Lisa's Vibra Train Experiment Update, 5 Jan 11

Its been about 8 weeks now since I started my Vibra Train experience/experiment so I thought I'd give you an update on what's been happening.

Looking back now on my ‘ 4 week challenge' that I eagerly began at the start of November, I was probably being abit optimistic that I can keep clean on my diet with all the lures of the festive period.
I wasn't too good on my cardio but I still did at least 45min (not too intensive) walk in the afternoon with my dog Trix. Coupled with the walks, I've been doing just 3 days medium/heavy weight training a week and did at least 2 Vibra training sessions a week which I've done for the past 8 weeks.

So I didn't change too much in terms of what I was eating or doing, which looking back is a good thing as now I can see how adding the extra Vibra Training sessions has affected the changes in my body. And what changes it did surprisingly make!

I'm all about the numbers and wanted to have a proper gauge as to where my body was at the beginning of my Vibratrain journey, so I had a body composition analysis done on their analysis machine on 3 November and once again on 5 January just to see how I was going and whether what - if anything was happening. I can see that I've gained some muscle and looking leaner in parts (sorry I haven't got any pics, to show, I'm shy you know).

But what was the machine going to say?!

The results were:

                        3 Nov 10            5 Jan 11
Weight              61.2                  61.9
Muscle mass     44.3kg              46.2kg
Body fat mass    13.8kg              12.4kg
Body fat %        17.5%               15%

I'm actually quite chuffed with my results. OK I've gained weight but that's a good thing as you can see, its muscle hooray! I've also managed to lose some bodyfat and lost fat % while not having to go too hard on my cardio - which as you know I have a love/hate relationship with.

In terms of training on the Vibratrain machines itself, I can feel myself getting stronger and therefore have graduated myself to a harder (level 3) machine to keep things challenging for me.

At each session I'm only doing 7 exercises with a minute on each exercise trying to push against the force of 5 tonnes is quite something! I find that during the minute, I've learned to make myself focus and its kind of a nice time out for myself trying not to concentrate on the pain.

I'm finding that I'm also stronger when I do my weights. I'm generally lifting 5-10kg more on my upper body and recovering a little better between sets too. I'm still no Amazon but I'm trying!

All in all, Vibratrain has been a great addition to my fitness plan and I can't wait to see what changes lay ahead! Thanks Lloyd and Di for always keeping things interesting and esp to Lloyd who's wealth of knowledge on all aspects of the body has been amazing!

Lisa, Go Figure
5 Jan 11

Experimental Hunk, Lloyd Shaw. Jan 2011

Looking lean and muscular, you'd think Lloyd Shaw was a regular gym goer. But to our astonishment he hasn't pumped any iron for years!

Infact Lloyd has been undergoing a 5 year experiment that many gym junkies would run from in fear of loosing muscle mass. But Lloyd, who's one of the pioneers of vibration training, wanted to set out to find out what are the long term effects of vibration training as there has been no real long term research done on the area.

He wanted to know what effects just vibration training had on muscle mass, strength, bodyfat and cardio fitness. Was he going to become a 60kg weakling?

In 2006, Lloyd was looking bulky and weighing 85kg with 18%. He gave up conventional weight training and began Vibration training 3 times a week. In January 2011, Lloyd now weighs around 79kg and 10% but he will once again get tested in April 2011 for his bodyfat, muscle mass and VO2 max to see precisely what Vibration training has done to his mass and fitness.

Although we have featured vibration training on this site, we haven't exactly delved into the workings of vibration training so we thought who better to ask than the person who's a leader in the area.

So here is our Q&A with Lloyd about Vibration Training and the effects of the experiment on his body so far:

1. You're one of the pioneers of Vibration Training, what made you come up with the idea for your platform and who was your intended market?

I am a mortician by trade, specializing in obesity cases. I simply got sick of hearing nothing could be done for people over a certain weight. After doing some research into vibration therapy I decided to build the first Vibration Training machine that worked effectively over 80kg. My goals was simple at the time, get people who didn't want to move, to move. Kind of a form of forced exercise.

I initially didn't want to set up a whole company, I was forced to because no-one else would. I would have preferred a more advisory role but it didn't work out that way. " If you want some thing done properly etc etc ...... "

2. How does the vibration equipment work and what kind of force does the platform produce?

The idea is so simple most people miss it. Usually by getting caught up in the word "vibration"

Think about this. If you drop off any given height, what dictates how hard you have to work when you land, is usually how far you have dropped. You use an "eccentric contraction" to catch your own body weight when you hit the ground. This is not rocket science or new information.

right: Dawne with Vibra Train instructor Di

The only thing new that has been found, was that the muscles can perform these contractions very quickly and repetitively. And you use more muscle cells to land than you do to jump.

With real Vibration Training, you are just doing a reverse drop. You go into a "landing position" and the ground comes up to meet you at a given force.

Light vibration = Low height ( some machines are so weak they probably only replicate a few mm drop, these do hardly anything ) It is called vibration therapy/ Physio

Heavier vibration = higher height ( the smallest platform I use replicates a 1.2 meter drop , they go up to 2 meters ) Not many people are strong enough to use the larger heavier platforms. And even though I designed them I do not sell them to the public for this reason.

3. How do you think bodybuilders and weight trainers could benefit from Vibration training?

For people doing weight training already, I see Vibration Training as the perfect finishing off tool for whatever muscle group you happen to be working on. It is very similar in principle to someone helping you on your last few positives so you can concentrate on the negatives to get that last bit out of your muscles.

In the future I see them being used on the gym floor right next to the weights.

above: Llloyd with figure competitor Teneka Hyndman who achieved great results incorporating vibration training as part of her contest plan.

4. You're undergoing a 5year experiment on yourself where you only do vibration training? Why such a long experiment time? What do you want to find out about your experiment

Well from a scientific point of view I always try to split things into two simple categories. What does something do and what doesn't it do. I designed and built better machines based on what previous machines didn't do, where as the rest of the industry was believing their own marketing.

My experiment... I started with a theory but then needed to prove it. So only doing Vibration Training for 5 years will give me a good idea of the real results that can be expected from this form of training. It also will more importantly show me what it doesn't do, what are its limitations. If we understand that, it can be better matched up to other forms of exercise, because any trainer worth their weight in protein powder will tell you " NO EXERCISE IS AN ISLAND "

It is being done over a 5 year period, because by then any trainer will tell you my existing muscle should have all atrophied away. If Vibration Training "did nothing" like some critics suggested at 43 when I finish, I wont look like I work out. I am just putting my money where my mouth is.

For more information on Vibration Training and Vibra Train click here:

17 January 11

Vibra-Train

29 Nov 10
Another busy week of training the body and the brain. My weight training has been going really well but must admit been a little slack on the morning cardio. I am doing it but probably not as long as I should, but at least I'm getting into the routine.

left: me and stacey at GetNZactive seminar weekend

Got a few more vibra train sessions under my belt and even stepped up to harder machines. Although its only been about 5 sessions, I'm starting to notice my muscles look a little harder. Its going to take longer I know!

Its always good to see what else is on the market to compare. So I thought it would be a good experiment to compare vibratrain vs other vibration machines on the market. Could they shake me even harder and give me an even harder workout?

There seems to be alot more vibration machines out there from 'as soon on tv' type to other vibration training businesses who offer their own vibration machines so there's no shortage of machines to try!

Luckily I didn't have to go too far to try out a couple. At the GetNZactive seminar I was at, 2 different companies were displaying their versions of vibration training so ofcourse I had to have a go.

On the first machine, I felt abit wobbly on the platform (yes its suppose to wobble!) but it didn't feel very stable. At the highest rate of vibration I didn't feel the force that I needed to have so that my body could resist the force. This machine also had cables each side that apparently vibration travelled through - which also meant to give the vibration effect but I didn't feel it.

With this machine, the instructor also suggested you move on the machine ie squatting up and down while doing boxing motions with the cable, you can also do lunges, and normal push ups. All these movements on the machine added to the resistance but you only got the workout if you did the movements, rather than getting the burn by being in a static movement like the vibratrain. In summary, I felt this machine just didn't generate enough force so that your body actually worked to increase strength. Possibly beginners could find this machine beneficial as a starter trainer.

The second machine looked something out of a sci fi movie. It had the platform but then had a steel 'web' type apparatus attached at the front of it. The aim of that is so you can hold on to it for extra stretch and so you can face away from it while holding a position. This machine generated a little more force than the first but still it didn't give me that hard 3 tonne force that vibratrain machine gives me. The instructor also showd me exercises I could do while on the machine. Once again it was the moment that made me work rather the impact of the machine.

I guess I'm a traditional weight trainer and love feeling resistance while I'm working out. I didn't feel I got the workout that I get from these machines like I do on the vibratrain. Sure, vibratrain doesn't look fancy but it sure has grunt. As you progress with your strength gains, you have the option to go to the next machine which offers you more grunt with the maximum machine able to give you 5tonnes. And as weight trainers, we always aim to do more right???!

Lisa, Go Figure

22 Nov 10
I've had a busy week plunging myself in to a new routine of exercise and cardio. The most significant addition to my programme has been that of Vibra Training. Thanks to Lloyd and Di at Vibra Train in Victoria Street West, Akl who've been guiding me in this unique exercise and I'm actually enjoying someone else telling me what to do!

Lisa and Lloyd

Unless you give it a go, you'll have no idea what the sensation is like trying to maintain an exercise position while the equipment shakes a million times a second forcing your muscles to push against a resistance that's about 9 times your bodyweight. And that is how Vibratraining works to help increase your strength and ultimately muscle growth.

The firt time I worked on the VibraTrain I felt all itchy and my skin went super red! This reaction I'm told is common for us newbies and is a good thing as it increases circulation and opens up the pores to get all the toxins circulating in the lymphatic system. I did about 9 exercises in total which included 3 different squat exercise, chest, triceps and abs, although only took 20min I certainly felt like I was getting a cardio workout and a great strength workout from it too.

	My second session I stepped up to level 3, oh yeah I thought I was the bomb and handled the extra vibration ok, until I did the front squat. Since I didn't hold on to the bar, I had to rely on my balance - or lack of it!
I know I've always had problems with my ears and I'm prone to ear infection. This could be from a build up of wax or just from the reaction I have to food allergies. Not sure. But certainly felt the effects of my ears being rattled on the vibratrain. Di said the vibratrain will help to balance fluid in my ears and after a few sessions my body (and ears) will be used to it. We shall see but I certainly felt very nauseous after that session as it was just like being in a bumpy plane...eek! That said. A few days after the session I did feel my sinuses were clearer and I could breathe easier so maybe something is happening to clear the air (and the ear ha ha). So far I've enjoyed the sessions and doing something different. The Vibratrain hasn't detrementally affected my weight training, in fact, I think its helping recover and trying to lift heavier. I know its early days but the increased blood flow caused by vibratrain could help in delivering better nutrients to muscles so I could do more. Lisa, Go Figure