Good Vibrations

The Soloflex model looks pretty cheesy - interested in hearing some feedback.

Any thoughts on which of the personal models is best?

Lloyd, I am interested in purchasing a power plate of some sort for home use. Can you recommend a quality model for me?
Thanks

Would someone please explain the MHZ to me. Most of the machines out there are set at 35 Mhz, so why would you need one that can be adjusted from 35-60? Do you have to change the Mhz for different muscle groups?
What should I be looking for in a WBV machine? I want something that is going to do the job, not just hype. Please help.

Lloyd,
On the blog site you said that you boycotted power plate – why? What didn’t it do that it said it would? What brand do you recommend? Is it necessary to have one that has adjustable Mhz?
Sincerely, Becki

Becki,
Mhz, is usually seen on the machine that I work with, (Powerplate, which by the way is a fantastic model, despite what Lloyd Shaw says), as Hz, as in hertz. Your hertz is (invouluntary) muscle contractions and stretches per second.
Powerplate has adjustable hertz: 30-50Hz. It is usually a good idea to start on the 30Hz as your muscles have never experienced anything like this previously and starting on a higher hertz wouldn't actually benefit you anymore than if you were on the lower settings. The other hertz (35, 40, and 50Hz) you can gradually ease yourself into as your muscles get used to the vibrations. The 40 and 50Hz settings can be generally used for your massage and relaxor exercises. As I only work with Powerplate in Auckland, New Zealand, I can not and will not pass judgement on other machines on the market as I have not experienced using these models. But, would be more than happy to hear from anyone who works with other brands as I'm very willing to hear every comment that is made about the model that they use.
Hope to hear from other trainers soon
Regards
Claudia, Powerplate Takapuna, Auckland, New Zealand

Hi I am interested in buying one of these machines and have seen one in a catalogue with 3 pre set programs max weight l00kgs. BM1500 can anyone tell me if this is any good, if not where can I buy a one for home use and approx what price should I expect to pay. cheers. Dorothy. Northern England.

Claudia, if you have not used or trained others on any other devices other than Power-Plate , you are just a salesperson. Not a trainer. A trainer questions/researches everything and investigates for themselves. There are plenty of other machines you could have tried before now if you really where interested in what was best for your clients.
You simple believe everything you are told. The perfect person to work for Power-Plate but not to give advice. Sorry.

I was Power-Plate NZs. Product Manager and left after investigating and found that none of the research , specs , awards etc... they claimed was from their machine. I will not do that to fellow Kiwis , you couldnt pay me enough.
A Polish/Dutch company bringing in plastic Chinese machines ????

Very dishonest , and shame on you for helping them Claudia.

Now to give some impartial advice , as i dont sell units.( you can buy ours )
The only decent home unit available at the moment i know of is the Hypergravity ( USA ). Short list i know , but i have spoken to the developer and he understands what was needed. And did it.

Now to the HZ settings.

The Hz rating means nothing if the other 8 parts to the physics equation is not accounted for. If the saleperson cant explain the other 8 parts , walk away.
To give you an example , 40hz on a machine with little mass ( therapy/plastic ) will cause a different response to a steel machine on the same settings.
Some of the lighter European units had to turned up to 50hz to allow it to gain enough pressure in the muscle to cause a hormonal response ( should have been about 40hz ). Its called bio-kentic feedback , and is an integral part of Vibration Training.
But we now have units built with the correct equations , so this is not needed.

Heres a good tip ," The rules of Physics are set, and not by marketers" Thank God.

Now for weight restrictions on units. Should be over 140kg or its not going to last. But unfortunatly some units have fake kg ratings attached to them . They may be able to " take " a larger weight , but it may have stopped causing the response you nedded 20kgs ago. ( i hope that makes sense).

Just send me the make and model of the machine , and i will give you the factory specs. And a yes or no.

Sorry i meant you "CANT" buy ours.

I only supply licensed studios.

I am thinking of buying a power plate for a gym I am about to open. Most people (where I live), have never heard of this. I saw it in an article on www.drudgereport.com It seems very interesting. Are there any Americans that have used the machine?

For anyone interested in investigating some of the many vibration machines on the market, here is a partial list of products and their web sites.

ExerVibe
http://www.versaclimber.com/VC_Exervibe_VC.htm
* Note: This is a vibrating VersaClimber, not a platform.

fitvibe
http://www.fitvibe.com/

Galileo Whole Body Vibration
http://www.galileowholebodyvibration.com.au/

Hypergravity
http://www.hypergravity.net/

Juvent
http://www.juvent.com/
* Note: This is marketed as a non-drug treatment for osteoporosis, not as an exercise machine.

K1 Whole Body Vibration Machine
http://www.aestheticmd.com/vibration.shtml

Power Plate
http://powerplate.com/

Soloflex WBV
http://www.soloflex.com/index.asp?m=toolbar&d=wbv&sd=about&p=1&tc=home

TurboSonic
http://www.ineedthat.com/index.html

Vibra Fit
http://www.thevibrafit.com/

VibroGym
http://www.vibrogym.com/portal.asp

Lloyd I am looking at a vibro gym here in the UK,
it is the larger studio type one,

what are you comments, and is there a better machine out there for training requirements, I am a runner and wish to use this for gaining strength etc, I am of a high standard and do own body weight exercises at the moment.

thanks

Croft , call Kevin Barkclay-Webb on 0044 795 657 8730 in London. He will give you honest advice on what you need , and what is available locally.

Hi

Can anyone give any testimonials as to how they feel and if they look healthier using these machines
I am interested as it says much about improved circulation which should carry over to better wellbeing and skin condition
Thanks

Greg

Hello Llyod,
Where do you live? I am in Los Angeles and interested in getting into a licensed studio business. Do you have contact info of who you respect in the industry that currently purchases your machines? I appreciate all your knowlege based comments. Hope to hear from you soon, thanks Anthony

Hey everyone. First of all, true whole body vibrations exercise absolutely delivers all the results it promises. People who are naysayers need to go back to science class and re-educate themselves about gravity. Instead of using load to manipulate gravity and tone up, wbv uses acceleration. Yeah, that is why the regular joe will not understand this but that is why NASA and every professional sports team, including olympic athletes do. Anyway- here is the bottom line - every medical study - and there are many- uses an all steel platform that uses vertical acceleration of movements from 2-5mm. If it is not all steel - you are not getting the real deal. If it isn't vibrating your entire body - not the real deal either. Your body simply needs the actual movement to initiate the compensation response that in turn delivers all those incredible benefits. checkout www.wholebodyvibes.com they provide the best all steel platform that is american made and the machine Hypergravity is actually modeled after the original Galileo machine that was used in most of the studies. I've used it - the best results i have seen -in the shortest amount of time.

Anthony , Visit www.vibra-train.co.nz and drop me an e-mail. You will not be able to purchace my units off anybody. The licence gives you the exclusive rights to our units in your area. They are commercial machines designed specifically for business use. Unlike the prof. units abvailable to date.

Check out our site to understand the difference.

Dana is correct in saying the Hypergravity is the real deal. One of the few machines i would ever recommend .

Dana , you may want to also contact me re: recommendations i give to other studios and private owners.

I do not , and never will sell to the public , so we are NOT competition. Together our companies can help educate the public.

lloyd@vibra-train.co.nz

Guys,

Your "tatiana" or whatever pole vaulter "link" goes NOWHERE...

Better check that out....

SOON!

YOU are losing sales!

And credibility....which is even WORSE....when it comes to SALES, right?

Cheers, later, Tim

Hi Guys,

This is great dialog about whole body vibration exercise and therapy.

it's great to see the buzz growing worldwide about this expanding technology. The bottom line - all types of whole body vibration (WBV) can be beneficial. WBV can be a great tool with many applications for many types of people and conditions.

We support the growth to all these great products listed herein. All these products will produce favorable results - global research proves that.

On that note, I would like to introduce you to the newest technical advancements in whole body vibration, "TurboSonic". The standard of excellence in WBV!

I personally invite all of you the opportunity to experience this revolutionary technology. 15 and 30 day product evaluations are available at www.vibrahs.com

Why TurboSonic? This machine uses no mechanical moving parts to vibrates the training plate. TurboSonic is powered by a patented amplifier system that causes quiet sonic vibrations. Simply stated - there are no moving parts. No sound. And it's real precise.

TurboSonic can be adjusted manually from 3Hz to 50Hz and the amplitude can be adjusted from 0 to 100 providing the most fragile user to the most athletic person complete control.

TurboSonic also has 7 pre-set auto modes (each sessions is 10 minutes ) 3 tailored for weight loss and 3 are tailored towards strength training. All modes work the core effectively.

If you ever tried a mechanical vibrations platform, you will be blown away on how natural TurboSonic feels to the body. We highly recommend everyone try a TurboSonic before investing into outdated technology. You will not be disappointed!

TurboSonic is dominating in the celebrity world with worldwide endorsements. Even Madonna recently switched her PowerPlate for a TurboSonic.

Professional athletes and players are rapidly crossing over to TurboSonic. The only regret celebrities and athletes have to say about whole body vibration training and therapy is that they wished they hadn't purchased a mechanical device first. They could have saved a lot of money if TurboSonic had been available.

From Celebrities and Athletes to Physical Therapist, Sports Clinics, Pain Clinics, Chiropractors, Hotels and Gyms to Nail and Hair Salons, Business Owners, Senior Centers, Retirement Homes, Cruise Lines, Home Users.and Veterinarians All Agree --- TurboSonic is Best in Class.

You Decide - Take a Turbo Break!

Hi Guys,

This is great dialog about whole body vibration exercise and therapy.

it's great to see the buzz growing worldwide about this expanding technology. The bottom line - all types of whole body vibration (WBV) can be beneficial. WBV can be a great tool with many applications for many types of people and conditions.

We support the growth to all these great products listed herein. All these products will produce favorable results - global research proves that.

On that note, I would like to introduce you to the newest technical advancements in whole body vibration, "TurboSonic". The standard of excellence in WBV!

I personally invite all of you the opportunity to experience this revolutionary technology. 15 and 30 day product evaluations are available at www.vibrahs.com

Why TurboSonic? This machine uses no mechanical moving parts to vibrates the training plate. TurboSonic is powered by a patented amplifier system that causes quiet sonic vibrations. Simply stated - there are no moving parts. No sound. And it's real precise.

TurboSonic can be adjusted manually from 3Hz to 50Hz and the amplitude can be adjusted from 0 to 100 providing the most fragile user to the most athletic person complete control.

TurboSonic also has 7 pre-set auto modes (each sessions is 10 minutes ) 3 tailored for weight loss and 3 are tailored towards strength training. All modes work the core effectively.

If you ever tried a mechanical vibrations platform, you will be blown away on how natural TurboSonic feels to the body. We highly recommend everyone try a TurboSonic before investing into outdated technology. You will not be disappointed!

TurboSonic is dominating in the celebrity world with worldwide endorsements. Even Madonna recently switched her PowerPlate for a TurboSonic.

Professional athletes and players are rapidly crossing over to TurboSonic. The only regret celebrities and athletes have to say about whole body vibration training and therapy is that they wished they hadn't purchased a mechanical device first. They could have saved a lot of money if TurboSonic had been available.

From Celebrities and Athletes to Physical Therapist, Sports Clinics, Pain Clinics, Chiropractors, Hotels and Gyms to Nail and Hair Salons, Business Owners, Senior Centers, Retirement Homes, Cruise Lines, Home Users.and Veterinarians All Agree --- TurboSonic is Best in Class.

You Decide - Take a Turbo Break!

TurboSonic,

It claims to reduce:

* Pain
* Stress
* Fatigue
* Cortisol
* Fat & cellulite

Wow! That is impressive. I'm specifically interested in fat and cellulite reduction. I just have one question. Does it come with 6-minutes abs roller?

The marketers on here always fail to list their machines as they are properly catagorized.
Vibration Therapy or Vibration Training ?

Both are very valid but should not be compared . Only someone trying to sell you something would dare try to " forget" to mention this. Or tell you one machine can do both . Unless someone has managed to by-pass the laws of physics and forgotten to tell the rest of us , its impossable.

Using an amplifier coil to create physical vibrations fot training purposes is not new , and has been tested along with an opposing magnetes system, and yes it is very comfortable and quite. And is superior for Thereapy machines. Much better than the " Flying Brick " method used by most( Power-Plate , Vibro-Gym etc...)
I researched this when i was Power-Plates product manager , but choose not to follow this path due to its limitations in completing the full 9 parts needed for bio-machinics , which is essential for a Vibration Training platform.

Thats why i have designed 9 machines ( 5 released so far ) to allow for peoples training to evolve.

I am pretty new to all this technology but my wifes cousin just came out to visit from Sweden and new someone who had the TurboSonic one. She has had Fibromialga for years please forgive the spelling. Long story short she went on the turbosonic everyday she was in here. The first day after she had gone on it she said that night was the first time in years she had no pain in her legs going to sleep. She also said she thought she was going to overflow the toilet bowl with horrible smelling urine. She went on it everyday after and said she did not have any pain that she normally does. Anyway thought I would put in my 2 cents. Technology is pretty cool.

The Turbosonic sounded great and probably works okay but I called them up and the thing costs....are you ready?

$12,000.00!

Just the tax on that is nearly $1000!

I'm doing pretty well, but theres no way I'm spending that much when there are plenty of professional versions that give the same or better results for less. ($7500 for Hypergravity, $9000 (Powerplate/Vibrogym).

Does anyone have experience with any of the top 3 pro-level plates? I'm close to making a decision and any help would be appreciated.

Roger

Lloyd is ABSOLUTELY right on!
I am shaking my head how "Turbo Sonic" is trying to market their machine as in the same category as whole body vibrations. In fact, NOT ONE, not even ONE single study on whole body vibrations EVER used sonic waves or sounds. They are totally misleading people to beleive that it is the same thing. Now, I am all for sound therapy, but definitely not for confusing the two therapies and this one in particular is lacking in ANY studies. Sound therapy is something entirely different!
Thanks Lloyd for helping educate the public.
On another note, I will say this... every person I personally have to talked to that tried or had a Power Plate then had tried the Hypergravity said that the Hypergravity personal SMALLER model ($3500) was BETTER or the same as the Power Plate Pro Model ($9000). And they are made of all steel at the lowest price and made in the USA! On a cool "sort of celebrity sighting" note - I happened to be personally there to witness the Prez of Interscope say he tried them all, since money was no object and he bought the Hypergravity.
People should try for themselves differnt versions to see what suites their needs.

Go to my website at www.vibra-train.co.nz and my forum to gain better advice on the purchase of a machine.

But in short, the Hypergravity is the best unit available to the public at the moment. For 4 feasons, good quality , good price , good warranty and they arent Power-Plate.

Hope this helps Roger.

Hi Lloyd,

I'm a trainer in switzerland and I originally bought a power plate in January but after 6 weeks of use it blew up and was sent back to the factory. They couldn't fix it so they sent me a new one which I turned around and sold. I am now using the fit vibe and I think its working very well for me and my clients. The easy train card system is a nice addition that I use as well. You have a lot of knowledge and I'm intrigued by your machines. What do you think of the fit vibe model and how does it compare to yours? I'm doing so well with the concept that I may have to invest in more machines.

Thanks

The Fit-Vibe is a good unit. The company has a good reputation and is not prone to over-hyping it product. One of the better proffesional machines available.

Now saying that , its not fair to compare the Fit-Vibe with ours. My machines are designed as commercial units to run a Vibra-train studio with. I have 5 different models at the moment,

To understand the difference i will explain. Say you buy 10 good quality proffesional units , they cost $10,000 each. You build up a good business , but after a few years you need to replace them (2-5 yrs depending on model) Thats another $100,000 you need to inject just to stay open.
And thats not even going into the " competition ' factor where someone can set up opposite you with the same units.

What i sell is a "license" that gives you , and you alone, (in an area) , access to my machines to run your business with, for a VERY long time. It also gives you sole access to all future machines designed by Vibration Training Ltd ( my other company).

What i am trying to offer is some form of protection. Not just a machine.

I challenge anyone reading this blog to do a real comparison.

Try to demo each product personally. You will absolutely feel the difference between the Turbosonic and the other machines offered. There is no other like it. TurboSonic is Best in Class! You will immediately feel the difference between sonic vibrations and mechanical vibrations.

And yes, TurboSonic is ideal for therapy and training. This machine can do both!

Demo one and you will see...

Have just purchased 1 Personal Power-Plate and 2 New Generation Power Plates. Starting a Studio from home.Lots of help and support from the Company ,it has definately done me good and I was fairly fit before I used my first Power-Plate. Skin tighter, feel better in myself as suffer from anxiety and depression.Muscle nice and loose can now too high kicks and splits as I used to when younger. I am 60 now. Good a! Sandy

So Turbo-Sonic , you are claiming to have tried ALL units available. As that is the only way you could make such a definitive statement like the above. Thats quit a task.

Prove you are not just another " marketer " and name the location you have trialed a Vibra-Train " Sports Bullet " in.

And Sandy , why would you voluntarily deal with a company like Power-Plate. Do you know what they have done , and continue to do ?

Have been doing vibration training for the last two months and happy with the concept and results and trust the centre I am using the staff are well trained, I am however shelling out money hand over fist for this service and want an opinion on a new machine as seen on the net being sold in NZ - company are based in Mt Maunganui and call the machine Vibra Phlex - any comments on this machine Lloyd, I would appreciate your advice

Lloyd, I may be picking your brain a lot! I hope you don't mind but there is a lot of conflicting info out there. Is this the best place to do it or on your website? Why do your machines use 40 and 50 herz only? Why do you use sandbags for cellulite massage? Do the machines really wear out that fast?

thanks,
Jennifer

Yes Niki i am aware of the Vibra-Phlex. I have spoke to Nathan, who sells them , and they are Pivitol/Domestic machines. Not Lineal/Proff. as you would be using at a studio.
Good starter machine , but you would be too advanced for that now.

I only used 40hz or 50hz when we had the Vibro-Gyms. Because it only created EMG pressure at those settings. A bit of a comprimise.
Also under those settings caused to much movement in the lumbar.
But now with our own units , we are alot more precise, so taking it up high is only for massage.
And we only needed the sandbags again because pressure was lacking in the Vibro-Gyms. So extra mass was required.

I'm afraid you are going over my head with EMG pressure! What is that?

Sorry just part of the equation for pressure and movement in the muscle. You need it to create cetain responses.

Jennifer - fitvibe looks like a decent machine - could you give indication of cost- tks

Elite-Fitness is bringing in the Fit-Vibe ( to N.Z. ) so contact them for the exact prices. They may even be leasing them. But remember it is only one unit, and is a negative response pad only. So will be limited.

Just a quick note to anybody looking at purchasing a unit for business use.

The first specialized " Vibration Training " studio was set up in Auckland , New Zealand, in late 2003 by myself.

The significance of this is , never before had "Vibration Training" been used as a sole training method and income for a business. Hense the problems i had with the machines. They had only been designed for "proffesional use" ( say in a gym with other equipment or physio ) not " commercial use " where they can be asked to run all day.

This mistake cost me alot of time and money. And almost by business. If i had not forseen this problem ( just in time ) i would be bankrupt.

I am not joking , it was very close.

Now the studio concept is becoming popular , alot of people are getting caught out purchasing proff, machines and wonder why they dont handle the workload.

Make sure you find out what your units are designed for:

Domestic ?
Proffesional ?
Commercial ?

Happy hunting.

I was intrigued by the soloflex WBV ads and especially the price ($395) and seeking reviews stumbled upon this site. I've never tried WBV before.
It appears, however, that there is no "free lunch" and the soloflex is indeed too good to be true.
Am I correct in this assessment?

In addition has any one read this?
link

It raises serious questions about the safety of WBV.
Thanks for any responses,
Frank