on the machine you will use more muscles (including the difficult to train small supporting muscles) than any other form of exercise around. This is good because it is much more beneficial for your body and your day to day lives. So what about the weights? Well they work on the “acceleration factor” which instead of increasing the weight increases the speed of the training. So does that mean that your training routines can be completed quicker? Yes it does! In fact they claim that just 10 minutes of the Power-plate 2-3 times a week is enough to show improvement in your physique.
The Benefits
Some of these claimed benefits are quite amazing and I have listed them below, but to get more information on the hows and whys then just visit http://www.power-plate.com.
- Increased metabolism
- Increased muscle strength
- Reduced Cellulite
- Pain Dampening
- Improved Flexibility
- Improved fitness
- Activated circulation
- Improved co-ordination
- Increased bone density
Now they do look amazing, but you could also entitle this: “What are the benefits of exercising?” All the improvements listed above are the benefits of a good personal training regime, including stretching and massage. None of these benefits are anything new. The great thing with this machine is the small amount of your personal time needed to achieve these results. So is there proof for all their claims? Yes there is and you can see it all on their website; they are very proud of this. Also check out their exercise examples to get an idea of how the training is carried out on this amazing piece of kit.
The Drawbacks
Drawbacks – surely not! Well unfortunately yes, as with anything that seems too good to be true there are some drawbacks. Firstly if you have any of the following conditions you should not use the equipment:
- pregnancy
- acute thrombosis conditions
- cardiovascular disease
- fresh wounds resulting from an operation or surgical intervention
- hip and knee replacements
- acute hernia
- discopathy
- spondylolysis
- diabetes
- epilepsy
- heavy migraine
- wearing a pacemaker
- Wearing recently fitted i.u. coils, metal pins, bolts or plates
- tumours
- retinal detachment
Well of course that rules out quite a few people but there should still be lots of you that can use this machine safely. The next drawback is the cost of these machines. Firstly, try and persuade your local gyms to buy one, if they haven’t already. Secondly, seriously consider whether you will use this machine properly, because if it’s just going to sit there and get dusty there are many cheaper pieces of equipment that can do that!
The Cost
The models range from home based versions to professional versions ranging in price from US$ 2499 to US$ 10,500. It is very pricey for a piece of home equipment, but the gyms should look at this as a great value purchase.
Beeble’s Impression 
Well of course Beeble is very pro anything that gets us exercising and I have to say that I of course agree. We are all so used to hearing how the latest miracle equipment will “change our lives” or “flatten our stomachs” or show us unbelievable before and after pictures.
A Valuable Piece of Equipment
Is this another one of those ‘promise everything’ and ‘give nothing’ pieces of gym gear? Well I was sceptical as I think everyone should be, but I have to say that I have been more than pleasantly surprised. Yes it does work! Now I can’t vouch for all its properties but I can say that it has proved to be a valuable piece of equipment for myself and my clients. I strongly believe in the benefits of exercise and this machine is a great addition to the array of machines available. I will be very surprised if you don’t start seeing them in all gyms and them becoming as commonplace as the trustworthy treadmill.
Improves Injury Recovery Time
Clients with bad backs have also benefited from this machine as it greatly improves their awareness of their bodies with regard to posture, coordination and muscle development. It has also vastly improved their core strength which is vital for protecting the back. With my clients I have seen improved strength, coordination and reaction from their bodies and more importantly the small supporting muscles that are so difficult to reach with normal training methods and for that I can give full credit to the Power-plate.
Summing up…
Overall I don’t believe any single piece of equipment is the answer as variety is the spice of exercise. However this works the body in ways that no other piece of equipment can and that has to mean, if you can afford it, it is a ‘must have’ to add to your existing gym equipment.
January 12th, 2009 at 8:41 am
What is the maximum weight that these machines can support? My dad is a big guy, and the first time he used the machine the motor gave in
. Surely these machines are intended for people who need to lose weight?
January 13th, 2009 at 1:07 pm
Each machine varies on the maximum weight allowed, however the ones I have used have a maximum weight of 18 stone. Whilst they advertise themselves as machines to aid weight loss I think it goes to show again that these machines are not the answer to a healthier and fitter you. They should only be used as an addition to a workout and as you pointed out only when you have reached a certain weight. If you Dad goes for a more high use machine that a gym would purchase you should find that they can take more weight, the downside is that they cost a lot more money.
April 11th, 2009 at 3:40 am
hi after my third 10 min session (starting of easy)
i have to give up i get an awfull headache with them this last one was the worst had to stop halfway through the second excerise is this normal
April 13th, 2009 at 9:31 am
Thank you for contacting me with regards to your experience with the Power Plate. The simple answer is no it is not normal to get headaches from the Power Plate and as such I would not use this piece of equipment if I were you. The Power Plate comes with so many contraindications of its use so it is possible that further complications may happen for an individual that has yet to be documented. It would be impossible for me to say why you are getting the headaches on this machine but the possibilities could range from health implications that you are suffering from to the pure fact that the violent vibrations are not agreeing with you. My suggestion would be to get a check up with your doctor to round out any underlying health issues and finally not to use the Power Plate as your form of exercise, which is not a bad thing as there are plenty of other exercises out there that are far more beneficial for you than the Power Plate
May 9th, 2009 at 6:51 pm
I wanted to ask about the headaches you were experiencing. I tried the power plate a few days ago and I had a very strange feeling in my head. This was not right after the workout. It was probably a few hours later and did not seem to go away. Was this the type of headache that you experienced?
May 11th, 2009 at 7:13 pm
Hi Tatiana,
I am getting a few reports now of people suffering from headaches caused by the power plate. I have no idea why it happens but it would make sense to get it checked out by your doctor and in the meantime avoid the power plate. There are plenty of great exercises out there that do a much better job than the power plate. If you are interested you can join our fitness for life club for free where you get a new workout regime sent to you every month for free
visit http://www.beeblefitness.com and sign up.
All the best
Hugo
February 28th, 2010 at 3:43 pm
I rarely get headaches but after my first session on the Power Plate I, too, had a bad headache and felt quite strnge, probably this is a similar reaction to that described by Tatiana.