What is Vibration Training and its history?
Vibration Training (VT) is one of the most exciting technological advances in the fields of sports medicine, rehabilitation, general wellness/health and athletics in many years. By using the principles of Vibration Training, many people can improve sports performance, enhance current fitness and wellness levels, and even accelerate recovery from injury.
Although you may think that Vibration Training has only been around for a few years it has in fact been around for centuries! The use of vibration dates back to the ancient Greeks, who would use this form of activation for therapeutic purposes. The device they used would transmit vibration via fabric and a flexible saw, nothing like the machines used nowadays. Homer, one of the founders of massage as we know it, referred to vibration as a form of therapy as long ago as 1000BC.
At the Battle Creek Sanatorium in the US, John Harvey Kellogg, a famed physician, used a vibrating chair to increase intestinal peristalsis and reduce headaches. This treatment was also used to increase the supply of healthy oxygen around the body. Dr Kellogg also wrote a book called ‘The Art of Massage’ in 1895, which has a whole chapter on the use of vibration as a massage technique.
The Vibration machines that are seen today are based on research dating back to the early 1960’s, when Professor W. Biermann described Rhythmic Neuromuscular Stimulation (RNS). Prof. Biermann showed that cyclic vibrations could improve the condition of damaged joints by creating a quick stretch followed by a relaxation.
With the introduction of the space programme, Vibration Training started to move forward in leaps and bounds. A Russian scientist by the name of Nazarov was one of, if not the first person to use vibration as a training aid by way of Biomechanical Stimulation (BMS). This technology was used to enable cosmonots to stay in space for an extended period of time, without suffering from the
effects of zero gravity.
This is where it became clear as to the benefits of Vibration Training, not only did they find that Vibration Training increased muscle mass and bone density but it also increased flexibility, lymphatic drainage and hormone levels.
Vibration Training was being developed at a fast rate, but it also remained a secret for many years. After its success in the space programme, many of Russia’s top athletes incorporated Vibration Training into their training regimes. Have you ever wondered why the Russians where always the best at Power lifting and Gymnastics!
After years of working with isolated vibration machines, Whole Body Vibration (WBV) started to become popular with the help of Professor Carmello Bosco, an ltalian exercise physiologist. With vigorous testing it was found that WBV would be beneficial to power, strength, flexibility, hormone secretion, lymphatic activation, pain reduction and stress levels.
In 1999, the first vibration training product came out. This prompted a greater interest in Vibration Training, with interest coming from all markets and has since been used by many professional athletes, rehabilitation and wellness centres and health clubs.
Today, Vibration Training is beginning to draw worldwide attention. Various competitors have entered the market in the meantime, but TrueVibe still stays the original and the best.
Why Vibration Training?
With the emergence of multiple vibration units on the market, the most important point is which machine you use.
The material used in the production of the unit is also important. Truevibe is built with high quality stainless steel ensuring the optimum amount of vibration is transferred to the body on the other hand PowerPlate is made of cheap plastic plate which can not perform the vibration very well.
The following are some of the key advantages to Vibration Training:
Deeper Eying muscles
Almost 100% of the body’s muscles are exercised when using Vibration Training. Conventional training methods only reach 40-60%. Especially the deeper lying muscles, e.g. postural muscles profit strongly from Vibration Training.
Rarely used muscles
Vibration Training has another great advantage: muscles that are not used very frequently can often not be activated consciously. Vibration Training reactivates these rarely used muscles by reflex'”. In this way all muscles are stimulated without conscious control of the muscle contraction.
12 minute training
Within 12 minutes you can complete effective training of your entire body. This is possible because Vibration Training stimulates the whole muscular system at once and not one muscle at a time.
Pain Reduction
An increase in both circulation and lymphatic activation aids in pain reduction. The increased circulation provides the body with essential nutrients required in the repair process, whilst the lymph system while cleanse and detoxify.
Time Efficient
For the intense trainers out there, failure of major muscle groups can be achieved within 3 minutes. No more waiting for hours in the gym, one machine can be used for every exercise. By utilizing different amplitudes and frequencies virtually all muscle fibres are activated'”,
Ease of use
A large control panel ensures ease of use and programming. With it’s easy to follow menu structure even the most inexperienced people can start their training immediately. Start/Stop/Repeat button also comes in handy at the base of the console..
One machine, many applications
Although Truevibe may only be one piece of kit, it has over 500 exercises, stretches and massages that can be performed either with the straps or the foot plate. It truly is the ultimate multi-gym, beauty and rehabilitation machine.