by thinkmarsh | Apr 5, 2016 | exercise, fitness, health, vibration
Vibration training gained popularity with Russian athletes in the 1960s and has been around ever since (1). Today you can find Power Plate® machines in your local gym or fitness boutique. They have even just released a Personal Power Plate®, weighing 18 kg, that will fit under your bed or in your cupboard. There are numerous benefits to vibration training, including increased circulation, improved flexibility, reduction in cellulite, speeding up recovery, boosting endurance, and improving core strength and stability (2). It can also be a great benefit when strength training in the gym. In 15-30 seconds you can pre-activate your muscles which will in turn, increase your power and range of motion (ROM). In a 2016 study, Dallas, et al. (3) found direct pre-activation resulted in increased flexibility and explosive strength in the legs of divers. This affect last up to 15 minutes following exposure to vibration. The pre-activation in this series were 4 sets of 30 seconds with 30 seconds rest in between, with a different exercise for each set (static squat, dynamic squat, and lunges on each leg).
How can you pre-activate? Hop on to the Power Plate® in your gym and either hold a static pose or a simplified version of the move you are about to perform, such as squats, without the weights. Even if you have to wait a minute or two for the lifting equipment to become available, the benefit of the vibration training was found to still be available up to 15 min (3). In other research studies, vibration training has been shown to improve muscle activity, force, and power (4).
What is the physiological reason behind this? Dallas et al. (3) hypothesise that the vibration helps the stretch reflex loop in the muscle fiber. Vibration training also raises muscle temperature and blood flow to the muscle which helps with ROM (4) The neurological system may improve motor unit synchronisation and help further develop the central balance neuropathways (5).
By using a Power Plate® during your workout, you can reduce the length of the session. The vibration makes the workout more intense, activating all muscles in body. Even if the exercise you are doing doesn’t target another part of the body (for example, a bicep curl), another part (the core) is still engaged. Older people who have trouble with their balance or people who take part in sports that require a lot of agility (trail running, parkour, tennis, basketball, football) will see rapid improvements in their sports performance once they started using vibration training. A 2016 study (6) found that Elite male soccer players improved their stability when they had a short vibration training session of 3 x 60 seconds with 60 seconds rest in between trials after a 10 minute warm up on a stationary bicycle. Additionally, both the elite and amateur male soccer players improved their anterior Y balance test reach distances, which is an indication of improved flexibility. This increase in stability, flexibility, and balance can help reduce the risk of injury in the long term, such as during a match.
There are several contraindication for vibration training. People who are pregnant, have cancer, broken bones, a recent IUD insertion or have a pacemaker should not use the machines. Never use the machine barefoot and always use the mat if you are sitting on the machine. Some people find the vibrations too intense on first use. To help the body become accustomed to the new sensation, you can stand on the mat during the first few sessions to dampen the intensity. Also, rock back and forth on your feet from heels to toes to explore how the vibration travels differently through the body depending on body positioning. Standing straight up will allow the vibration to travel right up to your head, so aim to keep the knees soft.
The vibrations are not something you will have experienced before, so it may take some time to get used to. Once you are used to it, vibration training is a proven way to make use of your limited time in the gym. The long-term improvements in flexibility, strength, and stability will be an asset to your performance goals.
References
1 Biermann, W. 1960. Influence of cycloid vibration massage on trunk flexion. American Journal of Physical Medicine (39): 219–224.
2 https://powerplate.com/
3 Dallas, G., G. Paradisis, P. Kirialanis, V. Mellos, P. Argitaki, and A. Smirniotou. 2015. The acute effects of different training loads of whole body vibration on flexability and explosive strength of lower limbs in divers. Biology of Sport. 32(3): 235-241.
4 Sands, W.A., J.R. McNeal, M.H. Stone, G.G. Haff, and A.M. Kinser. 2008. Effect of vibration on forward split flexibility and pain perception in young male gymnasts. International Journal of Sports Physiology and Performance. 3(4):469-481.
5 Ronnestad, B.R. Comparing the performance-enhancing effects of squats on a vibration platform with conventional squats in recreationally resistance-trained men. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research. 18(4): 839-845.
6 Cloak, R., A. Nevill, and M. Wyon. 2016. The acute effects of vibration training on balance and stability amongst soccer players. European Journal of Sport Science. 16(1): 20-26.
by thinkmarsh | Feb 17, 2016 | recovery, running, vibration
On Saturday, I ran 22.73 miles with my co-worker Lucy at Unusual Suspects hosted by Saxons, Vikings, and Normans (race review coming soon). This means peak week is over and my body can start to recover. Soon my mileage will be dropping off. I have sports massages scheduled in upcoming weeks and look forward to more sleeping. Both of these I tried to incorporate throughout my marathon training. But now that I am tapering, what will I do differently?
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| Stretching out my hammies |
A few weeks ago, I ran 18 miles on a Thursday afternoon as part of my marathon training. Lucky for me, I had a Power Plate session with Caroline Pearce at SoHo Hotel immediately after. She blessed me with a recovery massage and stretch on the newly launched Personal Power Plate. This small unit fits under a bed or can stack in the corner of a fitness studio. It only weighs 18.2 kg, making it fairly easy to move. You can use it on carpet or bare floors, or store away in it’s soft case. I love the remote control which makes it easier to keep a steady pace up during your workout, rather than bending down to press the start button each time. It is always set at 35 Hz (compared to 30, 35, and 40 in other models) and still has high and low options.
Power Plates are great for helping speed up recovery, boosting endurance, helping with circulation, and improving core strength, stability, and balance. All of these are important to runners! Caroline and I talked a bit about how strength training with a Power Plate can help people of all athletic abilities and interests gain an edge by maximizing their workouts. With the vibration, more muscles in your body are engaged when performing exercise (which is great for your core). I always tell my clients, any exercise you do with a free weight, you can do on a Power Plate. The constant instability over the timed one minute intervals makes workouts much harder.
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| This move is no joke on a Power Plate |
I used to teach vibration training classes at Frame and Powervibe Studios. Just 25 minutes of hard work gave fantastic results to the members. No matter if it was a runner, mummy, bride-to-be, or someone prepping for a holiday, vibration training benefited them and their goals. If we had a little more space in our flat, I would be tempted to invest in this model as I want to incorporate more strength training over the next 3 weeks. My hips and legs were feeling the strain over the weekend, so my goal is to do 2 weights sessions a week now instead of one. I just need to make sure I am not over-training during this important time for recovery. The Iron Strength DVD will remain for one session. For the other I will use my resistance bands from the Physical Company to do leg abductions, squats, clams, and hamstring curls.
There are 2 passive bits to my tapering too. The first is Recovery Bits. Normally, I use Energy Bits for fuelling on my long runs. These are 100% spirulina algae- no sugar, chemicals, etc. (hence vegan and paleo approved). The company also make 100% chlorella Recovery Bits which I take when I feel a cold coming on and after long runs (13+ miles). You definitely need to swallow them whole (rather than chew) as they taste a bit organic, but I find they do the trick without upsetting my stomach or giving me runner’s tummy. Try them yourself with 25% off using code PTMollie (I am an ambassador and receive 1 free bag for every 10 purchased with my code).
And where would I be without my compression gear? Knee high compression socks are a must, as are my 2XU leggings. I typically don’t run in compression gear but save it for after the race. That is my personal preference though as I get hot when I run. You can read more about the benefits of compression gear on this post I wrote for Bospasa.
Do you change your training strategy during your taper? What other recovery tips do you have after a long run?
Thanks to Power Plate for the taster session and to Physical Company for providing resistance bands in the goody bags. All opinions are honest and my own.
Vibration training gained popularity with Russian athletes in the 1960s and has been around ever since (1). Today you can find Power Plate® machines in your local gym or fitness boutique. They have even just released a Personal Power Plate®, weighing 18 kg, that will fit under your bed or in your cupboard. There are numerous benefits to vibration training, including increased circulation, improved flexibility, reduction in cellulite, speeding up recovery, boosting endurance, and improving core strength and stability (2). It can also be a great benefit when strength training in the gym. In 15-30 seconds you can pre-activate your muscles which will in turn, increase your power and range of motion (ROM). In a 2016 study, Dallas, et al. (3) found direct pre-activation resulted in increased flexibility and explosive strength in the legs of divers. This affect last up to 15 minutes following exposure to vibration. The pre-activation in this series were 4 sets of 30 seconds with 30 seconds rest in between, with a different exercise for each set (static squat, dynamic squat, and lunges on each leg).
By using a Power Plate® during your workout, you can reduce the length of the session. The vibration makes the workout more intense, activating all muscles in body. Even if the exercise you are doing doesn’t target another part of the body (for example, a bicep curl), another part (the core) is still engaged. Older people who have trouble with their balance or people who take part in sports that require a lot of agility (trail running, parkour, tennis, basketball, football) will see rapid improvements in their sports performance once they started using vibration training. A 2016 study (6) found that Elite male soccer players improved their stability when they had a short vibration training session of 3 x 60 seconds with 60 seconds rest in between trials after a 10 minute warm up on a stationary bicycle. Additionally, both the elite and amateur male soccer players improved their anterior Y balance test reach distances, which is an indication of improved flexibility. This increase in stability, flexibility, and balance can help reduce the risk of injury in the long term, such as during a match.
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