Vibration Training for Long Distance Runners

by Site Administrator

NOTE: The following is a testimonial from a reader. As it is anecdotal, results cannot be verified. Most testimonials can be construed as thinly veiled advertisements. So, because of this, reference to the actual machine used has been removed.

You are left to draw your own conclusions.

Greg Writes:

I returned to long distance running nine years ago and quickly found that being forty and after years of not training I wasn’t as fast as I wanted to be. Lots of time spent training plus occasionally using weights to build up strength improved my times and I’ve taken part in around 20 half-marathons, one marathon, some 10km and 5km events and fun runs with good results. I’ve also done some New Zealand Masters events on track at shorter distances achieving gold and silver medals for age group at shorter distances.

I work long hours on shift-work so finding time for running is always a problem and I have not been able to train with a club. I enjoy running and so I run – cross training is not part of my thinking even though I am constantly told it is beneficial. I use weights only when I can’t find an excuse not to. I’m not a gym member.

The Testing of an Suggestion:

In October, 2006 I ran the Adidas Auckland Half-Marathon (NZ), a challenging course with hills and turns including the Auckland Harbor Bridge, placing 11th in age group with a time of just over 96 mins. This year I wanted to improve my result but I knew that as usual I would be hampered by time restraints plus I’m a year older and each year brings slower results unless seriously countered by effort. So I started weekly and sometimes twice weekly sessions with a WBV machine. Very quickly I build up muscle strength throughout my legs and vastly improved core strength and balance. I built up some extra size in my quads and I was not happy about this at all as I believed it would slow me down as endurance runners tend to have lean body size. I thought I was wasting my money! Then I ran a mid winter half-marathon in July and was surprised at my stamina. This run included 1km of beach plus a hill climb and I was not slowed at all. I had a month off then started back into training for this year’s Auckland Half-Marathon (October 28).

Static Poses Only

I was still not convinced that Vibration Training was going to help me. I like to just run! Everything seemed to get in the way of training. Rain, rain and more rain, too heavy to run in. Work shifts that entailed more nights than days and family needs. It was suggested I return to using the WBV machine as an experiment. I was to follow the regular program with some additional time spent on squat poses. All poses were to be static. I was not allowed to do anything dynamic at all – no movement on the machines, which seemed to me to go against other exercise ideas I’d read about. Positions had to be held perfectly and I would be watched over. I didn’t have a lot to lose as I wasn’t likely to do well with the small amount of run training I was doing so I followed the WBV program, usually twice weekly over the past two months.

I was skeptical but after a few weeks I felt stronger on my day-shift lunchtime short runs and I started saying It was from the specific Vibration Training. I only managed two long (30km) runs on days off. I didn’t do any weights at all. I would have usually done another 8 long runs of over 16km before a major event.

Small Improvements

I started todays half-marathon confident of finishing and feeling quite strong but tired from work and concerned I wouldn’t do well.

Well, I didn’t win the race. I’m not that good, BUT, I got into the top 10 in my age group, finishing 9th out of almost 200 in my age group and 278th of around 6000 overall. I’ve been trying to achieve this for years! I finished nearly 2 minutes faster than last year’s Auckland Marathon. One or two minutes doesn’t sound like much but runners struggle to improve small amounts of time. A very important factor is that I was able to keep up a constant pace throughout the event without tiring and finish injury free.

I recommend carefully planned Vibration Training to endurance athletes. There’s no doubt in my mind that it’s been the factor that helped me especially as I haven’t been able to put in the normally needed training time.

Categories: Experiences
Written by Site Administrator on October 30th, 2007

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Before asking an unrelated question - take a look at the Beginner's Guide to WBV.