Choosing a Vibration Platform For Home
Recently a user posed the following question:
“I want a machine for home use - domestic. So how do I know what to buy with all the choices out there - do I trust celebrity endorsements?”
In the spirit of this site we will not be mentioning brand names so you will need to still do some homework regarding what to buy. However we will cover some of the things to watch out for as you “tire kick” your way around the net - and
some of the strategies used by marketers to rope you in.
Buying a Vibration Machine For Home
This category is the easiest one to get confused over - mainly down to two reasons.
Marketers are:
- Deliberately blurring the lines between quality of product vs results.
- Playing on your insecurities and isolation.
The home user of a new exercise product is an easy target for both the above reasons - with most companies only too willing to prey on the consumer’s lack of knowledge. To make matters worse the same person will not want to hang around gyms where this type of information is discussed freely. If they are really sensitive about their weight then it may not even be discussed with their friends or family - leaving the media to be solely responsible for any education process.
Note: The more scientific the theory behind the product the easier it is to confuse the consumer.
Marketers of such products and services rely heavily on sketchy reports of famous people using their product or paying someone to pretend (it’s called acting) to use their product - the very people you read about in magazines
and see looking far more fantastic than anybody has a right too. This, in turn, raises your own expectations of what you should look like.
Combine this with the isolated mindset of someone who really does think they are letting themselves down and you have a person almost begging to be taken for a ride.
Essentially the media spend all their time causing you anguish rather than offer to fix it.
So - in steps the “marketers” with their vague promises of getting you the same machine that “so and so” uses, and the attached body (for a good price of course).
Celebrities Use Very Expensive Machines
Now most of the time they are not always outrightly lying. Your favorite celebrity may be doing “Vibration Training” but I can assure you they are not using a model you can afford. And the results on these machines are in direct comparison to the quality of the unit.
How do I know this you say - well firstly I design machines for my company, and secondly I can tell you straight up I know a couple of trainers that personal-train big stars and they have comfirmed what machines are used. I just can’t repeat it.
Note: None of them are under $12,000 U.S.
The fact is “real” stars keep things very quiet. Example: I have an expo soon that is closed to the public, no cameras, no cell phones, invites only. I will be meeting people I am not allowed to talk about. What does that tell you?
All that secrecy and combine that with generic terms like “Vibration Training” or “Vibrating Platform” and the scene is set for misdirection of the facts.
Perfect well known example below….
Madonna looks amazing thanks to $14,000 vibrating plate -by REBECCA CAMBER, Daily Mail, UK July 2006
“With her heavily muscled arms, you would be forgiven for thinking it is the result of a punishing exercise regime at the gym. But it seems the Queen of Pop’s incredible shape is, in part, thanks to the vibrating platform - dubbed the ‘miracle’ machine. The vibrating platform is said to be responsible for the incredible shapes of not only Madonna, but also stars such as Claudia Schiffer and Natalie Imbruglia. But the “miracle” machine doesn’t come cheap - at £6,995 ($14,000 USD) it costs far more than the average annual gym membership. After the muscley 47-year-old Queen of Pop bought the vibrating exercise platform, sales have reportedly soared. And in Harrods, around 20 machines are sold every weekend.”
This article clearly states how much the stars unit cost her. However she had only picked up the unit that week so her figure could not have been contributed to by that exact machine (it was in fact a present for a
friend as she already had a unit at home). Companies will sell you a home machine at a quarter of the price that supposably does the same thing.
Does that sound right to you ?
I mean I myself pay NZ$12,500 to get my smallest entry level unit built for studio use -and I own the factory !! (no you can’t buy one so don’t even ask).
So where does that leave the home user? High and dry you might think… luckily this is not the case. You can get good solid results from a decent quality home model. Combine that with a bit of cardio and diet correction and you will be well on your way. No need to bust a gut - just consistent effort is needed.
A few rules of thumb to help you narrow down the field
- Solid steel (not cheap steel or plastic) if possible.
- Reputable company. If you don’t trust them don’t buy it. Try searching on-line for anything you can find about the company. Trust your instincts. Leave dodgy units from dodgy companies alone - no matter how good the packaging. There will soon be 140 companies marketing to you with similar products. Be patient and choose wisely.
- Ask the seller…
- Where it was made?
- Who made it?
- What it is made of?
- Who designed the program?
If the questions above cannot be answered then walk away. This is your health we are talking about and these should be easy questions for anyone not hiding something to answer.
- Local warranty back-up. Well-known fitness store is best so you have someone real to walk in and talk to.
- Be realistic about your goals. Say if you are purchasing a unit that cost only a few thousand for weight loss (as opposed to a $14,000 U.S. unit) then things may move very slowly. Do not get frustrated, just stick to a good safe program every second day and it will happen. Think about this - you are trying to reverse how many years of abuse? It is not going to
happen overnight is it? So relax and just enjoy the thought you are actually doing something for yourself which is half the battle right? - It will have a limited lifespan.
Worst comes to worst you can always post a question on this site but try and make the question about certain characteristics of the machine rather than the brand name, or
- It may sound like marketing
- A few units are sold under a constantly changing name to confuse consumers. A description is far better to work on.
Happy hunting folks and hope you get what you are looking for - which remember is what you pay for.
Kind regards Lloyd Shaw
495 Comments
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Please note that low on an HG is = to high on a PowerPlate.
interesting
These are comments made by JOYCE WADLER
Published: April 13, 2006 for NYTimes.comOn turning on her PowerPlate..
“There was a loud sound, like that of a floor-sanding machine, but without the hum”
“It is also at this time my downstairs neighbor knocks on my door. The tone of her voice suggests she is not happy.
“What are you doing up here, working on the floors?” she said. “We keep hearing the sound of a machine. It’s coming through the ceiling. My daughter can’t sleep.”
Power Plate has helped my body, but it has flunked the most important test of New York City apartment living: the Neighbor Test. It has to go ”
——————————–
I have written an article on this subject as I do not believe that salespeople are informing people of the problems that come with a home unit in apartments or rented buildings.
Cool.
Nice…
- Gail Walter
December 3rd, 2007Several months ago I asked about vibration bothering the hardwood flooring on my basement’s floating sub floor and understood the answer to be that it would not cause any problem at all.
- DC
December 4th, 2007Thank you very much guys. I am a 290lb 30yr old who has been researching a machine that can help my diet. I exceed a lot of the weight restrictions on the cheaper models and with the recommendation of Lloyd and all, I think I am going to get the Hypergravity Personal Model. I am based in Canada.
Thanks for your posts.
I’d love to send you one of my Globus models from Connecticut.
- DC
December 5th, 2007Checking out your website, I’d like to have one too. But I think the price range may be quite a bit more than the HG.
- Gail Walter
December 5th, 2007I checked out the Globus website and find it very confusing and did not find any info on actual WBV machine specifics. Would not be able to decide I wanted one from the available info and I did not find any pricing.
- ed c
December 8th, 2007I am interested in information about the ironman vibration machine vs the power plate my3 which are both being sold at Costco, which has an almost unlimited return policy. From reading this forum it sounds like they are both inferior machine but how do they compare with each other and to the really cheaper machines below $1000. I’m interested in some toning and possible weight loss. If these machines are made of plastic why are they so heavy, 150lbs, 200lbs. How much inferior are they compared to the hypergravity personal?
The only reason the units are that heavy is they made the bases heavier ( look underneath to see the steel plate on the ground ) . It could have been to stabilize the unit or make it feel like better quality over lighter models.
(a) None of those two units are workout models even though limited results would be achieved.
(b) Their standard is one notch above the cheaper pivotal units.
(c) The Hypergravity personal is 10x the units they are. Not even fair to compare.
Hello All,
I have a review to submit. I would not recommend the below platform… what do you think Lloyd.
It is a rigid platform like the soloflex with a much more powerful motor and larger platform. Lots of testimonials but certainly not a true lineal.
Just talked to the owner and he could not tell me an amplitude. Very nice guy though…
Bryant
p.s. Lloyd, I got your email… will reply soon.
Yes , lack of information from this company is disturbing.
- ed c
December 10th, 2007Thanks for the info. What is your opinion about the power vibe machine, http://www.mywholebodyvibration.com/specialoffer.html and how does it compare with the power plate my3 and ironman. Thanks.
Very similar units.
- DC
December 11th, 2007Well, back here again. Seems like all our hype and fluff for hypergravity really let me down. Since I found a canadian dealer who had the exact website - and I didnt want to piss anyone off, for trying to buy direct - I contacted him first. The machines seemed the same, and company seems the same. Check my email.
EMAIL TO THEM:
—– Original Message —-
From: David C—–
To: joshw@hypergravity-canada.com
Sent: Monday, December 10, 2007 5:49:04 PM
Subject: Hypergravity PersonalHi Josh,
Is there any difference ordering from you or from US direct?
How much are you selling the HG Personal For?
I am in Vancouver , BC .
Thank you for your kind attention.
Rgds,
David Chin
———————-
That was my email to them, ready to buy kind of email - give me a quote lets do some business.
The reply is what I got:
Good morning David,
For more info you can visit our international website at http://www.hypergravity.net or for an excellent blog site for vibration training visit http://www.vibrationtraining.com .
Regards, Josh
—————————–Interesting response is all I can say. One the website is wrong. I guess he was trying to point it back here coz we are all screaming and shouting at how great HG is. But them appointing such dealer is a concern to me. Seems like he doesnt have a clue whats going on — high on something like. 4 simple questions and the reply comes back with a mistyped website.
I seriously hope that HG US aint like that. I mean sure, $3,850 is not very much for a WBV Machine, but its a lot for me… couldnt I expect a little more sincerity for a product thats gonna cost $4K.
May be, thats why their machine is so much cheaper than others on the market (at the supposed same quality)… It kinda makes me worried that I wont be getting any aftersales service considering the amount of presales service I got.
Will have to reconsider.
Sorry to have gone a little off topic, but I thought readers should have a chance to see another side of HG. Actually I was really hyped up from buying this machine. Now… I guess I may have to look for other manufacturers with good machine and possibly better customer service.
- DC
December 11th, 2007Also, I contacted the fitvibe smart dealer in canada. They also have ignored my request for information. I guess its pretty common in the industry. But, I am surprised since these machines dont come cheap. May be thats why these cheap asian manufacturers can get in with their aggressive marketing strategies.
- JM
December 11th, 2007I bought a Hypergravity Personal last month from the US site based on what I read here. I almost when the Ironman Costco route.
The customer service at HG was not just good, it was outstanding. I have never bought anything where I got that kind of personal attention.
Note: The industry is still young , and the good companies still seem to be concentrating on just building quality devices for a decent price.
They will have to spend time developing after sales skills.
Unfortunatly most marketers put all their effort into the sale and none into the product.
The industry will find a balance as the consumer becomes more educated and knows what to expect.
- DC
December 12th, 2007Lloyd, true that. May be I will try contacting US direct.
Hello to all,
In reply to DC’s comments; this was a misunderstanding. There was a missed email outlining the response to the questions that were asked. My apologies to all. I try very hard to answer every question possible, sometimes things get misplaced/ lost from point A to B.- Gail Walter
December 17th, 2007DC
You should check into Wavexercise. They are made in Ontario. They answer questions very promptly and put no pressure on you to make a decision to buy. I tried a machine when I was in the east and it was really a great machine.
To DC
Hello David,
Are you from Hong Kong or Taiwan (just my curiosity).
I read you contacted the FITVIBE SMART dealer and was ignored. Do you mean Remington Medical? I know their managing director. I would be happy to provide to provide assistance if you need. You can email me and I shall put you through.
TC
- William Ward
December 29th, 2007WBV technology is more important than the name or body that wraps up the engineering, obviously our designer friend has omitted to mention this fact, although it must be said that the chassis strength plays an important part in overall maintenance and life of the technology. The technology used in “Crazy Fitness” oscillating WBV equipment is pretty much standard for that type of apparatus with many suppliers opting to re badge the CE WBV with their own label and I giving enhanced warranties to compliment the quality of product they are offering for sale.
Other manufacturers of WBV oscillating platforms achieve the same effect using similar technology.
I have searched for malpractice suite’s past and present involving CE equipment to support the claims that this type of equipment is responsible for brain injury or any other injury for that matter, I have been unable to identify exact examples of these claims, in fact it would seem to be myth, unsubstantiated waffle, possibly spread by manufacturers who are unable to compete with pricing of CE or China built equipment so choose to propagate lies and innuendo’s as a marketing ploy to drive customers to their products and pay the inflated prices that they would have you pay for the same outcome ” there are none so blind as those that have eye’s and can not see “. - Di Heap
December 29th, 2007Ummm, okay..the technology used in CrazyFit equipment is standard for that type of equipment.. No one would argue with you over that. CrazyFit is a massage platform NOT a wbv platform - very different equipment. It’s also a pivotal platform and as such cannot be compared directly with many other platforms. It’s lower price, lower grade equipment and sold under many varying names. Definitely not myth or waffle to say it differs completely from many other platforms including some other pivotal platforms.
Yes, wbv technology is the significant factor but all wbv technology is not the same. Just making a machine that vibrates or wobbles does not make a SAFE, Purposeful platform, designed specifically to perform to standard and produce specific results in Users (to do what it’s designed and carefully made to specs, to do).
Seems to me you are comparing Oranges to Acorns and saying they are the same thing because they both come from a tree (similar “technology”).
The fact that PYC fitness is deliberatly dishonest by using other companies name and material to sell its product shows it has no faith in its own abilities.
The fact it hasnt been successfully sued yet does not change the fact they are dodgy, ill educated and hence must be considered a danger to others.
The warning signs are all there that it a bad company with a bad product . Maybe it’s you who just does not want to see them.
Note: Your particular fight with other Pivotal companies is of no concern to me. My Boycott contines as a result of Crazy-Fits or its marketers own past actions and lack of accountability.
I did contact them directly regarding my concerns , but got no reply.
- William Ward
December 29th, 2007Like yourself Lloyd my involvement in the industry is of a design nature, I have been to manufacturing plants in China, to look at various types of vibration technology re WBV, I am also a distributor of several different models that I import from GB and USA, could you release all the information you have on these rogue companies and there equipment, evidence that is verifiable and will stand up to scrutiny in a court of law. I would like to make sure I’m not dealing with any of them, WHO ARE THEY.
I am prepared to pursue these matters through the courts if you can provide proof of your claims. William…
You are not going to get a Chinese based company into court over plagiarism , using other companies names/reputation etc… or other such dodgy practices.
eg… http://www.pycfitness.com/fitness_maps/crazy-fitness-massage.htm
I save and print off files like this all the time. I have a folder bigger than you could imagine as I believe it may be needed in the future should I ever be asked to justify my statements.
The best we can do is take it as a warning sign and wave the flag on sites like this.
I think the biggest mistake these companies make is to believe I will just forget. I know every day they lose sales as a result of our sustained attack and someone , someday , will be forced to address the problem.
- William Ward
December 29th, 2007Your sustained attacks are forcing businesses who are selling there products, to re label the product, now the product is the same and yet no longer PYC labeled machinery, your attacks could have commercial implications for businesses who have re badged the PYC product, and if they operate in the same area you do, you could be subject to litigation, forcing you to substantiate your claims to avoid damages.
The re badged machines are made under lic and 30 odd companies are now putting out units with whatever label you choose, that label may be of Registered USA company and it’s logo, without attacking these companies the PYC Company will continue to grow and prosper under different brand names.
PYC equipment is the biggest selling WBV units, at present, worldwide. Sales will continue to grow because of results and lower retail costs.
Most units manufactured in western countries are unable to compete on price, so rely on bagging the opposition.The most notable result of this Blog is the increase in businesses now providing PYC equipment under different branding, what have you achieved Lloyd?.
The enemy is now in disguise and is in your back yard parading as a virtuous model, will you take your attack to these businesses for sourcing there equipment from a PYC lic manufacturer.
A few points to consider William ….
(1) Legal note: I do not sell machines to the public , so am not considered to be working in the same area.
(2) I dont know if you notice , but I do not operate out of fear so any threats I take as a challange. I won with litigation brought against me by PowerPlate, I will win any challange again.
(3) You have just hinted that these companies are aware of the bad reputation PYC has but “choose” to deal with them out of greed. Rebranding only to outrun bad press. So I fail to see any innocent parties being effected.
Note: Companies are responsable for their own vetting of potential business partners and any goodwill/badwill attached. If they are to lazy to do this or want to accept the risks then it is their call.
(4) This process of rebranding will become ever more expensive for them . And they will find it very hard to outrun a photo .
To prove my point , I have managed to shut down the sale of these units in N.Z. to basically a standstill with very little effort. No matter what they called it.
Lastly you sound like a marketer we had on another site not long ago , doing her best to justify doing business with these people. Just like dealing with a company like PowerPlate , there is no reason good enough for me.
Remember we are dealing with peoples health here , not a clock radio.
- William Ward
December 29th, 2007Yes your reputation precedes you, I’ve even read articles on your court case with power plate in our local rag, but your attacks are not about health that’s a smoke screen for some hizzy fit you having with PYC about ” plagiarism , using other companies names/reputation etc… or other such dodgy practices”, or maybe there’s more to it, to me it seems you have become a reflection of the very thing you set this blog up to do, help avoid marketers and you’ve become it, shonky, dodgy, making vague and unsubstantiated claims with no supporting evidence, you are no better than PYC if you have to use the same practices to discredit them, you lack credibility, you insult the intelligence of those people who require an unbiased opinion, you are unable give them your opinion without the added bias of hatred you feel to wards PYC, you are emotionally vexed.
If health is your concern, where is the evidence to support, the apparatus is dangerous to your health, there isn’t any, only here say in fact you seem to be behind the rumor’s, you have successfully duped many site’s and people into believing this myth.
You have no credibility, without evidence it makes you a lair. PYC Inc. and its U.S. distributors had no problem using my work and company name to sell its equipment and start up its business.
So I think it is fitting my words are used to stop them.
An unbiased intelligent question folks…
Would you buy any health product from a manufacturor that had to steal others work to try and sell it ?
I think the public have a right to know if a company is incompetent and dishonest. How could you possibly argue with that logic ?
I will ask you to answer that question directly William. Yes or No.
Would you trust such a company with your health ?
- William Ward
December 29th, 2007The only way you could loose your claim, your property or name is, if you made mistakes commercially when it came to protecting your invention, name etc, you let yourself down.
It’s easy to blame someone else for your folly or twist it to make it look like a conspiracy against you.
How you where able to loose control or ownership of your idea’s really is your responsibility not PYC or its US counterpart.
Any business that is savvy will cease on opportunities if they become available and are not protected, what happened to you sounds like alack of business acumen.
Unless of course industrial intellectual property was stolen through actual theft. This would constitute a criminal act, if this was the case you could have proved theft.
You need to move on, many people, old and young are gaining health benefits from you invention, thats not going to end because of this Blog, and those claims can be substantiated.
The most damage you have done is to us kiwis, we pay more for the same results, thousands more, good health is expensive because of you.
How sick is any person who derides his own invention knowing his claims about the equipment and it’s health implications are bullshit.
- Di Heap
December 30th, 2007William, I do not know what company you own or work for but I can see that your knowledge is lacking. Lloyd Shaw did not invent wbv, he made a New Zealand made platform that works extremely well - gives the results it’s designed to give.. oh hold on, it’s not even that simple as he has 5 machines that are each different and for specific purposes.
Also crazyfit machines are extremely inexpensive in NZ, more so than in maybe any country, and easily obtained off the local auction site either new or many, many “used for a month” and then decided they didn’t have time for it or whatever reason the person gives to re-sell them.
Lloyd Shaw does not need me or anyone to defend him but I am just not going to stand by and let your attacks stand as they are so wrong. When I briefly looked into buying a wbv studio that had very opposing brand of machines, Lloyd offered to help me get established and operating successfully. He has helped many companies that have different machines to his. All that is required is that the owner/operator of such studios does not lie in the claims they make for their machines - that they present them honestly. Seriously fail in this (as some have done) and Lloyd will make it his job to expose and close you down. That’s got to be good for the public!
I found a website that had copied part of Lloyd’s company’s website word for word. To do that surely means they didn’t have many clues about the equipment they were selling to the public - very scary I think.
Oh and yes it was PYC equipment. - Wayne Campbell
December 30th, 2007William you accuse Lloyd Shaw of being responsible for those allready unethical companies acting even more unethically by rebranding machines. So whats the problem? By all means discuss the your opinions and theories, but your personal attacks lose you credibility
William I think you are beyond ill educated in this subject to a point I will actually call you just plain lazy.
I am only the inventor of my machines which you would know if you spent 5 mins doing any research. Lineal and Pivotal Therapy have been around longer than I have been around.
Note: I do protect my machines and copyright in the many ways I can , and so far these methods have been very very effective.
PYC and its distributors made the mistake of not only outrightly stealing my copyrighted work, but they attached it to a Pivotal unit which in no way resembles what I was even writing about, which was a Lineal machine.
I have their unit in my head studio , alongside mine in keeping with…
“Comparing one product with another may be misleading if there is not enough information provided to make a fair comparison.”
Anyone can walk off the street and compare.
But you did make a fantastic point earlier…
“Yes your reputation precedes you…”
Obviously not well enough , I will redouble my efforts.
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November 13th, 2007
My advice would be to stay with the Physio , the PowerPlate is a good Therapy unit if used properly and its actually working.
But if you decide to lat her use the HG…
Your mom has to replicate the poses used by her Physio EXACTLY , not kind of EXACTLY , if this is not done it could cause problems. If you do not believe this can be done , leave well enough alone.
Note: The stretch I do in my program ( num 6 ) is the only safe all round physio type pose I allow.