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Vibration Trainer Machines

Fidelia

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Have any of you tried/used/own one of these machines? They are supposed to help drain lymphatic glands, give more energy, build core strength, develop muscle etc etc. My cousin is thinking about buying one (they are about $2200), but would like some more opinions/experiences of other people to factor in.
 

Words of Ivory

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Nothing replaces real exercise.

They *do* work. To a point. But again, nothing can replace the real thing.
 

Halla74

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Nothing replaces real exercise.

They *do* work. To a point. But again, nothing can replace the real thing.

Excellent reply! :nice:

Several devices have attempted to supplant exercise.

Remember "Tens" units?

The rubber pads that hooked into a power supply via wire leads, and each power source was controlled by a dial?

tens_digital.jpg


They are great for lower back pain, they are super for folks in a medical setting who do not have full capacity to exercise, but do not wish to atrophy. Neither will turn an average person into Mr. Olympia. :D

Before spending $2,200 on a machine, first look at their used price (an indicator if they are worth a shit, (a) if lots are available they suck, (b) if used price is less than 50% of retail then they suck). Then, see if you can get the opinion of a neutral third party, a trainer you know casually, a fitness store clerk who is not on commission, or a local gym rat. :yes:
 

Fidelia

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In her case, she suffers from thyroid problems and walks/runs 1 1/2 hours a day plus does some light strength training. Her daughter is 15 and had slight oxygen deprivation when she was born, resulting in some learning difficulties. The daughter has always been extremely tired and needs a lot of time to be fully awake in the morning, and also has had to take a day or two off school every month to catch up on sleep. My cousin is hopeful that this could make a difference in her daughter's alertness and also enhance her own fitness.
 

Words of Ivory

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If it could work and help her, that would be amazing. I would definitely suggest doing more research first though, or you might ending up wasting two grand on a giant paperweight.

Ask a doctor. They would know best.
 

Metamorphosis

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kettlebell.jpg


A whole gym in one!

I wouldn't recommend it for the kid, though.

Really, though, I wouldn't see the vibration machines doing any serious help to anyone who is even relatively healthy or capable of exercise, surely not compared to walking/running an hour and a half a day.
 

foolish heart

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As much as I'd like to think this will help her, I looked at a video and I honestly think this would be a waste of money.

Something to consider when thinking about fitness... the most vital element of overall fitness has very little to do with muscles. Muscles are like the wheels on a car, they are where the rubber meets the road as obviously they are the only thing moving your skeletal system around. However what is far more important is the engine, the nutrient delivery system.

The primary factor of how good of shape someone is in not their muscular development but rather their cardiovascular system, and the only muscles involved there are the heart and diaphragm which can only be developed aerobically. Someone with well developed heart, diaphragm, and muscle capillaries but poor muscle tone and extra fat will outperform someone with great muscles, low body fat, but poor cardiovascular development. Aside from the possible lymphatic stimulation, this machine seems to be focused on muscle development so I'm not sure it has much to offer her or her daughter.

I'm certainly not a doctor or a fitness expert but I think the best thing they could do is get some medication and look into low impact aerobic exercises like swimming or an elliptical machine. Better diet perhaps, too? Hope this helps. :)
 

Feops

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No personal experience, but my question would be what this expensive machine can do that light bodyweight routine (with a cost of $0) could not. Improvement is simply an adaptation to stress.

The promise of draining glands and such sounds like marketing crap, like a detox program. If anything, a doctor or dietician should be consulted for those types of things.
 

wolfy

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Nothing replaces real exercise.

They *do* work. To a point. But again, nothing can replace the real thing.

If it could work and help her, that would be amazing. I would definitely suggest doing more research first though, or you might ending up wasting two grand on a giant paperweight.

Ask a doctor. They would know best.

Just suggest she do this. She is going to have to find a neutral party.
 

Phoenix_400

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They'd be better off with electro kits and I wouldn't suggest those to anyone unless they're so far gone they are suffering from muscular atrophy, have a severe physical disability, or are in need of intense physical therapy due to injury.

I just looked up videos on the vibration trainer things, they look like a load of crap. Reminds me of when my mom and aunt went to this 'gym' where they had machines you laid on that moved your body for you. Resistance is what builds muscle. Example: If you curl a dumbell, you're supposed to tense the muscles at the top of the curl and then slowly lower it back down. If you just fling it up then let you're arm go loose and just drop it back down due to the weight, you're not doing yourself any good.

Skip the vibration gimmick. If they're in that bad of shape, get the electro-pad deals like Halla74 posted, try to find the kinds they use in physical therapy treatment and not mass-market,'as seen on tv' junk.

Honestly, I think they'd be better served with Resistance Bands and a Balance Ball. A helluva lot cheaper and far more effective.

EDIT: I did have a friend get professional medical treatment for his plantar fasciitis using vibration...Ultrasound vibration that is.
 

Fidelia

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I believe the idea behind it is not just that you stand on them, but that they add to what you are doing by destabilizing you while you do planks, pushups, sidelifts, lunges, squats and so on. I went with her to look at them and there are two kinds which feel quite different from one another. She finds that she is sore the day after using them and feels more alert and finds it easier to breathe. I found they made no difference at all on the two occasions that I used them, other than making me painfully aware of every fat deposit on my body! Some gyms now have them and apparently they are used by some hockey training camps. I don't know of anyone who has personal experience with them and doctors generally wouldn't have much of an opinion on that sort of thing here. I don't trust anything the internet says on it. Personally, I think that she may be investing a lot of money in something not all that useful. She's thinking if it could make a significant difference in the kid's alertness and mood, it would help the kid in school tremendously.
 

Phoenix_400

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I believe the idea behind it is not just that you stand on them, but that they add to what you are doing by destabilizing you while you do planks, pushups, sidelifts, lunges, squats and so on.

The theory at work there is that its forcing you to use and build smaller stabilizer muscles. I had this problem when I blew out my shoulder. My arm was really shaky when I held it up for a long time.

Understanding So-Called Stabilizer Muscles >> Medical Questions, Weight Loss, Pregnancy, Drugs, Health Insurance

Seriously: balance ball (and bb specific exercises), resistance bands, and maybe some isometric exercises if they're not really the 'get active and sweaty' types.

This really has become "The Instant Gratification Age". Too many people buying into the '6 pack in 6 weeks', 'lets get a machine that does the work for me' crap. Like all those diet pill ads, 'I lost 2tons in less than 60seconds' and in really small print on the bottom of the tv commercial *Results not typical. Use in conjunction with a steady diet/exercise program* etc, etc. People are really makin' bank off this 'Gotta have it now' society. Makes me throw up a lil' in the back of my throat every time I see people buying into these over-priced gimmicks. :ranting:

....Sorry, watched a couple more videos on those machines and hit my boiling point.

/END_RANT
 
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