Vibration Training: Glossary of Terms
There are a number of terms used in discussion of whole body vibration that need to be clearly defined.
If you have any terms to add, please enter a comment below.
3-D (3 Dimensional)
This means the plate moves in 3 directions during the vibration. Up and down, side to side, and front to back.
Amplitude
How high the platform moves during it is vibrating.
Commercial Unit
A commercial unit is designed as a projected income for a high end-use studio or gym. Should be serviceable for a period of 10 years+. Should have no feasible weight restrictions.
Contraindications
A list of reasons why you cannot use a particular unit. Note: One list may not apply to all machines. Some are safer.
Domestic Unit
Home unit designed for personal use. Depending on quality may or may not be used for weight loss.
Dynamic
This is moving (eg. jumping, moving push-up etc… ) while the machine is running.
Frequency (Fq)
How fast the platform moves while it is vibrating. Measured in Hertz (Hz).
G-Force
This is dictated by the speed of the platform during its upward movement in the vibration. For example; when someone is put in a rocket and fired towards space - gravity is still trying to pull you back. But because you are moving in the opposite direction to gravity you become temporarily “heavy”. In Vibration Training terms this would be one indication of how hard your muscles need to work to stay in a given position.
ISO 2631
This is an industry term used to relate safe exposure to vibrations in humans. These ongoing studies mainly revolve around occupational and workplace exposure (e.g. truck drivers, road works, construction workers etc.). However the research will and should be taken into account for voluntary exposure such as Vibration Training.
kN (Kilonewton)
This is a measurement of force in the vibration. Dictated to by the mass X speed of the platform.
Lineal
A solid platform that moves straight up and down, all across the surface at the same time.
Pivotal
A platform that tilts from side to side - so one foot goes up while the other goes down.
Professional (Pro) Unit
Unit designed for professional practices like Physiotherapists or small gyms. May also be used in studios but will have a limited lifespan and because of cost may have weight restrictions.
Static
This is holding a pose in a position without moving while the machine is running.
Vibration Therapy (Purpose Built Machine)
Using Kinetic Vibration to cause movement and circulation in tissue, with the aim to assist in stretching, breaking down of scar tissue , or a healing process.
Vibration Training (Purpose Built Machine)
Using Kinetic Vibration as a form of maintaining a base fitness level, weight loss or performance enhancement.
66 Comments
- jenny p
August 2nd, 2007i have the power vibe pro. Are you familiar with it? It seems to be be very similar to the hypergravity (home) machine.
Jenny The Power Vibe Pro is a light asian built unit perfect for the Therapy applications you need but I would be worried about a drop in performance with such a model, depending on your weight . Hint: If when you get on it seems as though it drops speed ( enough to feel the difference) I would be cautious as to long term use.
But besides that.
If you follow the standard program here…
http://www.vibra-train.com/exercises-bullet.html
And make sure you follow instructions here…
http://www.vibra-train.com/exercises-explained.html
You should get the results you want safely.
- Mike Hair
August 3rd, 2007David david david, my dear friend, you have absoulutly no idea who you are dealing with do you?
I find your comment (i mean insult) towards Lloyd about not being qualified to discuss science quite disturbing.
I have spent my own money flying to Auckland to meet with Lloyd, and it has cost me hundreds of dollars in phone calls bugging Lloyd with questions, not to mention costing Lloyd out of his own pocket ringing me as well, and after getting to no Lloyds heart, motivation and passion I believe after the smoke clears he will be recognized as THE pioneer of WBV.
Now I am not trying to blow smoke up his back passage (cause he would probably injoy that), But knowing what Lloyd has already achieved today just blows my mind, I wish some of you so called academics would get down off your pedistool and take the time to meet with Lloyd in person or at the very least phone him, he is not unapproachable, infact I am in direct competition to him yet he still wants whats best for me and my family by offering me support and advice.David you talk about Lloyd being way too one-sided on his own side and way to stubborn and prideful to admit when he is wrong or there is something he doesn’t know. I’m sorry I don’t see why he should apoligise to you when he obviosly knows more about the subject of WBV than anybody else.
You also ask him to prove the standard of his machines, one thing Lloyd has done is proven his machines work simply by the testimonys of the people that continue to train at his studio’s. Hey why don’t you go try them for yourself I did.
- David M. Bazett-Jones
August 3rd, 2007First, I am man enough to say that my last comments were too pointed and disrespectful. My apologies Lloyd.
What I meant was that you aren’t qualified to discuss matters concerning the scientific method (i.e. Research). Do you not see the fault in your line of thinking; If it supports my position (WBV works), then it is a good study. If it doesn’t, it was a bad protocol?!?
This is the same exact line of thinking that Sal M has, except it is the opposite; if it supports WBV, it is obviously flawed or has less practical applications. If it says that WBV doesn’t work, I will use it to make my point more.
Obviously you understand science (which was a bad choice of words) but just as you are passionate about bad machines, I am passionate about the abuse of research by WBV companies (including yours). As you have stated, results of one machine should not be generalized to others since not all machines are equal. If you truly believe that, then you would have to agree that research should be presented in an honest manner. I am not saying that research shouldn’t be presented at all (exactly the opposite) but with the amount of information consumers must sift through, why not make it easier? And isn’t it a problem that individuals don’t care if something has been researched? Don’t you know that all the medical equipment that is used goes through years of research? The fitness industry is one of the only virtually unregulated industries in the world.
I stand by my statement regarding energy expenditure and gas exchanges as a valuable method of determining the practical nature of WBV for fat loss. I have proven you wrong (as you indirectly admitted) about this and I am very willing to do it again if you like.
If my attitude is wrong, then yours is as well. I have asked to work with you but you are never willing, claiming that academics will always screw you over (or something along those lines). Yes, you have nothing to prove to me. But isn’t it your ethical obligation to the people that pay for your service to know it works? They may see great results (as I am sure they do) but nothing has been proven (and that goes for many WBV machines, not just Lloyd’s). And why do I need to give you my permission to carry on? This isn’t a matter of you or me; it is a matter of the entire WBV industry and improving the machines, programs, and research.
I am happy for your success and no one needs my approval for anything. You are totally missing the point I am trying to make. I am trying to challenge you (as you have challenged me as well) to think outside the box a bit and take a look in the mirror. That is hard to do and why I get frustrated by your pride.
I know that I have made mistakes, as you have pointed out many times. Yes but mistakes only elicit improvement (unless they are ignored). I will not make an excuse for this, as none is justified. I can only promise that this mistake will not be made again, which can only improve things going forward. And don’t worry, we are reporting the accelerations as we have measured them, not as they are from the manufacturer (but this did not cause us to have to “recalibrate the results”). I am still learning about the engineering of WBV machines and will admit up and down that you know much more than I do when it comes to that. I know what I do not know and that is much; as it is for all of us. Do you know what you don’t know, Lloyd?
Now to clarify; I do not think Lloyd is stupid, undereducated, or unqualified to discuss WBV. In fact, I feel the exact opposite. I have agreed with many things that Lloyd has said; however, I have commented when he has become too big for his own britches. My only goal is to increase discussion and provide a slightly different viewpoint. A discussion is not a discussion if the discussers are not willing to examine others’ views as unbiased as possible. On this blog, Lloyd is the WBV god. But no one is all knowing about WBV and anyone who portrays themselves in this manor is sadly mistaken. I agree that Lloyd knows a lot and maybe even the most in his part of the world, but not everything. And he is definitely not THE pioneer in WBV. WBV in NZ, yes. But not in the whole world. I don’t believe that title can go to any one individual.
The peak of my frustration lies in the fact that I have asked Lloyd to send me information and teach me but he has only reflected my requests that someday when we meet in person, he will provide me information. I only want to advance the knowledge of WBV in the research world, which will only help the practical application. I truly feel that WBV has a large role in the medical community but it will never be accepted there until the research says that it is safe. In the mean time, we are stricken with the epidemic of obesity and the increasing problem of osteoporosis. Until the research catches up, WBV will sadly never be an accepted treatment for these diseases, not to mention many others.
So the plead I make to everyone is; why don’t we all work together to make the world of WBV better, not just our individual world’s better? For that, we all must check our pride at the door and work together. Isn’t that the right thing to do?
- jenny p
August 3rd, 2007Thank You Lloyd! What frequency do you recommend starting at?
Jenny Jenny….
43Hz is a good starting point.
David….
I have taken all the research off my website. Considering it did not directly apply to what I am doing it was indeed the only ethical thing to do. In recent light of your statements that papers with known errors in it will get published anyway , I will be very cautious as to what goes up again.
As for helping you, earn my trust through solid actions proving you are on this side of the fence ,and then you will get my attention.
In the mean time , my advice to you is write a research paper on how to write a research paper , one that points out the pitfalls of trusting marketers. And spell it out .
You may want to digest the following statement…
“Vibra-Train operates negative screening against companies or individuals involved in destructive activities”
I believe you releasing a paper that helps Power-Plate in any way falls into this catagory. But thats just my opinion. Again time will create your reputation.
- Tom
August 3rd, 2007Hi guys i have watched the discussion between david and lloyd for a couple of weeks now and find it very interesting and applaud the knowledge and dedication to wbv. I have opened up a vibra- Train studio here in perth a month ago our clients are thrilled with the results being achieved through vibration training
in such a short space of time.
Before opening our studio we went to the trouble of going to NZ to talk to lloyd and also visiting vibra-train studio’s along with other vibration training studio’s so as we could make a sound decision on what works and what doesn’t. We asked lots of questions of clients that where using the studio’s with the most posative feedback coming from the vibre-train studios.
Sorry for the waffle but in a nutshell David if you are so passionate about testing lloyd’s platforms it would be worth the trip to NZ to speak with him and maybe do some testing if he thinks it is going to aid the industry.I can only speak of my experiance of dealing with lloyd which backs up everything others have said about him being approachable, educated , very passionate about helping others and not being in it for the money also being new to this industry the backup lloyd provides through phonecalls from us about clients needs and insuring they are kept safe while using the platforms is simply remarkable and inspirational to me and my wife.David it is bloody hard it works it is worth the trip to NZ.
Kind Regards
Tom - Mike Hair
August 3rd, 2007Hi Tom,
Glad to hear you done some research before you set up. I think the future of this industry is massive and believe you have done the right thing by going with the Vibra-Train label, even though we operate 2 very successful independent studios this is something I am looking at doing myself.
All the best for the future and wishing you success.Regards Mike
- David M. Bazett-Jones
August 6th, 2007Tom,
Thank you for your input. I would love to visit Lloyd and see his studios. I would love to visit NZ period! However, I am in the US and cannot afford the 1700-2000 USD flight to make the trip. When a Vibra-Train comes to the US, I will try the machines then. Until then, I will just have to try everyone else’s machines! There are plenty to try.
Lloyd,
When you tested your machine, what amplitude or what “g” acceleration did you measure at 30 Hz or 40 Hz without a person on it, and what was the the amplitude or acceleration with an 80-90 kg person (squat) on it?The Vibra-Train Standard Required Force 2 , the first unit I ever built.
Note: I do not use g-force , I find it does not account for the complicated physics action of the upward vibration. As I work with such small figures it makes a huge difference to my equations if I try to put everything under one umbrella.
The machine was set at 43hz (the lowest energy setting the unit has).
It was tested at 0kg , 60kg , 120kg, 220kg and 300kg.
The amplitude increased 0.03mm at 60kg , the increase remained constant untill 220kg it had dropped 0.04mm at 300kg. The increase in amplitude rather than a normal drop is due to the bio-mechanical nature of the unit.
Note: I will not give the exact amplitude for fear of the figure being misused by other companies. You will understand this in the future.
The FQ remained constant within a 0.9% variation untill 220Kg where it droped off 2.6%.
Sorry, the 2.6% Fq drop was measured at 300Kg.
Lloyd, I do not understand why one would stay away from acceleration and then measure amplitude. A simple formula ties the two together. Measure one and you will know the other.
If one knows frequency and measures amplitude one can calculate “g” and vice versa. So if you calculated the amplitude, you must be able to calculate the “g” at the surface of the platform: multiply the amplitude by 0.002 and multiply it by the square of the frequency. This simple calculation gives you “g” (with an error of less than 1%) Therefore if you had a 1mm amplitude at 30 Hz: 1 x 0.002 x 30 x 30 = 1.8 g.
If you say that “g” acceleration doesn’t account for the complex physics, I do not understand then why you measure amplitude. If “g” doesn’t account for the complex physics, neither would amplitude. Instead, if you measured amplitude, because you trusted this number, you should trust “g” as well. Common it’s only a simple multiplication and squaring of the frequency away.
A measurement is a measurement. That has nothing to do with whatever complicated or simple happens above the platform. If you measure the amplitude to be 1mm at the platform surface, at a particular frequency, then whatever complicated happens, it happens in proportion to the 1 mm. Let’s say that you have inserted a tiny pin in the upper-thigh bone, the same way that dr. Rubin did in one of his published, peer-reviewed studies. Let’s say that you measure for instance 0.5 mm of vibration at the bone. Let’s say that then you flip on the switch to double the amplitude without changing the frequency setting: you obtain 2mm at the platform surface. Then the same complicated thing happens at twice the amplitude on the thigh bone, and you will measure 1mm on the thigh pin.
Giovanni…
I am soley involved in this site and write material for advice for the consumer to use. Keeping that in mind I believe taking the “consumer end” of the testing phase ( as opposed to tests done by the manufacturor or supplier) and making it simple yet relevant is a must.
If you look at what you have written , that would be the opposite.
Lloyd, sorry for making it more complicated than it sounds. Let me restate it in a simple way, yet relevant for the consumer.
I think that the consumer should be educated in this forum to the fact that amplitude and “g” acceleration, are equivalent. They are just two ways of measuring a platform vibration intensity, that are tied to each other.
I admire the way you are passionate, and making WBV information accessible to people. That’s why I was trying to correct two of your early statements in apparent contradiction with each other: measuring amplitude, and then saying that you do not use “g” acceleration, are opposing statement. Other than this slip of the tongue, you are doing an excellent job.
My aim is to make the test so simple a 10yr old can do it. Which means splitting up the release of the system.
Amplitude first ( 3D).
Fq next.
Those combined figures will give you the ability to fill out a graph ( freely downloadable from the new website ) to get the g-force . This test will be able to be done loaded and unloaded. At any time to measure any variations so they can be reported and fixed if possable.
Just trust me and watch it work.
Hello Giovanni,
Tried to access your Italian company’s and US company’s websites. Both are down. Tried to email your Italian colleague and could not go through.
Is there something happening in your Company?
Administrator, sorry for posting this message here but I could not figure out another way to communicate with this company.
TC
Nice…
- doreen
August 23rd, 2008hello
i have got a health problem please. is it true you can’t use the vibrio massage when you’ve got the menses and do the vibrio massage do any harm to the uterus please? thank you for your answers
doreen A woman can use the machines during menstruation , it is not a contra-indication .
No damage to the uterus or ovaries should be done sticking to the safety program. The amount of woman getting pregnant while doing Vibra-Train and later delivering successfully has been staggering. If their was even the smallest issue this would not be happening.
Important note: I can only account for my program and machines though. Some machines and poses given with them could be dangerous.
Hope this helps.
- Jonny
September 21st, 2008To all individuals involved in this interesting debate on WBV training.
I am about to embark on an MSC sport and exercise rehabilitation and I am considering ideas for my thesis. I have an interest in DOMS and the role that WBV plays in muscle recovery or if indeed it has any implication in muscle recovery (I do not want to present any basis). When considering study design, methodology etc can you anyone give me any advice on areas to give consideration to make my study as effective as possible. I am considering studying athletes, however, I am open to suggestions as I am aware WBV training has inplication for special populations.
For example, would I have to quantify how much vibration output is produce through the power plate? Is it important to consider the question of vibration transfer (in terms of frequency of vibration as it travels up the kentic chain). I know this is really quite vague, but any help and a point in the right direction would be greatly apprecaited. Once I have formulated a solid experimental design I will throw it out there for scruitany.
Kind reagrds Jonny
The most important thing to note is no matter what machine is used it needs to be tested to make sure it holds its specs under load , or your results may actually be random.
Personally it would not be wise to use any companies product with a history of large variations in the specs like Power Plate.
But…
I believe your work does not have to focus on this to prove a point if you can not get to work with a quality product. An approx Fq and Ampl will give similar results for some therapy values.
Eg…I will be writing an article in the next few days on lactic acid buildup , read it and see where I am coming from. It may give you some ideas.
- John Weatherly
September 21st, 2008I just put up a message titled “Research Companies Thoroughly” on the vibration training thread of the performance section on the forum at http://www.coreperformance.com. We’ll see if Scott Hopson, Director of Education for Power Plate, will respond?
- John Weatherly
September 22nd, 2008There are so many things you could do with athletes. For example, a warmup modality for neural potentiation prior to explosive exercise like a VJ (see Bosco’s work), implementing it in a periodized program, recovery issues as you mentioned etc. I just had a message today from Dr. Kraemer who as you may know is editor in chief of JSCR. Kraemer said he had a student in his lab do a study on a vibration plate that established what he thought was validity for warmup. Kraemer also said there are so many things to do with this modality and so many platforms etc. So, make sure you use a reliable platform in your work.
August 2nd, 2007
Caution David …
After your expert opinion on reading research I hope you dont “forget” to put a disclaimer in front of yours saying how the manufacturor lied to you about the specs forcing you to recalibrate the results.
Time will tell how your self imposed reputation of high standards holds up.