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Vibration Training FAQ
With the onset of space travel in the 20th century, it was found that the bone density of astronauts declined significantly while in space. Vibration therapy was developed as a way to re-build bone density on their return. From this, the link was made to the elderly, who lose bone density as they age and scientific studies showed that vibration training actually increased bone density significantly. Further scientific research discovered that vibrations caused a stretch-reflex in the muscles producing continuous muscle contractions. The former Soviet Union began using the principle to improve performance in sporting events and during the 1970's, Russian Scientists continued the research into vibration training, finding significant improvements in muscle strength and flexibility and decreases in recovery times after exercise. It was only after the Iron Curtain was pulled down that the western world caught onto the training method, when scientists from Italy and Israel began their own research into the field. It is now widely acknowledged as an exercise tool, with further applications in rehabilitation and pain relief.
Vibration training can increase isometric (static) and isotonic (dynamic) muscle strength, increase flexibility and mobility, improve co-ordination and improve core stability. The only training effect that regular training may elicit that vibration training cannot is to increase the size of the heart muscle. It really depends on your personal aims but in most cases, vibration training is a great replacement for an entire fitness programme.
So long as there is trained supervision, children as young as 14 can do vibration training as young people can also benefit from vibration training. As for the other end of the scale, we have had people up to 75 years old training easily on the VibroGym, with enormous benefits to conditions such as osteoporosis and arthritis. Due to the nature of the machine, the elderly can activate their muscles in a simple, safe way without extra strain on the joints and ligaments.
For optimal results it is best to use the VibroGym at least 3 times a week, although even using the machine once a week would be beneficial. We advise training 3 times a week, as frequent stimulation of your body will help you achieve your training goal much sooner. To achieve a training effect you have to keep overloading the body so it adapts to withstand extra stimuli. If you only train occasionally your body will not have the need to adapt so your training will not have any effect.
Due to the nature of vibration training, recovery times after training are greatly reduced when compared to conventional training. Therefore, you can train on the VibroGym every day if you have gradually increased your training intensity are comfortable to do so.
The principle of energy balance is such that the calories consumed during a day would have to be less than those expended to start a reduction in fat stores. Vibration training has a large influence on many of the processes involved with losing weight though so you will most likely lose fat stores while training this way. This will however depend on how fit you already are - the more fatty tissue you have in the body, the more you will lose. Training on the VibroGym has been shown to increase metabolism, which means you will burn more calories while exercising and the hormones produced with vibration training also have a significant influence on reducing fatty tissue. However, as with any training modality you will have to control your calorie intake to see any changes. It is important to note that the reduction in fat stores will not necessarily be reflected with a loss of body weight. The increases in bone density obtained with vibration training may cause an increase in weight. Furthermore as muscle tissue is heavier than fatty tissue, the increases in muscle stores that occurs with Vibration training will also cause you to put weight on, although your body tone will visibly improve.
Any exercise or physical effort performed to cause a training effect will cause an increase in body temperature and metabolism. So if you normally sweat whilst working out you will sweat during your vibration training workout.
Yes. The VibroGym uses the Janda Stretch method to increase joint mobility. In this process, the muscle contracts and relaxes and all muscles and joints that are utilised during the exercise are fully mobilised. Furthermore, adhesions are loosened by the vibrations, which also helps to increase flexibility. Additionally, the Golgi apparatus in the muscles are activated while training on the VibroGym, which causes high levels of relaxation. As the muscles are lengthened during active and functional positions while on the VibroGym, explosive muscle strength is not affected.
Even the most trained of athletes will need to time to let their body get used to vibration training, so it is advised not to start immediately with an advanced programme. However, it will be possible for highly trained individuals to progress more quickly than the untrained person, by increasing the intensity as described previously. You must always ensure that Vibration training is fatiguing though, to guarantee a training effect.
Vibration training has an immense advantage over conventional training. As the sessions are shorter and less strain is caused, there is considerably less muscle damage caused. Therefore, there is no reason why the whole body cannot be trained on the VibroGym in one session.
It is completely up to the individual whether muscle group exercises are alternated in a session. However, it is sensible to alternate between upper body, lower body and abdominal exercises to allow each group a rest in between. After a while, this can be performed without breaks, which will keep your heart rate up throughout the whole session thus training your cardiovascular system too.
Depending on your training aims you could miss out cardio training from a workout, if you were to have little or no rest in-between exercises and performed them all dynamically. This type of Vibration training will elicit many of the effects of regular cardio training. However it will not cause changes in the heart muscle as seen with cardio training. If you are a sportsperson using vibration training as part of your regular training we suggest you do carry out cardio training as well, and this way the vibration training will augment the effect of your cardio workout immensely.
Due to the principle of reversibility, the effects of vibration training would diminish with time, if you were to stop doing it. This is the same with any type of training. If any muscle tissue in the body is not being used, the body will begin to break it down. The rate of this decline is dependent on many other factors though and is greatly individual.
Some people complain of headaches after training. If this is the case, providing you have been training correctly, then your headaches will be caused by lack of fluid intake before training. Almost 70% of the population is suffering from dehydration and as our bodies consist of over 50% water, fluid balance is vital. Vibration training causes activation of the lymphatic system, which results in a loss of body fluids so we advise to drink about 500ml of a glucose drink, half an hour before training.
In the many years of research into vibration training conducted so far, no negative effects have been found with use of the VibroGym, when used according to our advice and instructions. Just ensure that the machine is used safely and responsibly and you consult a medical professional if you have any of the contra-indications.
Vibration training is getting more widely known internationally at a very rapid pace and with this the knowledge of how to apply vibration training is also growing. This is not only in the health and beauty world but also in the medical sector. If your doctor, physiotherapist or specialist wants to know more about vibration training, please refer them to our website (www.vibratone.com.au) where they will find many links to scientific studies on the area and will be able to access testimonials from other health specialists.
The human body is perfectly built to absorb the vibrations that we may encounter in everyday life. However, in the increasingly mechanical world we live in, certain occupations (helicopter pilots, truck drivers, pneumatic drilling) cause workers to absorb high levels of vibrations on a daily basis. This has been shown to elicit many physical complaints, mainly in the spine and joints. The VibroGym however has many fundamental differences to these cases. While exercising on the machine the muscles are actively absorbing the vibrations, not the joints and where as the population above are exposed to the vibrations for many hours every day, the training time on the VibroGym is far shorter. It is important to note that the VibroGym complies with the I.S.O standards for industrial use, so long as training does not exceed 2 hours a day (it is actually appears pointless to train any longer than 20 minutes a day anyway). If the VibroGym is used under qualified supervision and according to our instructions, vibration training is actually much safer than any other sporting activity.
Arthritis is an affection of the cartilage in the joints, which is very common among the elderly. Of people over 65 at least 25 % are suffering from some form of arthritis. It causes the quality and the amount of cartilage to slowly diminish, so that outside forces will ultimately have to be absorbed by the joint itself. In the early stages, arthritis can go unnoticed. But over time it will cause pain, swelling, stiffness and restricted movement of the joint. As a result, muscle strength will decrease as well as co-ordination and endurance. Especially if the ankle, knee or hip joints are affected, arthritis can be a severe impediment to everyday life. So far, no effective drugs have been developed to treat arthritis. It is a progressive disease, meaning that the quality of the cartilage gradually decreases. Exercise is an important part of the treatment, as it slows down the deterioration. By doing vibration training regularly it is possible to increase flexibility, muscle strength and co-ordination. Some doctors prescribe their patients anti-inflammatory drugs and sedatives. In conjunction with vibration training this may have some negative effects. The natural warning signals of over-taxation the body gives off might be overlooked when suppressed by medication. Establishing limits to the capacity for training should be done with extreme caution for the group of patients with serious arthritic complaints. Vibration training can lead to the reduction of complaints, as well as to a decrease in the amount of painkillers that patients need. By exercising and training on the VibroGym, the cartilage is "woken up", as it were, to maintain its function. Cartilage is a like a sponge squeezed dry under pressure, and like a double action pump then fills itself with synovial fluid. In this way the cartilage is provided with necessary nutrients. Muscles, ligature and tendons have an important function in absorbing shocks and in providing stability in the joint, and they are trained by exercising on the VibroGym as well. The vitalising effect of the VibroGym will ensure more self-confidence in these patients. They will be more independent and less apt to end up in social isolation. This will lead to more exercise and more endurance in the long run. Our advice to people suffering from arthritis: Any form of exercise that avoids excessive strain on the afflicted joints is recommendable. However, you should pay attention to certain aspects, such as not overextending the joints, and preventing sudden, unexpected shocks and strain. Because of the nature of the exercises performed on the VibroGym, this has proved to be an extremely suitable form of training. Exercises that are too intense will aggravate the arthritic complaints. The pain will worsen, the joints swell and feel warm to the touch and gradually become less flexible, in effect causing a lowered capacity for movement. This can be prevented if the supervisor carefully monitors the intensity of the training, and assesses the capacity of the patient accurately during the intake. The schedule will have to be built up very gradually, and the proper frequency and position during training will have to be monitored constantly. If pain and stiffness increase during and after a training session, the schedule will have to be (temporarily) altered. Some very important tips for the coaching and training of patients with arthritis are: Avoid draft, dampness and cold; bear in mind that many people with arthritis cannot stand for extended periods of time; avoid putting strain on the joint in extreme positions and do not stimulate the joint in the full extent of its movement during the dynamic exercises. You should also allow the patient a longer rest period in between the exercises and try to convince patients to train more than once a week, obviously only if this does not cause any excessive complaints.
Blood from the lower limbs is pumped back to the heart using valves in the blood vessels, which stop the blood returning to the lower extremities. Varicose veins are caused when these valves leak. As vibration training causes a huge increase in circulation it can improve the return of blood from the lower limbs if used on a regular basis, especially when performing exercises dynamically. It should be noted that we advise you to massage around varicose veins manually before using the VibroGym for massage exercises.
As vibration training causes a rapid decline in blood glucose levels, it is not recommended that diabetics train this way. However, the nature of the machine means it is ideal to improve the physical condition of diabetics. Therefore we suggest you talk to you specialist about the use of vibration training and after a check up, an entire training schedule can be possible.
The contra-indications given for the VibroGym are all conditions that we would advise against using the machine. However, if you are suffering from any of those listed it does not mean you can never use the VibroGym. Vibration training has been shown to be beneficial when integrated into a treatment plan in some cases. Obviously you would have to agree this with your medical specialist prior to use and always train under strict supervision from a trained VibroGym instructor. There is currently a wealth of research being conducted into the effects of vibration training on different medical conditions so the contra-indications may change in the future.
There is no harmful effect of the regeneration hormones produced at all. Regeneration hormones are produced by the body to help recovery after exercise. They are increased after any type of exertion but not high enough to negatively effect the natural production. In fact, there is a huge benefit to be had from the higher levels of the hormone as they allow our body to repair more easily and more quickly. That means that the VibroGym can cause a large training effect without causing the need for a large recovery time.
During exercises where the muscle is contracted, circulation usually decreases (vasoconstriction), but when training on the VibroGym, circulation in both the muscles and skin tissue is increased significantly, which is very beneficial. Furthermore, during the massage exercises circulation will improve locally, with the benefit of reducing cellulite.
If you are standing on the VibroGym while it is turned off, your body will be naturally balanced. As soon as you start the vibrations, the natural balance of the body is interrupted so to recover this balance, the muscles of the body will be stimulated immediately. When performing different exercises, the muscles supporting the joints in action will stretch, which is registered by the muscle spindles. This in turn sends a message to the cortex of the brain, which then sends signals through the spinal cord to cause a reflex contraction. Therefore changes in position are countered immediately.
Itching may occur while using the VibroGym, which is due to the large increase in circulation caused while training. This is completely normal. However, in rare cases erythemia may occur which is a severe reddening of the skin - usually on the legs. It is normally just a temporary phenomenon but if it persists we advise against continuing with your vibration training.
Many people do not drink enough water on a daily basis, which can cause temporary headaches when training intensively. Also, vibration training causes the blood glucose level to drop rapidly and as we are in a nation with bad eating habits, blood glucose levels are often low before exercise begins. If levels were to drop too much, it may lead to hypoglycaemia. This is why it is strongly advised to drink a glucose drink before training. It should be noted though that this is the case with any type of intensive training - not just an occurrence related to vibration training.
The high intensity of stimulus provided by the VibroGym causes huge adaptations in the early stages of vibration training, and only a few exercises are needed to do this. However, as the body adapts to a stimulus it begins to cope with the training without difficulty, which means you will have to train longer and harder to produce similar results. This is why you add more exercises and increase the intensities after using the VibroGym for some time, so your body is constantly challenged to adapt.
Many of our vibration training exercises are ideal for working the above areas. Just ask your trainer to show you some
The massage on the VibroGym enhances circulation considerably, which can be seen by the slight redness on the skin and felt by a tingly, warm sensation. This in turn increases lymphatic drainage and reinforces collagen, which together with the increases Human Growth Hormone production, contributes significantly to combating cellulite. You can use the massage exercises as part of your warm-up programme prior to a workout to warm up your muscles and you can use the VibroGym massage after your workout to help remove training's waste products.