When can I start using the Power Plates?
Now! However, you will need to have an induction before you are able to use the Power Plate.
We have booking sheets in the gym for people to book mini inductions and programmes with an instructor. These should take no longer than 15-30 minutes showing people a routine of basic exercises.
We have reserved one of the Power Plates for the time being for use by the instructors to show people how they work. The other Power Plate will be open for use by the members when they are confident they can use them on their own.
What is a Power Plate?
Quite simply, it’s a machine that vibrates. These vibrations cause instability in your body making your muscles react, which results in improved strength. While weight-training uses weight to improve your muscle strength, the power plate uses different vibrating speeds to train your muscles. The faster the vibration, the heavier your body feels, thus making your muscles work harder to perform the exercise.
How do you use it?
Most floor exercises can be performed on the Power Plate, including squats, lunges and press-ups, to name just a few. Once you’re on the machine, you can choose the speed of the vibrations. This can vary, but is usually between 10Hz and 50Hz. Each vibrating exercise should last between 15 seconds and three minutes, with your total workout lasting about ten to 30 minutes.
What are the benefits?
A Power Plate workout is relatively easy and doesn’t cause a lot of muscle soreness after your session - so it’s a great addition to your weekly exercise regime! This is especially true if you’re new to running and still feel quite stiff after a run. Another bonus is that the sessions are short, so they’re easy to schedule into your day. The main fitness benefits are improved muscle strength, flexibility and core stability. Other wellness benefits include an increase in your metabolic rate to aid weight loss, an increase in bone density - great if you have a high risk of osteoporosis - and improvement in your lymphatic systen, which helps your body get rid of toxins.
How can it help runners?
A study published in The British Journal of Sports Medicine in 2007 found that when you use vibration training, such as the Power Plate, before walking on a treadmill, you can significantly reduce or even prevent delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS). So, why not use the Power Plate as part of your warm-up, to reduce any possibly muscle soreness as a consequence of your run? Using the Power Plate for massage can also help release tension in sore muscles - in fact, it’s similar to traditional massage. And worried about poor flexibility? Research conducted by Russian scientist Vladimir Nazarov has proven that stretching on the Power Plate can significantly increase your flexibility.
How often should you use it?
To see the best results, you should aim to do at least three ten-minutes vibration training sessions each week, in addition to your normal running programme.
How can you learn how to use it?
All you need to do is approach our fitness instructors and they will give you an induction on the Power Plate as well as offering you exercises that are specific to your needs.