Vibration plate training has been around for some time now, the Ultim8 vibration plate for example was launched 10 years ago. It is one of those fitness regimes that I have longed to try. After all it sounds amazing, 350 calories burned in 10 minutes and equivalent to an hour in the gym most of us would want to give this a go.
For the past 3 weeks I have been using the vibration plate twice a week to see if I notice a difference, and to see what it actually feels like. I had heard of two different vibration plates, the Ultim8 vibration plateand FLABéLOS. The two brands differ in that FLABéLOS oscillates meaning the plates go from side to side like a see saw and Ultim8 vibration plate vibrates. After much research I chose the Ultim8 vibration plate as these seem to be the most effective.
The Ultim8 vibration plate utilises acceleration training and stimulates muscle response up to 50 times a second. Muscles contract multiple times throughout the whole body to deliver a full body workout. You do need to do different poses and workouts on the plates, but each one is for a maximum of 60 seconds and you can make them progressively more difficult should you choose to.
As someone who dislikes the gym, they make me feel very uncomfortable and do not help with my self consciousness, vibration plate training suited me. I was actually able to do the workouts in my normal clothes although you probably should wear gym clothes. Vibration plate training can also be done in the comfort of your own home, as you can hire the machines and therefore can hop on for 10 minutes in around your normal day.
The workouts themselves last 60 seconds and you can mix up your routine to suit your needs, tone, reduce cellulite, massage etc. The workouts vary in their complexity but the majority I have been able to manage. The way you stand on the plate makes a difference to your workout. Standing too upright means the vibrations go through your bones instead of your muscles and you feel a rattle of your teeth, bending legs and adjusting your stance and you soon feel the vibration through your muscles again.
I do feel my muscles contracting when standing on the plate, and it does feel like they have had a work out. Dependant on the amount of effort you put into the 60 seconds depends on the results you see. I have noticed that I do feel out of breath and my heart rate does increase in the 60 second workouts but I do have to put the effort in.
Vibration plate training is like anything else, the more you put in the more you will get out of it. Performing the 60 second workouts instead of just standing on the machine will see greater results. I have noticed an improvement in my overall balance and I really feel it helped me to overcome an injury. I think it might be a little too early to tell if there is any significant improvement in terms of cellulite reduction but I do feel much better in myself and I guess that improvement in body confidence is a step in the right direction.
